John Legend

Solo Artist

Photo: PhilipRomanoPhoto · CC BY-SA 4.0
Active 2000-present
Origin Springfield, Ohio
Albums 10
Tracks 145
Most frequent collaborator Kanye West · 20 tracks
Genres R&BSoulNeo SoulPop
Artist
83%
Authorship

Holds writing credit on 120 of 145 tracks

Does John Legend write his own songs?

Yes, mostly. John Legend is credited on about 83% of his catalogue, co-writing most of his songs at the piano with collaborators like Dave Tozer and, on his early albums, Kanye West. Songs like 'Ordinary People,' 'All of Me,' and 'Green Light' are his co-writes. The lower share comes mainly from covers-heavy projects.

By the Numbers

10
Studio Albums
145
Tracks Credited
83%
Self-Written
26
Years Active
365
Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 120 / 145 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

Across all 145 tracks: how many John Legend 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.

John Legend has a writing credit83%
10%
73%
17%
Sole author14tracks10%
Co-written106tracks73%
Outside writers25tracks17%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Lyricist Performer Composer Producer
John Legend's roles across the catalogue

Share of all 145 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)83%
Composer (music)83%
Producer29%
Performer79%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

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

avg 83%
100%
100%
85%
8%
88%
100%
43%
100%
100%
82%
2004Get Lifted
2006Once Again
2008Evolver
2010Wake Up!
2013Love in the Future
2016Darkness and Light
2018A Legendary Christmas
2020Bigger Love
2022Legend
2024My Favorite Dream
Early · 75% written
Mid · 83% written
Late · 94% written

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

95%
2000s
Get Lifted, Once Again +1 more
61%
2010s
Wake Up!, Love in the Future +2 more
96%
2020s
Bigger Love, Legend +1 more

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

Where John Legend 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.

John Legend
Other artists on the site

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

Whitney Houston5%
The Jacksons24%
En Vogue32%
Kelly Clarkson49%
Stevie Wonder64%
Christina Aguilera74%
Alicia Keys97%
83%John Legend
Pure Performer0%
Songwriter~50%
Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

Used to Love U
Get Lifted
Written by John Legend, Kanye West, John Roger Stephens, Kanye Omari West
Co-wrote
Ordinary People
Get Lifted
Written by John Legend, will.i.am, John Roger Stephens, William Adams
Co-wrote
Save Room
Once Again
Written by John Legend, will.i.am, Jessyca Wilson, Buddy Buie, James B. Cobb Jr., John Roger Stephens, William Adams
Co-wrote
Green Light
Evolver
Written by André 3000, Fin Greenall, James Ho, John Legend, Rick Nowels, Andre Lauren Benjamin, John Roger Stephens
Co-wrote
All of Me
Love in the Future
Written by John Legend, Toby Gad, John Roger Stephens
Co-wrote
You & I (Nobody in the World)
Love in the Future
Written by John Legend, Dan Wilson, James Ho, Dave Tozer, John Roger Stephens
Co-wrote
Love Me Now
Darkness and Light
Written by John Legend, John Roger Stephens
Wrote it
Conversations in the Dark
Bigger Love
Written by John Legend, Gregg Wattenberg, Jesse Fink, Kellen Pomeranz, Chance Peña, John Roger Stephens
Co-wrote

Discography 10 albums

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

John Legend145 tracks
20Kanye West, 20 tracks 19Dave Tozer, 19 tracks 17Raphael Saadiq, 17 tracks 16Kanye Omari West, 16 tracks 14Ryan Tedder, 14 tracks on OneRepublic's page 12The Roots, 12 tracks BM12Blake Mills, 12 tracks SS11Sufjan Stevens, 11 tracks W9will.i.am, 9 tracks on Black Eyed Peas's page RB7Ryan Benjamin Tedder, 7 tracks on OneRepublic's page WA6William Adams, 6 tracks on Black Eyed Peas's page CS6Craig Street, 6 tracks TC6Trey Campbell, 6 tracks GR6Gabriel Roth, 6 tracks DH5DeVon Harris, 5 tracks JW5Jessyca Wilson, 5 tracks KP5Kawan Prather, 5 tracks HD5Hey DJ Camper, 5 tracks DL5Drew Love, 5 tracks AD5Andrew DeRoberts, 5 tracks CR4Charlie Ray Wiggins, 4 tracks M4Malay, 4 tracks JR4John Ryan, 4 tracks JM4Julia Michaels, 4 tracks O4Oak, 4 tracks DG4Di Genius, 4 tracks MM4Melvin Moore, 4 tracks MP4Michael Pollack, 4 tracks CM3Curtis Mayfield, 3 tracks CL3Curtis Lee Mayfield, 3 tracks E3Estelle, 3 tracks JH3James Ho, 3 tracks K3KP, 3 tracks WJ3William James Adams Jr., 3 tracks JF3James Fauntleroy II, 3 tracks DC3Darhyl Camper Jr., 3 tracks DW3Dan Wilson, 3 tracks WO3Will Oldham, 3 tracks WF3Warren Felder, 3 tracks AN3Alex Niceforo, 3 tracks KS3Keith Sorrells, 3 tracks TO3The Orphanage, 3 tracks AN3Alex Nice, 3 tracks T3Ten4, 3 tracks JK3Joshua Karpeh, 3 tracks JT3Jake Torrey, 3 tracks ZS3Zach Skelton, 3 tracks SM3Stephen McGregor, 3 tracks BH3Bernard Harvey, 3 tracks DB3David Bowden, 3 tracks DB3Dante Bowden, 3 tracks JR3Joseph Ruffin, 3 tracks PS3Pink Sweats, 3 tracks PC2Paul Cho, 2 tracks PS2Pamela Sawyer, 2 tracks DS2Devo Springsteen, 2 tracks EH2Eric Hudson, 2 tracks KL2Ken Lewis, 2 tracks DR2Drew Ramsey, 2 tracks BN2Britton Newbill, 2 tracks SS2Shannon Sanders, 2 tracks TH2Trevor Horn, 2 tracks CT2Chrissy Teigen, 2 tracks MG2Marvin Gaye, 2 tracks MP2Marvin Pentz Gay Jr., 2 tracks MM2Martin McKinney, 2 tracks AS2Ali Shaheed Muhammad, 2 tracks CA2Chauncey Alexander Hollis, 2 tracks H2Hit-Boy, 2 tracks K2Kwabena, 2 tracks GB2Guordan Banks, 2 tracks RR2Rick Ross, 2 tracks AK2Anthony Khan, 2 tracks WL2William Leonard Roberts II, 2 tracks on Rick Ross's page TT2The Twilite Tone, 2 tracks JT2Justin Tranter, 2 tracks MS2Matt Sweeney, 2 tracks TJ2Tobias Jesso Jr., 2 tracks WH2Wayne Hector, 2 tracks CC2Cautious Clay, 2 tracks CP2Charlie Puth, 2 tracks JW2Jonas W. Karlsson, 2 tracks JA2Jhené Aiko Efuru Chilombo, 2 tracks JA2Jhené Aiko, 2 tracks GW2Gregg Wattenberg, 2 tracks ME2Marlanna Evans, 2 tracks R2Rapsody, 2 tracks TA2Taylor Alexandra Parks, 2 tracks BK2Benjamin Kenneth McIldowie, 2 tracks MH2Mr Hudson, 2 tracks H2Harv, 2 tracks TS2Tia Scola, 2 tracks JH2Jeff Halavacs, 2 tracks SJ2Stefan Johnson, 2 tracks JK2Jordan K. Johnson, 2 tracks TM2The Monsters & Strangerz, 2 tracks AM2Anthony M. Jones, 2 tracks KE2Kevin Ekofo, 2 tracks T2Tone, 2 tracks MF2Melanie Fontana, 2 tracks SF2Steven Franks, 2 tracks MF2Mr. Franks, 2 tracks RS1Rick Shobin, 1 track SS1Sly Stone, 1 track SD1Snoop Dogg, 1 track CC1Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr., 1 track on Snoop Dogg's page LW1Leon Ware, 1 track TT1Tarrey Torae, 1 track AH1Anthony Hester, 1 track BB1Buddy Buie, 1 track JB1James B. Cobb Jr., 1 track VS1Vaughn Stevens, 1 track AB1Alexandra Brown, 1 track MB1Milton Bland, 1 track TC1Tom Craskey, 1 track RB1Rob Bacon, 1 track JA1Jake and the Phatman, 1 track FW1Frank Wilson, 1 track JS1Jack Splash, 1 track ML1Mike Lewis, 1 track P1Poindexter, 1 track OK1Om'Mas Keith, 1 track TA1Taz Arnold, 1 track S1SLJ, 1 track S1Sa-Ra, 1 track GP1George Patterson, 1 track A31André 3000, 1 track on OutKast's page FG1Fin Greenall, 1 track RN1Rick Nowels, 1 track AL1Andre Lauren Benjamin, 1 track PW1Pharrell Williams, 1 track PL1Pharrell Lanscilo Williams, 1 track on Pharrell Williams's page TS1Terrence Smith, 1 track FO1Frank Ocean, 1 track DT1Dapo Torimiro, 1 track KR1Kevin Risto, 1 track WN1Waynne Nugent, 1 track CE1Christopher Edwin Breaux, 1 track on Frank Ocean's page MM1Midi Mafia, 1 track B1Brandy, 1 track DC1Dwayne Chin-Quee, 1 track MC1Mitchum Chin, 1 track SD1Supa Dups, 1 track CT1Christine Teigen, 1 track RP1Reggie Perry, 1 track N1Ne-Yo, 1 track S1Syience, 1 track DA1Drew and Shannon, 1 track MK1Mark Knopfler, 1 track MF1Mark Freuder Knopfler, 1 track

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. Showing the 150 most frequent of 360.

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

John Legend co-writes on the majority of his catalog but rarely claims sole authorship. His earliest albums relied heavily on Kanye West and Dave Tozer as both producers and co-writers. From Love in the Future onward he assumed greater creative control. The notable outlier is Wake Up! (2010), a covers album where every writing credit belongs to original artists from the 1960s-70s. 'All of Me', his biggest commercial hit, is among his few solo compositions. The Darkness and Light era brought in outside writers such as Miguel and Gallant, making the authorship distribution across his 10 albums genuinely varied.

Quick Facts

  • EGOTWon all four major awards (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) by 2018, the first Black man to do so
  • GrammysHas won 12 Grammy Awards
  • Discovered by KanyeThe first artist signed to Kanye West's GOOD Music label
  • All of MeHis 2013 ballad is certified diamond by the RIAA
  • OscarWon Best Original Song for 'Glory' with Common from the film Selma

Creative Fingerprint

A co-writer at the piano: John Legend is credited on about 83% of his catalogue, co-writing most songs with collaborators like Dave Tozer and, early on, Kanye West, while covers projects account for most of the rest.

The Story

John Legend is the stage name of John Roger Stephens, an American singer, songwriter, and pianist born December 28, 1978, in Springfield, Ohio. Discovered by Kanye West, he was signed to GOOD Music and Columbia Records, releasing his debut album Get Lifted in 2004, a record that won three Grammy Awards including Best New Artist. Known for his rich, smooth tenor and confessional songwriting, Legend became one of the defining neo-soul voices of his generation. His 2013 single 'All of Me,' written entirely by Legend, became one of the best-selling singles of all time. In 2020 he became one of the few entertainers to achieve EGOT status (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony). His collaborative album Wake Up! (2010) with The Roots revisited classic protest songs of the civil rights era.

Awards & Recognition

Became an EGOT winner in 2018, the first Black man to win all four major awards
Has won 12 Grammy Awards
Won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for 'Glory' with Common (2015)
'All of Me' is certified diamond by the RIAA

Frequently Asked Questions John Legend

Does John Legend write his own songs?
Yes, mostly. John Legend is credited on about 83% of his catalogue, co-writing most of his songs at the piano with collaborators like Dave Tozer and, on his early albums, Kanye West. Songs like 'Ordinary People,' 'All of Me,' and 'Green Light' are his co-writes. The lower share comes mainly from covers-heavy projects.
Who wrote 'All of Me'?
'All of Me,' from Love in the Future (2013), was co-written by John Legend and Toby Gad. Written for his wife Chrissy Teigen, it became his biggest hit and is certified diamond in the US.
Who discovered John Legend?
@@mdlink0@@ discovered John Legend and made him the first artist signed to his GOOD Music label. West produced and co-wrote much of Legend's debut Get Lifted (2004), which launched his career.
Is John Legend an EGOT?
Yes. In 2018 John Legend became an EGOT winner, holding an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony, and the first Black man to complete the set. His Oscar came for co-writing 'Glory' with Common.
Who wrote 'Ordinary People'?
'Ordinary People,' from Get Lifted (2004), was co-written by John Legend and will.i.am. Its stripped-back piano arrangement made it Legend's breakthrough single and a signature song.
How many albums has John Legend released?
This catalogue covers his studio albums from Get Lifted (2004) through My Favorite Dream (2024), including the covers-heavy Wake Up! with The Roots and holiday and standards projects.
How many Grammys has John Legend won?
John Legend has won 12 Grammy Awards over his career, spanning R&B and pop categories, and he also holds an Oscar, Emmy, and Tony.
What genre is John Legend?
John Legend makes R&B, soul, and neo-soul with pop crossover appeal, built around his piano and voice on songs like 'Ordinary People' and 'All of Me.'

Sources

Wikipedia: John Legend File:JohnLegend-byPhilipRomano.jpg - Wikimedia Commons