Come on Dave, don't be contrary!   Great, outstanding, superb, etc... they are all terms of endearment to artists that we love. The words people use should not be questioned, the meaning behind them should. Personally, I stand by every artist that I called "great".

There are dozens of songwriters I could name, many of them have already been noted here. One thing I have noticed is that many people are mentioning songwriters who are of an older vintage but still making good music today. Unlike most of pop music, "folk" does not have a shelf life. Tom Paxton still writes some great songs as does Bill Staines and Eric Anderson. There are also a number of "under 30's" that are making great music. If you have not heard her, look for Anais Mitchell.