Wake Up! cover art

  Studio Album · No. 4

Wake Up! Songwriting Credits by John Legend

2010 GOOD Music / Columbia Records 12 tracks 63 min

Produced by John Legend, The Roots, Questlove, Frank Lott  ·  Engineered by Jimmy Douglass, Michael Ilbert, Steve Mandel, Alex Venguer

GOOD Music / Columbia Records SoulFunkConscious Hip-HopNeo SoulR&B
8%
Authorship
Singer / Performer

Holds writing credit on 1 of 12 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 1 / 12 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 12 tracks with documented writers, by whether John Legend carries a lyricist or composer credit.

8%
1 trackwritten by John Legend 11 tracksoutside writers
John Legend's roles on this album

Share of the 12 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist8%
Composer8%
Producer100%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

12
Tracks
24
Lyricists
2
Producers
273,000
US Copies Sold
2010
Released

Awards & Recognition 1

Best R&B Album (2011)
Data Insight

Wake Up! is a collaboration between John Legend and The Roots, built almost entirely from covers of 1960s and 1970s soul and protest songs rather than original material. Legend did not write most of these tracks; the original writers are credited, including Curtis Mayfield ('Hard Times'), Eugene McDaniels ('Compared to What'), and the McFadden, Whitehead, and Carstarphen team behind 'Wake Up Everybody.' The Roots, led by Questlove and James Poyser, provide the live instrumentation and co-production. The project reframes Legend as an interpreter of socially conscious soul classics rather than a songwriter on this record.

A collaborative studio album by John Legend and The Roots, released September 21, 2010. Wake Up! consists almost entirely of soul, R&B, and gospel cover songs from the 1960s and 1970s, selected for their resonance with ongoing social and political struggles. Produced by Questlove and Frank Lott, writing credits on the cover tracks belong to the original artists. Track 5 ('Little Ghetto Boy (Prelude)') is an original arrangement by The Roots. Track 12 ('Shine') is an original composition by John Legend. The album won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album.

Track Listing & Credits 12 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Hard Times
Curtis Mayfield Curtis Lee Mayfield John LegendThe Roots John Legend (Lead Vocals)
2
Compared to What
Eugene McDaniels Eugene McDaniels John LegendThe Roots John Legend (Lead Vocals)
3
Wake Up Everybody
Victor CarstarphenGene McFaddenJohn Whitehead Victor CarstarphenGene McFaddenJohn Whitehead John LegendThe Roots John Legend (Lead Vocals)
4
Our Generation (The Hope of the World)
Leon MooreCorey Penn Leon MooreCorey Penn John LegendThe Roots John Legend (Lead Vocals)
5
Little Ghetto Boy (Prelude)
Owen BiddleKirk DouglasJames PoyserQuestloveMalik Jones Owen BiddleKirk DouglasJames PoyserAhmir Khalib ThompsonMalik Jones John LegendThe Roots John Legend (Lead Vocals)
6
Little Ghetto Boy
Earl DeRouenEdward U. Howard Earl DeRouenEdward U. Howard John LegendThe Roots John Legend (Lead Vocals)
7
Hang on in There
Mike James Kirkland Mike James Kirkland John LegendThe Roots John Legend (Lead Vocals)
8
Humanity (Love the Way It Should Be)
Lincoln Thompson Lincoln Thompson John LegendThe Roots John Legend (Lead Vocals)
9
Wholy Holy
Renaldo BensonAlfred ClevelandMarvin Gaye Renaldo BensonAlfred ClevelandMarvin Pentz Gay Jr. John LegendThe Roots John Legend (Lead Vocals)
10
I Can't Write Left Handed
Raymond JacksonBill Withers Raymond JacksonWilliam Harrison Withers Jr. John LegendThe Roots John Legend (Lead Vocals)
11
I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free
Richard DallasBilly Taylor Richard DallasWilliam Edward Taylor John LegendThe Roots John Legend (Lead Vocals)
12
Shine
John Legend John Roger Stephens John LegendThe Roots John Legend (Lead Vocals)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 31 contributors

JL
John Legend
Writer · Producer · Vocals
On this album1 written
AK
Ahmir Khalib Thompson
Writer
On this album1 written
AC
Alfred Cleveland
Writer
On this album1 written
BW
Bill Withers
Writer
On this album1 written
BT
Billy Taylor
Writer
On this album1 written
CP
Corey Penn
Writer
On this album1 written
CL
Curtis Lee Mayfield
Writer
On this album1 written
CM
Curtis Mayfield
Writer
On this album1 written
ED
Earl DeRouen
Writer
On this album1 written
EU
Edward U. Howard
Writer
On this album1 written
EM
Eugene McDaniels
Writer
On this album1 written
GM
Gene McFadden
Writer
On this album1 written

More from John Legend

2004 100%
Get Lifted
GOOD Music / Columbia Records
14 tracksProd. Kanye West
2006 100%
Once Again
GOOD Music / Columbia Records
13 tracksProd. will.i.am
2008 85%
Evolver
GOOD Music / Columbia Records
13 tracksProd. Malay
2013 88%
Love in the Future
GOOD Music / Columbia Records
16 tracksProd. Dave Tozer
2016 100%
Darkness and Light
GOOD Music / Columbia Records
12 tracksProd. Blake Mills
2018 43%
A Legendary Christmas
Columbia Records
14 tracksProd. Raphael Saadiq
2020 100%
Bigger Love
Columbia Records
16 tracksProd. Oak
2022 100%
Legend
Republic Records
24 tracksProd. Ryan Tedder
2024 82%
My Favorite Dream
Republic Records
11 tracksProd. Sufjan Stevens

Frequently Asked Questions Wake Up!

Is Wake Up! by John Legend a covers album?
Yes, Wake Up! is a covers album made almost entirely of 1960s and 1970s soul and protest songs. John Legend and The Roots reinterpreted tracks originally written and recorded by other artists. Only a small portion of the album is original material.
Did John Legend write the songs on Wake Up!?
John Legend did not write most of the songs on Wake Up!, because the album is built from covers of classic soul and protest songs. The original writers are credited, including Curtis Mayfield, Eugene McDaniels, and the team behind 'Wake Up Everybody.' Legend served as interpreter and co-producer alongside The Roots.
Who did John Legend make Wake Up! with?
John Legend made Wake Up! with The Roots, the Philadelphia hip-hop and soul band led by Questlove and James Poyser. The Roots provided the live instrumentation and co-produced the album. It was a full collaborative project credited to both acts.
Who originally wrote Wake Up Everybody?
'Wake Up Everybody' was originally written by Victor Carstarphen, Gene McFadden, and John Whitehead, and was a 1975 hit for Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. John Legend and The Roots covered it for the Wake Up! album. It was released as a single.
What is Hard Times on Wake Up! a cover of?
'Hard Times' is a cover of the Curtis Mayfield song. John Legend and The Roots recorded it for Wake Up!, and it was issued as a single. Mayfield is credited as the original songwriter.
Did Wake Up! win a Grammy?
Wake Up! won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2011. The win recognized the collaboration between John Legend and The Roots. The album also earned additional Grammy recognition that year.
What genre is Wake Up! by John Legend and The Roots?
Wake Up! is a soul and funk album with conscious hip-hop and neo soul elements. The live instrumentation comes from The Roots, giving it an organic, classic feel. The material draws on socially conscious soul and protest songs of the 1960s and 1970s.

Sources

Wikipedia: Wake Up! (John Legend and the Roots album) MusicBrainz release group Cover Art Archive front cover Cover Art Archive: Wake Up! by John Legend