Garth Brooks

Solo Artist

Photo: Library of Congress Life · CC0
Active 1985-present
Origin Tulsa, Oklahoma
Albums 16
Tracks 185
Most frequent collaborator Allen Reynolds · 112 tracks
Genres CountryCountry Rock
Collaborator
41%
Authorship

Holds writing credit on 75 of 185 tracks

Does Garth Brooks write his own songs?

He is credited on 75 of his 185 studio tracks, under half, and on only four of them alone. His share was five of ten on the first album and nine of ten by 2016.

By the Numbers

16
Studio Albums
185
Tracks Credited
41%
Self-Written
162 million
Records Sold
41
Years Active
182
Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 75 / 185 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

Across all 185 tracks: how many Garth Brooks 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.

Garth Brooks has a writing credit41%
2%
38%
59%
Sole author4tracks2%
Co-written71tracks38%
Outside writers110tracks59%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Lyricist Performer Composer Producer
Garth Brooks's roles across the catalogue

Share of all 185 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)41%
Composer (music)41%
Producer14%
Performer100%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

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

avg 41%
50%
40%
73%
9%
45%
50%
80%
43%
0%
0%
42%
21%
27%
90%
57%
50%
1989Garth Brooks
1990No Fences
1991Ropin' the Wind
1992Beyond the Season
1992The Chase
1993In Pieces
1995Fresh Horses
1997Sevens
1999Garth Brooks in... the Life of Chris Gaines
1999Garth Brooks & the Magic of Christmas
2001Scarecrow
2014Man Against Machine
2016Christmas Together
2016Gunslinger
2020Fun
2023Time Traveler
Early · 44% written
Mid · 29% written
Late · 56% written

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

50%
1980s
Garth Brooks
36%
1990s
No Fences, Ropin' the Wind +7 more
42%
2000s
Scarecrow
43%
2010s
Man Against Machine, Christmas Together +1 more
54%
2020s
Fun, Time Traveler

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

Where Garth Brooks 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.

Garth Brooks
Other artists on the site

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

Tim McGraw2%
George Strait11%
Kenny Chesney20%
Florida Georgia Line63%
Toby Keith80%
Sheryl Crow88%
Zac Brown Band96%
41%Garth Brooks
Pure Performer0%
Songwriter~50%
Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

Wild Horses
No Fences
Written by Bill Shore, David Wills
Outside writers
Do What You Gotta Do
Sevens
Written by Pat Flynn
Outside writers
Lost in You
Garth Brooks in... the Life of Chris Gaines
Written by Gordon Kennedy, Wayne Kirkpatrick, Tommy Sims
Outside writers
Wrapped Up in You
Scarecrow
Written by Wayne Kirkpatrick
Outside writers
Ask Me How I Know
Gunslinger
Written by Mitch Rossell
Outside writers
Dive Bar
Fun
Written by Mitch Rossell, Bryan Kennedy, Garth Brooks
Co-wrote

Discography 16 albums

All sixteen albums the discography lists as studio albums, including the three Christmas records and the Chris Gaines album, which he recorded in character for a film that was never made. The live albums, the box sets and the compilations sit outside this catalogue.

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

Garth Brooks185 tracks
AR112Allen Reynolds, 112 tracks MM35Mark Miller, 35 tracks 16Kent Blazy, 16 tracks 13Don Was, 13 tracks KW12Kim Williams, 12 tracks BK12Bryan Kennedy, 12 tracks GK12Gordon Kennedy, 12 tracks JY10Jenny Yates, 10 tracks WK10Wayne Kirkpatrick, 10 tracks TA8Tony Arata, 8 tracks MR8Matt Rossi, 8 tracks LB7Larry Bastian, 7 tracks SD7Stephanie Davis, 7 tracks PA5Pat Alger, 5 tracks TY5Trisha Yearwood, 5 tracks TS5Tommy Sims, 5 tracks WV5Wynn Varble, 5 tracks MR5Mitch Rossell, 5 tracks VS4Victoria Shaw, 4 tracks BW4Bobby Wood, 4 tracks BH4Benita Hill, 4 tracks JM4John Martin, 4 tracks BT4Bobby Terry, 4 tracks DR3Dan Roberts, 3 tracks SC3Shawn Camp, 3 tracks CW3Chris Wallin, 3 tracks SM2Sandy Mahl, 2 tracks LC2Larry Cordle, 2 tracks RT2Randy Taylor, 2 tracks DB2Dewayne Blackwell, 2 tracks CJ2Carl Jackson, 2 tracks RW2Royal Wade Kimes, 2 tracks IB2Irving Berlin, 2 tracks JR2Jim Rushing, 2 tracks LR2Leigh Reynolds, 2 tracks AW2Amanda Williams, 2 tracks MP2Melissa Peirce, 2 tracks FL2Frank Loesser, 2 tracks TE1Ty England, 1 track CS1Charlie Stefl, 1 track RS1Ronny Scaife, 1 track EB1Ed Berghoff, 1 track DB1DeWayne Blackwell, 1 track JC1Jack Clement, 1 track BB1Bobby Boyd, 1 track WH1Warren Haynes, 1 track DR1Dennis Robbins, 1 track MD1Mark D. Sanders, 1 track EB1Earl Bud Lee, 1 track BS1Bill Shore, 1 track DW1David Wills, 1 track BB1Bruce Bouton, 1 track SC1Stephanie C. Brown, 1 track BJ1Billy Joel, 1 track CL1Cynthia Limbaugh, 1 track RB1Rex Benson, 1 track SG1Steve Gillette, 1 track BO1Buck Owens, 1 track DR1Don Rich, 1 track MC1Mark Casstevens, 1 track BM1Buddy Mondlock, 1 track AB1Alan Block, 1 track DH1Don Hecht, 1 track LG1Lowell George, 1 track MK1Martin Kibbee, 1 track DS1Don Schlitz, 1 track AT1Aaron Tippin, 1 track MC1Mark Collie, 1 track MB1Michael Burton, 1 track GB1Gary Burr, 1 track PW1Pete Wasner, 1 track JG1James Garver, 1 track LS1Lisa Sanderson, 1 track DL1Dennis Linde, 1 track RR1Roy Robinson, 1 track JP1Joe Perry, 1 track on Aerosmith's page ST1Steven Tyler, 1 track on Aerosmith's page HA1Harley Allen, 1 track WT1Wayne Tester, 1 track RC1Rick Carnes, 1 track SW1Steve Wariner, 1 track TD1Taylor Dunn, 1 track SM1Sandy Mason, 1 track BK1Brian Kennedy, 1 track PF1Pat Flynn, 1 track PP1Pierce Pettis, 1 track JP1John Peppard, 1 track TO1Tim O'Brien, 1 track DS1Darrell Scott, 1 track TS1Tommy Smith, 1 track PW1Pam Wolfe, 1 track JH1Joe Henry, 1 track MM1Mike More, 1 track AL1Andrew Logan, 1 track CW1Cheryl Wheeler, 1 track CP1Chet Powers, 1 track PM1Phil Madeira, 1 track EP1Edward Pola, 1 track GW1George Wyle, 1 track SC1Sammy Cahn, 1 track JS1Jule Styne, 1 track MT1Mel Tormé, 1 track BW1Bob Wells, 1 track RH1Randy Handley, 1 track CK1Cam King, 1 track FB1Felix Bernard, 1 track RB1Richard B. Smith, 1 track LA1Leroy Anderson, 1 track MP1Mitchell Parish, 1 track RB1Ralph Blane, 1 track HM1Hugh Martin, 1 track RE1Ray Evans, 1 track JL1Jay Livingston, 1 track W1work, 1 track PB1Phillips Brooks, 1 track LR1Lewis Redner, 1 track KA1Keith Anderson, 1 track GD1George Ducas, 1 track GJ1George Jones, 1 track RH1Randy Hardison, 1 track DM1Delbert McClinton, 1 track GN1Gary Nicholson, 1 track BB1Buddy Buie, 1 track JR1J. R. Cobb, 1 track TD1Tom Douglas, 1 track JH1John Hadley, 1 track GS1Gary Scruggs, 1 track KW1Kevin Welch, 1 track PK1Paul Kennerley, 1 track DP1Dan Peek, 1 track SL1Steven Lee Olsen, 1 track CC1Craig Campbell, 1 track BL1Brice Long, 1 track TM1Terry McBride, 1 track DS1Don Sampson, 1 track AW1Adam Wright, 1 track MA1Matthew A. Rossi, 1 track DD1Dean Dillon, 1 track LT1Lee Thomas Miller, 1 track B1Busbee, 1 track MB1Marc Beeson, 1 track AS1Allen Shamblin, 1 track SB1Stephanie Bentley, 1 track KK1Kevin Kadish, 1 track DM1Dan Muckala, 1 track CS1Caitlyn Smith, 1 track BD1Bob DiPiero, 1 track DE1Duke Ellington, 1 track DG1Don George, 1 track JH1Johnny Hodges, 1 track

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. Showing the 150 most frequent of 182. AR Allen Reynolds · MM Mark Miller · KW Kim Williams · BK Bryan Kennedy

Photo credits

Portraits in the web and the rail come from Wikimedia Commons. The artist's own photo carries its credit under the picture.

The Authorship Story

Data Insight

He is credited on 75 of his 185 studio tracks, which is under half, and on four of them alone. Kent Blazy co-wrote 16 and Kim Williams and the two Kennedys 12 apiece. The share climbs steadily: five of ten on the debut, nine of ten on Gunslinger in 2016. The biggest country act of the era spent his first decade singing songs other people wrote.

Quick Facts

  • Self-written75 of his 185 studio tracks
  • Written alone4 tracks in sixteen albums
  • Main partnerKent Blazy co-wrote 16 tracks
  • Diamond albumsThe debut, The Chase, In Pieces and Sevens are all diamond
  • Chris GainesHe wrote none of the album he made in character
  • Sixteen albums1989 to 2023, with thirteen years off in the middle

Creative Fingerprint

A singer first and a writer second, whose share of his own credits grew for thirty years.

The Story

Garth Brooks put out his first album in 1989 and is the best-selling solo albums artist in the United States, with 162 million units sold there. Sixteen studio albums, three of them Christmas records and one recorded in character as a fictional rock star.

Awards & Recognition

RIAA Award for best-selling solo albums artist of the century in the United States
Grammy Award (two wins)
American Music Award, Artist of the '90s

Frequently Asked Questions Garth Brooks

Does Garth Brooks write his own songs?
He is credited on 75 of his 185 studio tracks, under half, and on only four of them alone. His share was five of ten on the first album and nine of ten by 2016.
Who wrote "Friends in Low Places"?
Dewayne Blackwell and Earl Bud Lee. Brooks had no part in writing the song he is best known for.
Who wrote "The Dance"?
Tony Arata, who also wrote for the Chris Gaines album ten years later.
How many albums has he released?
Sixteen that the discography counts as studio albums, from Garth Brooks in 1989 to Time Traveler in 2023.
What is the Chris Gaines album?
A 1999 record made in character as a fictional rock star for a film, The Lamb, that was never made. He is credited on none of its thirteen tracks.
Who does he write with?
Kent Blazy on 16 tracks, Kim Williams, Bryan Kennedy and Gordon Kennedy on 12 each, and Jenny Yates on 10.
Which album is most his own?
Gunslinger, where nine of the ten tracks carry his name. Beyond the Season and the two other Christmas records are the opposite.
Which singles charted in the Hot 100?
"Lost in You" as Chris Gaines reached number 5, "Wrapped Up in You" number 46, "Wild Horses" number 50, "Do What You Gotta Do" number 69, "Ask Me How I Know" number 71 and "Dive Bar" number 78.
Why the long gap?
He announced his retirement from recording in 2000 and did not release another studio album until Man Against Machine in 2014.
Is he still recording?
Time Traveler came out in 2023, his sixteenth studio album.

Sources

Wikipedia: Garth Brooks Wikipedia: Garth Brooks discography File:Garth Brooks (49627465292).jpg - Wikimedia Commons