Cannonball: Debating Our ‘30 Greatest Songwriters’ List

Popcast

The New York Times

Music Commentary, Music, Music Interviews

3.4 • 1.7K Ratings

🗓️ 7 May 2026

⏱️ 63 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

On this week's episode of "Cannonball," Jon and Joe sit down with Wesley Morris and Sasha Weiss to discuss how The New York Times Magazine's 30 Greatest Songwriters list came together. They rehash their biggest debates from the process, react to the perceived snubs, engage with reader comments and share some of their personal regrets.

Transcript

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0:00.0	What's up, Popcast Audio Massive?
0:02.4	It's John.
0:03.2	Hey, it's Joe.
0:04.2	We're here because this is a special, collaborative episode that you are about to hear.
0:11.2	We went to the Cannonball Soundstage.
0:13.8	We got into it about the 30 greatest living American songwriters with Wesley Morris, fellow
0:19.7	critic at the New York Times, and Sasha Weiss, one of the magazine editors who was in charge of the project.
0:25.4	We talked a little bit about what it was like in the room as we were making these decisions.
0:30.0	We talked about who was left off the list, some of our personal heartbreaks, people who didn't make it.
0:36.1	If you get heartbroken over a list, that's something I hope you guys will work on.
0:40.2	Or it means the list worked.
0:41.5	Yes.
0:42.3	Either way, you can watch the video on the Cannonball YouTube feed, but we had to rip the audio to give it to y'all here for the real ones.
0:50.7	Listen and let us know what we missed.
1:03.0	Music real ones. Listen and let us know what we missed. I'm Wesley Morris and this is Cannonball today.
1:08.9	We did start the fire. We did!
1:16.0	I love lists. I love them. They can clarify and illuminate and surprise. If it's a list of
1:25.5	greatness, it can introduce great art to people.
1:28.7	It can reintroduce great art to people.
1:31.2	But you know how lists are.
1:33.8	No matter what, they will cause a scandal.
1:38.9	Last spring, the New York Times Magazine where I work,
	...

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