Most frequent collaboratorRemi Kabaka Jr. · 61 tracks
GenresAlternative RockTrip HopElectronicHip Hop
Complete Artist
100%
Authorship
Holds writing credit on 128 of 128 tracks
Who writes Gorillaz songs?
Damon Albarn, the Blur frontman who co-created Gorillaz, writes and performs the music, while artist Jamie Hewlett creates the band's animated members and visual world. The songs are built around a rotating cast of guest artists who co-write and sing their own features, so a track like 'Feel Good Inc.' pairs Albarn's music with verses by De La Soul.
By the Numbers
9
Studio Albums
128
Tracks Credited
100%
Self-Written
over 30 million equivalent albums
Records Sold
28
Years Active
129
Collaborators
Authorship Breakdown 128 / 128 self-written
Who wrote the songs?
Across all 128 tracks: how many Gorillaz 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.
Gorillaz has a writing credit100%
48%
52%
Sole author61tracks48%
Co-written67tracks52%
Outside writers0tracks0%
Role Fingerprint how they contribute
Gorillaz's roles across the catalogue
Share of all 128 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.
Lyricist (words)90%
Composer (music)100%
Producer69%
Performer88%
Member Credit Breakdown share of tracks each member is credited on
Percentage of all 128 tracks, across every album, where each member holds a credit - split by role.
Member
Period
Lyrics
Music
Production
Performance
Damon Albarn
1998-present
90%
100%
57%
88%
Jamie Hewlett
1998-present
12%
12%
0%
0%
Authorship Over Time writing credit per album
Gorillaz's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.
avg 100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
2001Gorillaz
2005Demon Days
2010Plastic Beach
2011The Fall
2017Humanz
2018The Now Now
2020Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez
2023Cracker Island
2026The Mountain
Early · 100% written
Mid · 100% written
Late · 100% written
Authorship by Decade track-weighted
100%
2000s
Gorillaz, Demon Days
100%
2010s
Plastic Beach, The Fall +2 more
100%
2020s
Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez, Cracker Island +1 more
Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author
Where Gorillaz 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.
Gorillaz
Other artists on the site
Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.
Bubble size = tracks worked on together. RK Remi Kabaka Jr. · JF James Ford · DM Danger Mouse · SE Samuel Egglenton
The Authorship Story
Data Insight
Gorillaz is an unusual authorship case: the band is a fiction, so the cartoon members never write anything. The real author is Damon Albarn, whose name sits on every track, typically beside the guest vocalist or rapper who fronts that specific song. Jamie Hewlett co-creates the project as its visual artist but is credited as a writer mainly on Demon Days. The performer column is where Gorillaz is most distinctive: most songs hand the lead to a featured guest, from De La Soul and Del the Funky Homosapien to Bobby Womack, Snoop Dogg and Stevie Nicks, while Albarn sings the rest as the voice of 2-D.
Quick Facts
CreatorsMusician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett
Virtual lineupAnimated members 2-D, Murdoc, Noodle, and Russel Hobbs
Signature hit'Feel Good Inc.' featuring De La Soul, a Grammy winner
Breakthrough albumDemon Days (2005), double platinum in the US and 6x platinum in the UK
Guinness recordRecognized as the most successful virtual band
Studio albumsEight, from Gorillaz (2001) to Cracker Island (2023)
Creative Fingerprint
One writer behind the cartoon: Damon Albarn writes and performs the music while Jamie Hewlett builds the visual world, and a rotating cast of guest artists co-writes and sings their own features.
The Story
Gorillaz is a British virtual band created in 1998 by musician Damon Albarn and visual artist Jamie Hewlett. The act presents itself through four fictional animated members, 2-D, Murdoc Niccals, Noodle and Russel Hobbs, but the real music is written and led by Albarn, with Hewlett directing the band's visual world. Across genre-hopping albums that blend alternative rock, hip hop, electronic, dub and pop, Gorillaz built its sound on a rotating cast of guest vocalists and rappers who front individual tracks while Albarn anchors the songwriting. The project broke through with the 2001 self-titled debut and its hit 'Clint Eastwood,' then reached new heights with Demon Days and Plastic Beach. Albarn writes or co-writes the entire catalog, usually sharing credits with the guest performers who appear on each song, which places Gorillaz high on the authorship scale behind a single principal author.
Awards & Recognition
Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals, 'Feel Good Inc.' (2006)
Guinness World Record as the most successful virtual band
Demon Days certified double platinum in the US and 6x platinum in the UK
Frequently Asked Questions Gorillaz
Who writes Gorillaz songs?
Damon Albarn, the Blur frontman who co-created Gorillaz, writes and performs the music, while artist Jamie Hewlett creates the band's animated members and visual world. The songs are built around a rotating cast of guest artists who co-write and sing their own features, so a track like 'Feel Good Inc.' pairs Albarn's music with verses by De La Soul.
Is Gorillaz a real band?
Gorillaz is a virtual band, meaning its four members, 2-D, Murdoc Niccals, Noodle, and Russel Hobbs, are animated cartoon characters rather than real people. The music is made by Damon Albarn with many collaborators, and the visuals are created by artist Jamie Hewlett.
Who wrote 'Feel Good Inc.'?
'Feel Good Inc.' was written by Damon Albarn with the hip-hop group De La Soul, who perform the rap verses and laughing hook. Released on 2005's Demon Days, it won the Grammy for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals and became the band's signature song.
Who is the real singer of Gorillaz?
Damon Albarn is the main voice of Gorillaz, singing as the character 2-D on most tracks. He is best known as the frontman of the Britpop band Blur, and he founded Gorillaz with Jamie Hewlett in 1998.
What is Gorillaz's most successful album?
Demon Days (2005) is their most successful album, reaching number one in the UK, going double platinum in the US and six-times platinum in the UK. It was driven by 'Feel Good Inc.,' 'Dare,' and 'Dirty Harry.'
How many albums has Gorillaz released?
Gorillaz have released eight studio albums, from their 2001 self-titled debut through Cracker Island in 2023. Their catalog also includes the project-based Song Machine series.
Who are the guest artists on Gorillaz songs?
Gorillaz are known for their guest collaborators, who have included De La Soul, Snoop Dogg, Lou Reed, Grace Jones, Elton John, Bad Bunny, and many others. Each guest typically writes and performs their own part over Damon Albarn's music.
Who wrote 'Clint Eastwood'?
'Clint Eastwood' was written by Damon Albarn with a rap verse by Del the Funky Homosapien, who voices the character Del on the track. It was the debut single from the 2001 album Gorillaz and the band's first hit.
Gorillaz
