Which British songwriter has the sharpest lyrical pen of all time?

Whether fronting The Smiths or going solo, his wit, miserabilism and gift for the cutting one-liner defined a generation of outsiders.

From Ziggy Stardust to Blackstar, Bowie built whole worlds in verse, weaving science fiction, alienation and reinvention into pop.

Her lyrics draw on Brontë, folklore and the strange corners of the psyche, turning albums into something closer to poetry collections.

Pulp's frontman captured the awkwardness, sex and social friction of British life with a forensic eye and a knowing smirk.

Decades of dense, acid-tongued wordplay about politics, love and betrayal have made him one of the most quotable writers in rock.