Hanson

Solo Artist

Photo: William · CC BY 2.0
Active 1992-present
Origin Tulsa, Oklahoma
Albums 12
Tracks 172
Most frequent collaborator Mark Hudson · 41 tracks
Genres Pop RockPower PopSoft Rock
Collaborator
47%
Authorship

Holds writing credit on 81 of 172 tracks

Do Hanson write their own songs?

Yes. On the 89 tracks whose writers are published, Isaac is credited on 79, Zac on 80 and Taylor on 78, and 64 of those carry nobody outside the band. The only tracks they did not write are the Christmas standards on Snowed In.

By the Numbers

12
Studio Albums
172
Tracks Credited
47%
Self-Written
34
Years Active
35
Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 81 / 172 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

Across all 172 tracks: how many Hanson 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.

Hanson has a writing credit47%
37%
10%
53%
Sole author64tracks37%
Co-written17tracks10%
Outside writers91tracks53%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Lyricist Performer Composer Producer
Hanson's roles across the catalogue

Share of all 172 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)47%
Composer (music)47%
Producer52%
Performer100%

Member Credit Breakdown share of tracks each member is credited on

Percentage of all 172 tracks, across every album, where each member holds a credit - split by role.

MemberPeriodLyricsMusicProductionPerformance
Isaac Hanson 1992-present
46%
46%
52%
100%
Taylor Hanson 1992-present
45%
45%
52%
100%
Zac Hanson 1992-present
47%
47%
52%
100%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

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

avg 47%
100%
27%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
1997Middle of Nowhere
1997Snowed In
2000This Time Around
2004Underneath
2007The Walk
2010Shout It Out
2013Anthem
2017Finally It's Christmas
2018String Theory
2021Against the World
2022Red Green Blue
2024Underneath: Complete
Early · 84% written
Mid · 100% written
Late · 0% written

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

67%
1990s
Middle of Nowhere, Snowed In
100%
2000s
This Time Around, Underneath +1 more
100%
2010s
Shout It Out, Anthem +2 more
0%
2020s
Against the World, Red Green Blue +1 more

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

Where Hanson 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.

Hanson
Other artists on the site

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

Celine Dion1%
Backstreet Boys25%
Hilary Duff42%
Sinéad O'Connor59%
Jesse McCartney67%
Phil Collins78%
Weezer100%
47%Hanson
Pure Performer0%
Songwriter~50%
Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

MMMBop
Middle of Nowhere
Written by Isaac Hanson, Taylor Hanson, Zac Hanson
Wrote it
I Will Come to You
Middle of Nowhere
Written by Isaac Hanson, Taylor Hanson, Zac Hanson, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil
Co-wrote
This Time Around
This Time Around
Written by Isaac Hanson, Taylor Hanson, Zac Hanson
Wrote it

Discography 12 albums

All twelve albums the discography lists as studio albums, including the two Christmas records, the orchestral re-recording String Theory and the 2024 expansion Underneath: Complete. The two independent albums the band made before signing, Boomerang and MMMBop, are listed there as demo albums and sit outside this catalogue, as do the live albums, the compilations and the EPs.

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

Photo of HansonHanson172 tracks
MH41Mark Hudson, 41 tracks SL26Stephen Lironi, 26 tracks Photo of Danny Kortchmar14Danny Kortchmar, 14 tracks TD13The Dust Brothers, 13 tracks Photo of Greg Wells13Greg Wells, 13 tracks JM2Johnny Marks, 2 tracks WJ2William James McAuley III, 2 tracks DC1Desmond Child, 1 track SS1Sander Selover, 1 track ES1Ellen Shipley, 1 track BM1Barry Mann, 1 track CW1Cynthia Weil, 1 track CM1Clif Magness, 1 track LB1Lou Baxter, 1 track JM1Johnny Moore's Three Blazers, 1 track AG1Anna Gordy Gaye, 1 track GG1George Gordy, 1 track AS1Allen Story, 1 track ML1Mike Love, 1 track BW1Brian Wilson, 1 track JB1Jeff Barry, 1 track EG1Ellie Greenwich, 1 track PS1Phil Spector, 1 track MB1Marvin Brodie, 1 track PC1Placide Cappeau, 1 track JM1Joseph Mohr, 1 track AA1Adolphe Adam, 1 track FX1Franz Xaver Gruber, 1 track IB1Irving Berlin, 1 track MS1Matthew Sweet, 1 track GA1Gregg Alexander, 1 track ZM1Zac Maloy, 1 track CH1Chris Holmes, 1 track B1Bleu, 1 track SC1Shannon Curfman, 1 track

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. MH Mark Hudson · SL Stephen Lironi · TD The Dust Brothers · JM Johnny Marks

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

On the 89 tracks with published writers, all three brothers are credited on 78 to 80 apiece and 64 carry nobody else. The eight they did not write are the Christmas standards on Snowed In. The child act that got treated as a producer's product turns out to have written every song on every album, together, for thirty years.

Quick Facts

  • Self-written81 of the 89 tracks with published credits
  • Written by the three alone64 tracks carry no outside writer
  • Number one"MMMBop" topped the Billboard Hot 100
  • Biggest albumMiddle of Nowhere is certified 4x platinum by the RIAA
  • Their own labelEvery album since 2004 has come out on 3CG Records
  • Twelve albums1997 to 2024, three brothers throughout

Creative Fingerprint

Three brothers on the same credit line, on almost every song, for the whole career.

The Story

Hanson are three brothers from Tulsa, Isaac, Taylor and Zac, who had a number one single with "MMMBop" in 1997 when the youngest was eleven. They left the majors in 2003 and have put out records on their own label ever since. Twelve studio albums.

Frequently Asked Questions Hanson

Do Hanson write their own songs?
Yes. On the 89 tracks whose writers are published, Isaac is credited on 79, Zac on 80 and Taylor on 78, and 64 of those carry nobody outside the band. The only tracks they did not write are the Christmas standards on Snowed In.
Who wrote "MMMBop"?
The three brothers. It falls under the blanket credit on Middle of Nowhere, which names the band for every track except the ones with an outside co-writer, and "MMMBop" is not one of those.
How many albums have they released?
Twelve that the discography counts as studio albums, from Middle of Nowhere in 1997 to Underneath: Complete in 2024. Two independent records made before they signed are listed there as demos.
Which album sold the most?
Middle of Nowhere, certified 4x platinum by the RIAA and 5x platinum in Australia and Canada.
Which singles charted in America?
"MMMBop" reached number 1, "I Will Come to You" number 9 and "This Time Around" number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Are they really brothers?
Yes. Isaac, Taylor and Zac Hanson, all born in Tulsa or raised there, and the lineup has never changed.
What is 3CG Records?
Their own label, which has released every album since Underneath in 2004 after they left Island.
Which album is most their own?
This Time Around, Shout It Out and Anthem, where every track is written by the three of them with nobody else.
Why do some albums have no credits here?
Five of the twelve have no writing credits published anywhere that could be checked, so those track lists carry titles only and are marked unverified.
Are they still recording?
Yes. Red Green Blue came out in 2022 and Underneath: Complete, an expanded version of the 2004 album, in 2024.

Sources

Wikipedia: Hanson Wikipedia: Taylor Hanson Wikipedia: Hanson discography