Does Daughtry Write Their Own Music? Songwriting Credits & Scores

By the Numbers

6

Studio Albums

71

Tracks Credited

96%

Self-Written

over 9 million albums in the US

Records Sold

20

Years Active

56

Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 68 / 71 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

Across all 71 tracks: how many Daughtry 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.

Daughtry has a writing credit96%

18%

77%

4%

Sole author13tracks18%

Co-written55tracks77%

Outside writers3tracks4%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Daughtry's roles across the catalogue

Share of all 71 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)96%

Composer (music)96%

Producer1%

Performer99%

Member Credit Breakdown share of tracks each member is credited on

Percentage of all 71 tracks, across every album, where each member holds a credit - split by role.

Member	Period	Lyrics	Music	Production	Performance
Chris Daughtry	2006-present	96%	96%	0%	99%
Brian Craddock	2006-present	6%	6%	0%	0%
Elvio Fernandes	2012-present	7%	7%	1%	0%
Marty O'Brien	2022-present	0%	0%	0%	0%
Anthony Ghazel	2025-present	0%	0%	0%	0%
Josh Steely	2006-2024	3%	3%	0%	0%
Josh Paul	2006-2012, 2013-2022	4%	4%	0%	0%
Joey Barnes	2006-2010	1%	1%	0%	0%
Jeremy Brady	2006	0%	0%	0%	0%
Robin Diaz	2010-2014	0%	0%	0%	0%
Brandon Maclin	2016-2023	0%	0%	0%	0%
Jeremy Schaffer	2023-2025	0%	0%	0%	0%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

Daughtry's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.

avg 96%

83%

100%

90%

100%

2006Daughtry

2009Leave This Town

2011Break the Spell

2013Baptized

2018Cage to Rattle

2021Dearly Beloved

Early · 92% written

Mid · 100% written

Late · 96% written

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

92%

2000s

Daughtry, Leave This Town

97%

2010s

Break the Spell, Baptized +1 more

100%

2020s

Dearly Beloved

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

Where Daughtry 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.

Daughtry

Other artists on the site

Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.

Metro Boomin0%

EXO8%

Backstreet Boys25%

Kelly Clarkson49%

One Direction57%

Kesha77%

Fleetwood Mac88%

96%Daughtry

Pure Performer0%

Songwriter~50%

Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

It's Not Over

Daughtry

Written by Chris Daughtry, Gregg Wattenberg, Mark Wilkerson, Brett Young

Co-wrote

Home

Daughtry

Written by Chris Daughtry

Wrote it

Feels Like Tonight

Daughtry

Written by Max Martin, Lukasz Gottwald, Shep Solomon

Outside writers

No Surprise

Leave This Town

Written by Chris Daughtry, Chad Kroeger, Eric Dill, Rune Westburg, Joey Moi

Co-wrote

Every Time You Turn Around

Leave This Town

Written by Chris Daughtry, Andy Waldeck

Co-wrote

Discography 6 albums

200683%

Daughtry

RCA Records

12 tracks

2009100%

Leave This Town

RCA Records

12 tracks

2011100%

Break the Spell

RCA Records

12 tracks

2013100%

Baptized

RCA Records

12 tracks

201890%

Cage to Rattle

RCA Records

10 tracks

2021100%

Dearly Beloved

Dogtree Records

13 tracks

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

Daughtry71 tracks

HB36 MF17 SS17 JK10 MJ6 KM6

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. HB Howard Benson · MF Marti Frederiksen · SS Scott Stevens · JK Jacquire King · MJ Martin Johnson · KM Kyle Moorman

The Writers & Producers Behind Daughtry 6 key collaborators

HB

Howard Benson

Producer

Daughtry / Leave This Town / Break the Spell36 tracks

MF

Marti Frederiksen

Songwriter

Break the Spell / Cage to Rattle / Dearly Beloved17 tracks

SS

Scott Stevens

Songwriter

Cage to Rattle / Dearly Beloved17 tracks

JK

Jacquire King

Producer

Cage to Rattle10 tracks

The Authorship Story

Data Insight

Daughtry's catalog is built around frontman Chris Daughtry, who is credited as a co-writer on nearly every song the band has released. Rather than writing alone or relying purely on his bandmates, he works extensively with professional rock songwriters and producers, figures like Brett James, Chad Kroeger, Martin Johnson, and Marti Frederiksen recur throughout. The result is a high but collaborative authorship profile: Chris owns a piece of almost everything, but rarely writes solo.

Quick Facts

FrontmanChris Daughtry, American Idol season 5 finalist and primary songwriter
Record-setting debutDaughtry (2006) was the fastest-selling debut rock album in SoundScan history
Debut salesOver 6 million US copies, certified 6x platinum, Billboard's best-selling album of 2007
US salesOver 9 million albums and 25 million digital tracks
Grammy nodsFour nominations in 2008
Studio albumsSix, from Daughtry (2006) to Dearly Beloved (2021)

Creative Fingerprint

A frontman who co-writes almost everything: Chris Daughtry has a piece of nearly every song but rarely writes solo, pairing instead with professional rock writers like Brett James, Chad Kroeger, and Marti Frederiksen.

The Story

Daughtry are an American rock band formed and fronted by Chris Daughtry, who rose to fame as a finalist on the fifth season of American Idol in 2006. Their self-titled debut became the fastest-selling rock debut in Nielsen SoundScan history, spawning hits like 'It's Not Over' and 'Home,' and was followed by five more studio albums of radio-ready post-grunge. Chris Daughtry is the constant creative force, the only member credited as a songwriter across the catalog.

Awards & Recognition

Daughtry named Billboard's best-selling album of 2007

Fastest-selling debut rock album in Nielsen SoundScan history

Four Grammy Award nominations (2008), including Best Rock Album

Frequently Asked Questions Daughtry

Did Daughtry write their own songs?

Yes, mostly as co-writes. Frontman Chris Daughtry is credited as a co-writer on nearly every song the band has released, including 'It's Not Over,' 'Home,' and 'No Surprise.' Rather than writing alone, he works with professional rock songwriters like Brett James, Chad Kroeger, and Marti Frederiksen, so he owns a piece of almost everything but rarely writes solo.

Who is Chris Daughtry?

Chris Daughtry is the singer, songwriter, and founder of the band Daughtry. He first became famous as a fourth-place finalist on the fifth season of American Idol in 2006 before launching one of the most successful post-Idol music careers.

Who wrote 'Home' by Daughtry?

'Home' was written by Chris Daughtry and released on the band's 2006 self-titled debut. It became one of their signature songs and was widely used as a results-show send-off on American Idol.

How successful was the debut album Daughtry?

The 2006 self-titled debut was a massive success, reaching number one on the Billboard 200, selling more than six million copies in the US, and becoming the fastest-selling debut rock album in Nielsen SoundScan history. Billboard named it the best-selling album of 2007.

How many records has Daughtry sold?

Daughtry have sold over 9 million albums and more than 25 million digital tracks in the United States. Their self-titled debut, certified six-times platinum, accounts for the bulk of those album sales.

How many albums has Daughtry released?

Daughtry have released six studio albums: Daughtry (2006), Leave This Town (2009), Break the Spell (2011), Baptized (2013), Cage to Rattle (2018), and Dearly Beloved (2021). Their debut remains by far their best-selling record.

Who wrote 'It's Not Over'?

'It's Not Over' was co-written by Chris Daughtry with a team of outside songwriters for the 2006 debut album. It was the band's breakthrough single, reaching number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning a Grammy nomination.

Did Daughtry win a Grammy?

No. Despite four Grammy nominations in 2008, including Best Rock Album and Best Rock Song, the band has not won a Grammy Award. They remain one of the most commercially successful rock acts to emerge from American Idol.

Sources

Daughtry (band) - Wikipedia Daughtry (album) - Wikipedia