Billboard Reveals the Top Songwriters of the 21st Century

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Billboard recently published its ranking of the top songwriters of the 21st century, recognizing the creative forces behind many of the biggest songs since 2000. With 327 songs hitting number one on the charts this century, these songwriters have been instrumental in defining the sound of today’s pop music.

Coming in at number ten is Bruno Mars, with nine songs that have reached number one on the Hot 100 chart. His song Uptown Funk!, a collaboration with Mark Ronson, was a huge hit, staying at the top for 14 weeks starting January 17, 2015, and becoming one of the decade’s biggest successes.

At number nine is Cirkut, who has also co-written nine songs that reached the top of the charts. He’s particularly known for his work on Maroon 5 and Cardi B’s hit, “Girls Like You,” which spent seven weeks at number one, starting September 29, 2018.

Coming in at number eight is Shellback, a songwriter with ten chart-topping hits. He helped write Maroon 5’s “One More Night,” which spent nine weeks at the top of the charts, beginning on September 29, 2012.

Tor Hermansen and Mikkel Eriksen, who work together as the songwriting team Stargate, are two of the most successful hitmakers in music. Both have written ten songs that reached number one on the charts. Some of their most famous work includes Beyoncé’s “Irreplaceable,” which topped the charts for ten weeks starting on December 16, 2006.

Beyoncé is fifth on the list, having achieved 11 number-one hits on the Hot 100 chart. She first found success as a songwriter with Destiny’s Child’s “Independent Women Part I,” which topped the charts for 11 weeks beginning November 18, 2000.

Taylor Swift comes in at number four, boasting twelve songs that have reached the top of the charts. Her single, “Anti-Hero,” was number one on the Hot 100 for eight weeks, starting November 5, 2022, proving she remains a major force in pop music today.

Drake has co-written 14 songs that reached number one on the charts. His 2018 single, “God’s Plan,” spent 11 weeks at the top, beginning on February 3rd.

Dr. Luke comes in second, having co-written 18 songs that reached number one on the Hot 100 chart. One of his biggest successes was working with Ke$ha on “TiK ToK,” which stayed at the top of the charts for nine weeks starting in January 2010 and became a defining song of early 2010s pop music.

Max Martin is the most successful songwriter of the 21st century so far. Between 2000 and 2024, he’s penned an incredible 26 songs that reached the top of the charts. A prime example is Maroon 5’s “One More Night,” which held the number one spot for nine weeks starting in September 2012. Over the last twenty years, Martin has profoundly impacted pop music and helped launch the careers of many popular artists.

You can check out the full list here.

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2025-11-15 21:44