Vibe Vibe
  • News
    • Entertainment
    • National
    • Sports
    • Events
    • Movies & TV
  • Music
    • Videos
    • New Releases
    • Live Reviews
    • Album Reviews
    • Music Premieres
  • Features
    • Digital Covers
    • Opinion
    • Lists
  • Style
    • Fashion
    • Lifestyle
  • Vixen
  • Viva

Follow Vibe

The Vibe Mix Newsletter

All things VIBE. Daily - Straight to your inbox.
By subscribing, I agree to the
Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
All things VIBE. You have signed up and will start receiving the Vibe Mix Newsletter immediately.
News Entertainment National Sports Events Movies & TV

Unsung Heroes: The 36 Best Songwriters Of The 2000s

November 27, 2012 - 6:11 pm by Clover Hope

Behind every great artist is a super genius songwriter. As scribes ourselves, VIBE knows how much labor goes into building the perfect lyrical blocks to ensure a song will not only relate to listeners, but also be catchy enough to possibly shoot up the charts. The most skilled songwriters can transform an artist’s personal tales into anything from gut-wrenching ballads to club tracks to autobiographical classics.

When it comes to artists themselves moonlighting as auteurs, there’ve been heated debates over what constitutes “songwriting.” Only those present in the studio know how much is really contributed. But any music industry creative will tell you there’s more to it than just penning the words—it’s the adlibs, the structure, the meticulous re-writing and editing. It takes a village.

From the most visible to underrated to artists and producers pulling double duty for some liner note love, VIBE counts down the 35 best R&B/pop songwriters of the 2000s. Click above to begin!

Compiled by Stacy Ann-Ellis, Jasmine Aspinall, Rachel Francois, Clover Hope

*(Note: We've included songs the person has either written or co-written).

1
37

2
37

3
37

4
37

5
37

6
37

7
37

8
37

9
37

10
37

11
37

12
37

13
37

14
37

15
37

claude-kelly_0
16
37

claude-kelly_0

drake_1-3
17
37

drake_1-3

18
37

19
37

20
37

21
37

22
37

23
37

24
37

25
37

26
37

27
37

28
37

29
37

30
37

31
37

32
37

33
37

34
37

35
37

36
37

37
37

In This Story:
  • News,
  • timeless
  • FACEBOOK
  • TWITTER
  • EMAIL ME
25
View the next gallery
Deck Out: Top 25 Most Stylin' DJs

The Vibe Mix Newsletter

All things VIBE. Daily - Straight to your inbox.
By subscribing, I agree to the
Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
All things VIBE. You have signed up and will start receiving the Vibe Mix Newsletter immediately.

Top Stories

Features

1d ago

The 6 Degrees of Damian Lillard

News

1d ago

Obie Trice Arrested For Felony Assault After Shooting Incident

Viva

1d ago

Kidnapped UPS Driver's Family Blames Florida Police For His Death

  • News
  • Music
  • Features
  • Style
  • Vixen
  • Viva
  • Contact Us

Vibe.com is an affiliate site of Billboard, a subsidiary of Prometheus Global Media, LLC.

  • Privacy Policy
  • Ad Choices
  • Copyright
  • Billboard
  • The Hollywood Reporter
  • SPIN
  • VIBE
  • Stereogum