Billboard top 100 Songwriters List – The Artists Behind The Artists.

Some of you might have figured this out already, but not all of today’s top popular music artists write their own songs. Truth be told, the majority of Top 40 pop and country hits are actually, almost always, written by a select few. This fraternity, many of whom you may not have heard of or known in this specific capacity, is made up of the best songwriters in the world. They are responsible for hit after hit after hit. Just this past week, as routinely released on an annual basis, Billboard Magazine released its “Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 Songwriters list.” Some of these names you might recognize because they are also artists themselves. Three of the top ten are artists, Ryan Tedder who is the lead singer for One Republic, Pharrell Williams, and Calvin Harris all made the list this year. Some of you might not know but Tedder, Pharrell, and Calvin Harris have “ghost written,” co-written, or are responsible for songs released by Ellie Goulding (Burn), Beyonce (XO), Rita Ora (I Will Never Let You Down), and Ed Sheeran (Sing), just to name a few. The rest of the individuals on the list, are strictly songwriters. And it brings us to the number one songwriter of this year. How many of you have heard of Max Martin? Though his name may ring a bell, it certainly doesn’t set of paparazzi flashbulbs or blow up Google searches. Yet, Martin is perhaps the music industry’s most prolific creative mind.

            Max Martin is now tied with John Lennon and Paul McCartney for most number one Billboard charting songs of all time. Max Martin, unbeknownst to throngs of screaming fans, has defined popular music from the 90’s till now. His accomplishments are too many to name. He wrote all the music, lyrics, and melodies for all of Brittney Spears’s hits. He was responsible for both NSYNC and The Backstreet Boys’ chart toppers. His most recent work has been a vehicle for the likes of Katy Perry and Taylor Swift. The reason I bring up Britney, NSYNC, and the Backstreet boys, though admittedly far past their pop primes, is because their songs and business models mark the start of an era. It was the beginning of an age when music stars transcended musicianship. It was the first time songwriting, behind the scenes, for an artist or band really came into existence. Don’t get me wrong; there have always been famous musicians who didn’t write their own stuff. Take Elton John for example. He has never written a lyric in his life, but he writes all his music and melodies. His partner Bernie Taupin, who you’ve all probably never heard of, has written the lyrics and concepts to every famous Elton John song ever. Musical history is rife with songwriting teams. But the 90s marked the beginning of an era where labels would build artists from the ground up. A strong voice, look, talent, and cultural background replaced songwriting talent as the major selling points of musical acts. Songwriting could be outsourced, very successfully I might add. In fact, it was a goldmine. And Max Martin might be the largest prize.

             If you have a couple of minutes, Google some of the people on the list and see what songs they’ve written. You might be very surprised. Google the credits to one of your favorite songs and I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the names below came up as a co-writer.  In my opinion, despite their distinct lack of notoriety, these people are the true artists. There is nobility in their “ghost” like dedication to a beloved craft. They might not have the look or the voice we know. But they are the ones creating the songs that we all love. And also maybe hate.