Behind nearly every chart-topping hit is a story, and sometimes, the name on the album cover isn’t the one who actually wrote the song. While pop history celebrates performers, some of the industry’s most iconic tracks were quietly written by musicians who chose to stay in the background, offering their talent to others while keeping their own role largely out of sight. These artists helped shape the sound of popular music without stepping into the spotlight themselves.
From rock legends and pop stars to genre-defining juggernauts, the musicians on this list have all played a hidden hand in creating massive hits for other performers. Their songs launched careers, dominated radio airwaves, and became incredibly memorable, often without most listeners ever knowing who truly wrote them. What follows is a list of famous musicians whose lent their songwriting skills to create some of the biggest hits of all time.
Sia
The enigmatic and often vibrantly dressed musician Sia is best known for her global hits “Titanium” and “Chandelier.” What’s less known is how in demand she is as a songwriter. She’s written over 70 songs for well-known artists, including Rihanna’s “Diamonds” and Britney Spears’ “Perfume.”
Ryan Tedder
Before he made his name as the co-founder and frontman of OneRepublic, Ryan Tedder worked as a songwriting intern at DreamWorks SKG. He was committed to striking out on his own, however, which he did once OneRepublic’s “Apologize” hit the charts. Since then, Tedder’s eased back into his songwriter role, penning tracks for dozens of huge stars including Taylor Swift, Demi Lovato, and Jennifer Lopez. What’s more, he penned “Halo,” one of Beyonce’s biggest hits.
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran has grown into one of the UK’s highest-paid musicians, but some of those sales came from other artist’s songs. Besides penning Justin Bieber’s massive hit “Love Yourself,” Sheeran ghostwrote One Direction’s chart-topping song “Little Things.”
Pharrell Williams
He’s been under the radar for several years, but Pharell Williams always pops back into the spotlight with another earworm. Often, these hits are for other artists. While massively successful in his own right, Williams has ghostwritten literally hundreds of songs including Justin Timberlake’s “Rock Your Body” and Kelis’ chart-topping “Milkshake.”
Ne-Yo
From the get-go, Ne-Yo has been penning hit songs for both himself and other artists. His ghostwriting includes songs by Jay-Z, Rihanna, and Lindsay Lohan. He also wrote Beyonce’s number one hit “Irreplaceable,” which sat at the top of the charts for ten consecutive weeks. In the following years, however, Ne-Yo expressed regret for giving Beyonce one of her biggest hits.
Otis Redding
With his gritty, heartfelt vocals and mournful tracks, Otis Redding became one of the premiere Soul artists of the 1960s. Songs of his like “(Sittin’ On) the Dock of the Bay” and “Try a Little Tenderness” are well-known classics well into the modern day. Surprisingly, Redding also ghostwrote Aretha Franklin’s biggest hit “Respect.”
Prince
He’s known the world over for his eye-popping style and chart-topping hits. Somehow, Prince managed to ghostwrote dozens of songs in between his stunning 39 studio albums. Besides writing tracks for Madonna and Cyndi Lauper, Prince ghostwrote Sinead O’Connor’s global hit “Nothing Compares to You.”
Jessie J
Though less known than other musicians on this list, Jesse J made serious waves in her native United Kingdom with tracks like “Do It Like a Dude” and “Pricetag.” Before she became a presenter on television program “The Voice,” Jessie J worked as a songwriter at Sony. There, she ghostwrote Miley Cyrus’ number one hit “Party in the USA.”
Bruno Mars
With 150 million records sold and 16 Grammy Awards, Bruno Mars needs little introduction. What’s less known about him, however, is his prolific ghostwriting career. He’s penned dozens of tracks for big-name artists like Adele, The Vamps, and Adam Lambert. Most notably, Mars ghostwrote Cee Lo Green’s massive hit “Forget You.”
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