Solo Artist
Most frequent collaborator: Don Was · 31 tracks
Holds writing credit on 87 of 91 tracks
Yes, almost entirely. John Mayer is credited on about 96% of his catalogue, writing nearly every song by himself. Hits like 'Your Body Is a Wonderland,' 'Daughters,' and 'Gravity' are solo compositions. The few exceptions are early co-writes with collaborators and the occasional cover, like his version of Jimi Hendrix's 'Bold as Love.'
Across all 91 tracks: how many John Mayer 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.
Share of all 91 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.
John Mayer's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.
Where John Mayer 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.
Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.
None of the signature songs above fall in this category.
Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records
No albums from this decade.
Bubble size = tracks worked on together. DW Don Was · SJ Steve Jordan · JJ Jack Joseph Puig · CF Chad Franscoviak · JA John Alagia · JJ Jeff Juliano
Data Insight
John Mayer writes virtually all of his own material, usually as the sole credited lyricist and composer, with occasional co-writes alongside longtime collaborators like producer-bassist Pino Palladino's circle, Steve Jordan, and a handful of guests. The data places him at the top end of the authorship scale among pop-crossover artists: outside writers appear only on isolated covers and co-writes, not as the engine of his songs.
Quick Facts
Creative Fingerprint
A self-writing guitar songwriter: John Mayer is credited on about 96% of his catalogue, writing nearly every song alone, with only a few early co-writes and the odd cover breaking the pattern.
The Story
John Mayer is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist who broke through with his 2001 debut Room for Squares and went on to become one of the most acclaimed pop-crossover musicians of his generation. A genuine triple threat as a writer, vocalist, and lead guitarist, he is widely regarded as one of the rare mainstream pop artists with near-complete authorship of his catalog. His sound has ranged from acoustic pop to blues-rock to the soft-rock pastiche of 2021's Sob Rock.