Mostly yes. Chris Stapleton is credited on about 87% of his catalogue, co-writing most of it with a small group of trusted collaborators. Songs like 'Nobody to Blame,' 'Broken Halos,' and 'Starting Over' are his co-writes. The main exceptions are covers, most famously 'Tennessee Whiskey,' which is his biggest hit but was written by others.
By the Numbers
5
Studio Albums
60
Tracks Credited
87%
Self-Written
13
Years Active
51
Collaborators
Authorship Breakdown 52 / 60 self-written
Who wrote the songs?
Across all 60 tracks: how many Chris Stapleton wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.
Chris Stapleton has a writing credit87%
15%
72%
13%
Sole author9tracks15%
Co-written43tracks72%
Outside writers8tracks13%
Role Fingerprint how they contribute
Chris Stapleton's roles across the catalogue
Share of all 60 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.
Lyricist (words)87%
Composer (music)87%
Producer100%
Performer100%
Authorship Over Time writing credit per album
Chris Stapleton's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.
avg 87%
86%
89%
78%
79%
100%
2015Traveller
2017From A Room: Volume 1
2017From A Room: Volume 2
2020Starting Over
2023Higher
Early · 84% written
Late · 89% written
Authorship by Decade track-weighted
84%
2010s
Traveller, From A Room: Volume 1 +1 more
89%
2020s
Starting Over, Higher
Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author
Where Chris Stapleton sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.
Chris Stapleton
Other artists on the site
Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.
Bubble size = tracks worked on together. MH Mike Henderson · RB Ronnie Bowman · JC J.T. Cure
The Authorship Story
Data Insight
Chris Stapleton is a strong author in the data, but with a distinctly Nashville co-writing pattern: he co-writes the large majority of his songs, so his name sits in nearly every lyricist credit, usually beside one or two trusted collaborators rather than a crowd. He also records selective covers, which are the clearest non-authored moments in his catalog. The composer column reflects the professional songwriting craft he mastered for years before his solo career, a writer who works in tight partnerships.
Quick Facts
Songwriter firstWrote more than a thousand songs in Nashville, including six number-one singles for other artists
AwardsHas won 12 Grammy Awards, 15 CMA Awards, and 11 ACM Awards
TravellerHis 2015 debut topped the Billboard 200 and is certified seven-times platinum
Tennessee WhiskeyHis biggest song is a cover, certified diamond, that he did not write
Breakthrough momentHis 2015 CMA Awards duet with Justin Timberlake launched him to stardom
Creative Fingerprint
A career songwriter who kept the best for himself: Chris Stapleton is credited on about 87% of his catalogue, co-writing most of it with a small circle, with the gaps coming from covers like his signature 'Tennessee Whiskey.'
The Story
Chris Stapleton is an American singer-songwriter who became one of the most acclaimed voices in country music after a long career as a behind-the-scenes Nashville hitmaker. Before his solo breakthrough, he wrote or co-wrote hundreds of songs for other artists, including chart-topping hits across country and beyond, and fronted the bluegrass band the SteelDrivers. His 2015 debut Traveller turned him into a star almost overnight, powered by his raw, soulful voice and a sound that fuses country, Southern rock, blues, and soul. Stapleton co-writes the large majority of his own material, frequently with longtime Nashville collaborators and his wife and harmony singer Morgane Stapleton, placing him high on the songwriting authorship scale. A perennial award winner, he is widely regarded as a generational singer and one of the finest songwriters of his era.
Awards & Recognition
Has won 12 Grammy Awards across country and Americana categories
Won 15 Country Music Association Awards and 11 Academy of Country Music Awards
Traveller (2015) topped the Billboard 200 and is certified seven-times platinum
'Tennessee Whiskey' is certified diamond by the RIAA
Frequently Asked Questions Chris Stapleton
Does Chris Stapleton write his own songs?
Mostly yes. Chris Stapleton is credited on about 87% of his catalogue, co-writing most of it with a small group of trusted collaborators. Songs like 'Nobody to Blame,' 'Broken Halos,' and 'Starting Over' are his co-writes. The main exceptions are covers, most famously 'Tennessee Whiskey,' which is his biggest hit but was written by others.
Did Chris Stapleton write 'Tennessee Whiskey'?
No. 'Tennessee Whiskey' was written by Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove, first recorded by David Allan Coe and made famous by George Jones. Stapleton's soulful cover on Traveller (2015) became his signature song and the best-known version, but he is not one of its writers.
Did Chris Stapleton write songs for other artists?
Yes, for years before his own fame. As a Nashville songwriter he wrote more than a thousand songs and had six number-one singles recorded by other artists, including cuts for Kenny Chesney, George Strait, Josh Turner, and Luke Bryan.
Who wrote 'Broken Halos'?
'Broken Halos,' from From A Room: Volume 1 (2017), was co-written by Chris Stapleton and Mike Henderson, his frequent songwriting partner. It won Grammy and CMA awards and is one of his most beloved originals.
How many Grammys has Chris Stapleton won?
Stapleton has won 12 Grammy Awards, along with 15 CMA Awards and 11 ACM Awards, making him one of the most decorated country artists of his generation.
How many albums has Chris Stapleton released?
This catalogue covers five studio albums, from his breakthrough Traveller (2015) through Higher (2023), including the paired From A Room volumes released in 2017.
How did Chris Stapleton become famous?
After years writing hits for others, Stapleton released Traveller in 2015 and performed 'Tennessee Whiskey' with Justin Timberlake at the CMA Awards that year. The performance is widely seen as the moment that turned him into a star.
Who does Chris Stapleton write with?
His most frequent collaborator is Mike Henderson, and he also writes with names like Ronnie Bowman and Kendell Marvel. His wife Morgane Stapleton sings harmony on much of his work, keeping his circle small and consistent.
What genre is Chris Stapleton?
Chris Stapleton makes country, outlaw country, and Southern rock with heavy blues and soul influences, built around his powerful voice on songs like 'Tennessee Whiskey' and 'Broken Halos.'
Chris Stapleton
