Top 5 Song Writers Of The 80's

Mark Knopfler
Noel Brazil
Paul Simon
David Byrne
Neil Young

Tom Waits, Sam Phillips, Prince, Dylan, Costello

Some very good choices above. I'd agree with a bunch o' 'em. And I'd like to add: Roddy Frame (of Aztec Camera), Mike Scott (the Waterboys), Paul Buchanan (the first two -- and best two Blue Nile discs, I believe, were released in the '80s), Paul Weller (with the Style Council), and the great songwriter and guitarist Tom Verlaine. That's five, but I don't feel good about having left out Thomas Dolby, a terribly good songwriter who I was lucky enough to see a few months back. Seen from this decade, the '80s don't look too bad, do they? I'm gonna go play an Aztec Camera disc. Thanks for putting the notion in my head.

Peter Prescott (Mission of Burma, Volcano Suns) - incredible intelligence and perspective, timeless observations on life. Artful and honest.

I agree with many of the above. I'll ad a few that I think may be over looked...
Peter Case - (Blue Guitar album is one of the best ever IMHO)
Richard Thompson
John Hiatt
Mary Chapin Carpenter
Gregg Brown
Brian Setzer (wrote some classic rockabilly)

CHris