Better story teller than Edmund Fitzgerald?

”El Paso” by Marty Robbins & “No Reply” by the Beatles.  Robbins comes close to Lightfoot’s story telling, and the Beatles are a good bit further behind, at least on this song of theirs.

I'm sure you've heard of a fellow named Johnny Cash. 

Harry Chapin "Greatest Stories Live"  Is an album full of well sung stories.

"A Better Place to Be" is a bit schmaltzy but I have to admit I smile every time I listen to it.

I think for the purpose of this discussion fictional stories are fine as well.

They have to have a beginning, middle and end though.  So Cats in the Cradle and Ode to Billy Joe certainly qualify.  Songs which are descriptive without a time element though are different.

Interesting how far back in time we have to go for these songs, and how many are western themed.

Lastly, I can't think of any solid jazz songs that qualify.

Rush - "Manhattan Project" and "Countdown" tell the stories of the development of the atomic bomb and the launch of the first space shuttle, respectively.