Pete Townshend a better songwriter than Lennon/McCartney? Even Pete would deny that’s true. In fact when asked the best writers of his era he said dylan and the beatles. You do realize Pete never even wrote one number one song for The WHO don’t you?
Ray Davies is a better singwriter than Townsend. And as a stand alone songwriter probably the best of the bunch.
Oddly Keef on his own supposedly wrote two of the Stones best - Ruby Tuesday and I think Lady Jane. 19th Nervous Breakdown and maybe one or two more an that is it - the rest of their stuff was largely crap.
Would you still be willing to “stick by the charts” as a measure of who’s a good songwriter? Have you seen the charts today?
Have you heard the music that doesn’t make the charts?