Willie Nelson ranked No. 10 in a New York Times Magazine readers' poll of the 100 greatest living American songwriters. The recognition comes after the newspaper included the Abbott-born singer-songwriter on its list of the 30 greatest living American songwriters, published on April 27.
"Nelson, who is 93, is the oldest songwriter to figure in readers’ top 100; among the voters most likely to name Nelson were those who had chosen Rodney Crowell (born in Crosby, Texas), Emmylou Harris or Paul Anka," the New York Times Magazine entry on Nelson said.
According to the Times, each voter could submit up to 10 names, and more than 25,000 ballots were cast. The process yielded roughly 12,000 unique selections, though fewer than 200 eligible songwriters received more than 100 votes.
"I’ve listened to ‘On the Road Again’ religiously for three-quarters of my life and it still puts a smile on my face every time I hear the intro," one NYT Magazine voter wrote.
Folk music icon Bob Dylan placed No.1 on the list. Dylan and Lucinda Williams — who ranked No. 18 — are playing at Austin’s Waterloo Park on June 29. Paul Simon, the former Simon & Garfunkel member who now lives in Wimberley, took the No. 2 spot.
Bruce Springsteen, who voiced his political frustrations during a recent concert at Moody Center on April 27, was third on the list. The remaining artists who made the top 10 were Carole King, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, Taylor Swift, Dolly Parton and James Taylor.
Other Texas artists in the New York Times list included Houston-born superstar Beyoncé who was listed at No. 47. Lyle Lovett, who has played Austin City Limits more than a dozen times and is second only to Willie Nelson in appearances on the show, ranked No. 57. Kacey Musgraves, the Golden-born singer who recently played a packed show at historic Texas music venue Gruene Hall, made the list at No. 89. Fort Worth-born James McMurtry was No. 65.
Steve Earle, who was born in Virginia but grew up in San Antonio and is widely considered a Texas music staple, ranked No. 39.
"Townes Van Zandt is the best songwriter in the whole world, and I’ll stand on Bob Dylan’s coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that," Earle famously said in the late-1980s.