Photo of Johnny Cash
Photo: Johnny Cash Promotional Photo for Sun Records, taken in 1955 · Public domain

Solo Artist · The Man in Black

Johnny Cash

Active1954-2003
DiedSeptember 12, 2003
OriginKingsland, Arkansas
Albums44
Tracks480

Most frequent collaborator: Don Law  ·  158 tracks

CountryRock and RollRockabillyGospelFolk
52%
Authorship
Collaborator

Holds writing credit on 250 of 480 tracks

Did Johnny Cash write his own songs?

Partly. Johnny Cash wrote about half of his huge catalogue, roughly 52%, including signatures like 'I Walk the Line,' 'Folsom Prison Blues,' 'Big River,' and 'Man in Black.' But he was also one of the great interpreters in music, recording a vast number of traditional songs, gospel numbers, and covers, from Kris Kristofferson's 'Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down' to Nine Inch Nails' 'Hurt.'

By the Numbers

44
Studio Albums
480
Tracks Credited
52%
Self-Written
90M+
Records Sold
49
Years Active
221
Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 250 / 480 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

Across all 480 tracks: how many Johnny Cash 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.

Johnny Cash has a writing credit52%
49%
3%
48%
Sole author236tracks49%
Co-written14tracks3%
Outside writers230tracks48%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Lyricist Performer Composer Producer
Johnny Cash's roles across the catalogue

Share of all 480 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)52%
Composer (music)52%
Producer2%
Performer100%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

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

avg 52%
42%
42%
33%
58%
50%
42%
25%
50%
30%
38%
75%
42%
17%
60%
30%
100%
100%
70%
60%
80%
40%
100%
70%
60%
80%
70%
100%
78%
56%
91%
50%
56%
0%
30%
70%
44%
60%
70%
38%
21%
38%
20%
25%
10%
1957With His Hot and Blue Guitar!
1958The Fabulous Johnny Cash
1959Hymns by Johnny Cash
1959Songs of Our Soil
1960Ride This Train
1960Now, There Was a Song!
1962Hymns from the Heart
1962The Sound of Johnny Cash
1963Blood Sweat and Tears
1964Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian
1964I Walk the Line
1965Johnny Cash Sings the Ballads of the True West
1965Orange Blossom Special
1966Everybody Loves a Nut
1966Happiness Is You
1968From Sea to Shining Sea
1969The Holy Land
1970Hello, I'm Johnny Cash
1971Man in Black
1972A Thing Called Love
1973Any Old Wind That Blows
1974Ragged Old Flag
1975John R. Cash
1975Look at Them Beans
1976One Piece at a Time
1977The Last Gunfighter Ballad
1977The Rambler
1978Gone Girl
1979Silver
1980Rockabilly Blues
1981The Baron
1982Adventures of Johnny Cash
1983Johnny 99
1985Rainbow
1986Believe in Him
1988Water from the Wells of Home
1990Boom Chicka Boom
1991The Mystery of Life
1994American Recordings
1996Unchained
2000American III: Solitary Man
2002The Man Comes Around
2006American V: A Hundred Highways
2010American VI: Ain't No Grave
Early · 42% written
Mid · 78% written
Late · 37% written

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

44%
1950s
With His Hot and Blue Guitar!, The Fabulous Johnny Cash +2 more
52%
1960s
Ride This Train, Now, There Was a Song! +11 more
72%
1970s
Hello, I'm Johnny Cash, Man in Black +10 more
49%
1980s
Rockabilly Blues, The Baron +5 more
45%
1990s
Boom Chicka Boom, The Mystery of Life +2 more
28%
2000s
American III: Solitary Man, The Man Comes Around +1 more
10%
2010s
American VI: Ain't No Grave

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

Where Johnny Cash 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.

Johnny Cash
Other artists on the site

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

Elvis Presley1%
Ray Charles14%
Carrie Underwood43%
Stevie Wonder64%
Bob Dylan76%
Luke Combs90%
Jelly Roll100%
52%Johnny Cash
Pure Performer0%
Songwriter~50%
Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

Cry! Cry! Cry!
With His Hot and Blue Guitar!
Written by Johnny Cash
Wrote it
So Doggone Lonesome
With His Hot and Blue Guitar!
Written by Johnny Cash
Wrote it
Folsom Prison Blues
With His Hot and Blue Guitar!
Written by Johnny Cash
Wrote it
I Walk the Line
With His Hot and Blue Guitar!
Written by Johnny Cash
Wrote it
Don't Take Your Guns to Town
The Fabulous Johnny Cash
Written by Johnny Cash
Wrote it
Frankie's Man, Johnny
The Fabulous Johnny Cash
Written by Johnny Cash
Wrote it
Five Feet High and Rising
Songs of Our Soil
Written by Johnny Cash
Wrote it
Going to Memphis
Ride This Train
Written by Hollie Dew, Alan Lomax, Johnny Cash
Co-wrote
Seasons of My Heart
Now, There Was a Song!
Written by Darrell Edwards, George Jones
Outside writers
In the Jailhouse Now
The Sound of Johnny Cash
Written by Jimmie Rodgers
Outside writers
Busted
Blood Sweat and Tears
Written by Harlan Howard
Outside writers
The Ballad of Ira Hayes
Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian
Written by Peter La Farge
Outside writers
Understand Your Man
I Walk the Line
Written by Johnny Cash
Wrote it
Bad News
I Walk the Line
Written by John D. Loudermilk
Outside writers
Orange Blossom Special
Orange Blossom Special
Written by Ervin T. Rouse
Outside writers
It Ain't Me Babe
Orange Blossom Special
Written by Bob Dylan
Outside writers
The One on the Right Is on the Left
Everybody Loves a Nut
Written by Jack Clement
Outside writers
Everybody Loves a Nut
Everybody Loves a Nut
Written by Jack Clement
Outside writers
Happiness Is You
Happiness Is You
Written by Johnny Cash
Wrote it
If I Were a Carpenter
Hello, I'm Johnny Cash
Written by Tim Hardin
Outside writers
See Ruby Fall
Hello, I'm Johnny Cash
Written by Johnny Cash, Roy Cash Jr.
Co-wrote
Man in Black
Man in Black
Written by Johnny Cash
Wrote it
A Thing Called Love
A Thing Called Love
Written by Jerry Hubbard
Outside writers
Kate
A Thing Called Love
Written by Johnny Cash
Wrote it
Papa Was a Good Man
A Thing Called Love
Written by Johnny Cash
Wrote it
Any Old Wind That Blows
Any Old Wind That Blows
Written by Roy Huskey Jr.
Outside writers
Ragged Old Flag
Ragged Old Flag
Written by Johnny Cash
Wrote it
The Lady Came from Baltimore
John R. Cash
Written by Tim Hardin
Outside writers
My Old Kentucky Home (Turpentine and Dandelion Wine)
John R. Cash
Written by Randy Newman
Outside writers
Look at Them Beans
Look at Them Beans
Written by Billy Joe Shaver
Outside writers
One Piece at a Time
One Piece at a Time
Written by Wayne Kemp
Outside writers
Sold Out of Flagpoles
One Piece at a Time
Written by Johnny Cash
Wrote it
The Last Gunfighter Ballad
The Last Gunfighter Ballad
Written by Guy Clark
Outside writers
I Will Rock and Roll with You
Gone Girl
Written by Johnny Cash
Wrote it
Gone Girl
Gone Girl
Written by Charlie Rich
Outside writers
It'll Be Her
Gone Girl
Written by Johnny Cash
Wrote it
I'll Say It's True
Silver
Written by Eric Clapton, Gary Brooker
Outside writers
Bull Rider
Silver
Written by Johnny Cash
Wrote it
Cold Lonesome Morning
Rockabilly Blues
Written by Johnny Cash
Wrote it
Without Love
Rockabilly Blues
Written by Johnny Cash
Wrote it
The Baron
The Baron
Written by Gary Gentry
Outside writers
Mobile Bay
The Baron
Written by Johnny Cash
Wrote it
The Reverend Mr. Black
The Baron
Written by Billy Wheeler, James Hendricks, Jerry Capeheart
Outside writers
Georgia on a Fast Train
Adventures of Johnny Cash
Written by Billy Joe Shaver
Outside writers
I'm Ragged but I'm Right
Johnny 99
Written by George Jones
Outside writers
Goin' by the Book
The Mystery of Life
Written by Bucky Jones, June Carter Cash
Outside writers
Hurt
The Man Comes Around
Written by Trent Reznor
Outside writers

Discography 44 albums

This page covers 44 of Johnny Cash's 50+ studio albums. Full catalog data is planned.

With His Hot and Blue Guitar! cover
195742%

With His Hot and Blue Guitar!

Sun Records

12 tracks
 The Fabulous Johnny Cash cover
195842%

The Fabulous Johnny Cash

Columbia Records

12 tracks
 Hymns by Johnny Cash cover
195933%

Hymns by Johnny Cash

Columbia Records

12 tracks
 Songs of Our Soil cover
195958%

Songs of Our Soil

Columbia Records

12 tracks
 Ride This Train cover
196050%

Ride This Train

Columbia Records

12 tracks
 Now, There Was a Song! cover
196042%

Now, There Was a Song!

Columbia

12 tracks
 Hymns from the Heart cover
196225%

Hymns from the Heart

Columbia

12 tracks
 The Sound of Johnny Cash cover
196250%

The Sound of Johnny Cash

Columbia

12 tracks
 Blood Sweat and Tears cover
196330%

Blood Sweat and Tears

Columbia

10 tracks
 Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian cover
196438%

Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian

Columbia

8 tracks
 I Walk the Line cover
196475%

I Walk the Line

Columbia Records

12 tracks
 Johnny Cash Sings the Ballads of the True West cover
196542%

Johnny Cash Sings the Ballads of the True West

Columbia Records

12 tracks
 Orange Blossom Special cover
196517%

Orange Blossom Special

Columbia Records

12 tracks
 Everybody Loves a Nut cover
196660%

Everybody Loves a Nut

Columbia Records

10 tracks
 Happiness Is You cover
196630%

Happiness Is You

Columbia Records

10 tracks
 From Sea to Shining Sea cover
1968100%

From Sea to Shining Sea

Columbia

12 tracks
 The Holy Land cover
1969100%

The Holy Land

Columbia

15 tracks
 Hello, I'm Johnny Cash cover
197070%

Hello, I'm Johnny Cash

Columbia

10 tracks
 Man in Black cover
197160%

Man in Black

Columbia

10 tracks
 A Thing Called Love cover
197280%

A Thing Called Love

Columbia

10 tracks
 Any Old Wind That Blows cover
197340%

Any Old Wind That Blows

Columbia Records

10 tracks
 Ragged Old Flag cover
1974100%

Ragged Old Flag

Columbia Records

12 tracks
 John R. Cash cover
197570%

John R. Cash

Columbia Records

10 tracks
 Look at Them Beans cover
197560%

Look at Them Beans

Columbia Records

10 tracks
 One Piece at a Time cover
197680%

One Piece at a Time

Columbia Records

10 tracks
 The Last Gunfighter Ballad cover
197770%

The Last Gunfighter Ballad

Columbia

10 tracks
 The Rambler cover
1977100%

The Rambler

Columbia

7 tracks
 Gone Girl cover
197878%

Gone Girl

Columbia

9 tracks
 Silver cover
197956%

Silver

Columbia

9 tracks
 Rockabilly Blues cover
198091%

Rockabilly Blues

Columbia

11 tracks
 The Baron cover
198150%

The Baron

Columbia Records

10 tracks
 Adventures of Johnny Cash cover
198256%

Adventures of Johnny Cash

Columbia Records

9 tracks
 Johnny 99 cover
19830%

Johnny 99

Columbia Records

10 tracks
 Rainbow cover
198530%

Rainbow

Columbia Records

10 tracks
 Believe in Him cover
198670%

Believe in Him

Word Records

10 tracks
 Water from the Wells of Home cover
198844%

Water from the Wells of Home

Mercury Records

9 tracks
 Boom Chicka Boom cover
199060%

Boom Chicka Boom

Mercury Records

10 tracks
 The Mystery of Life cover
199170%

The Mystery of Life

Mercury Records

10 tracks
 American Recordings cover
199438%

American Recordings

American Recordings

13 tracks
 Unchained cover
199621%

Unchained

American Recordings

14 tracks
 American III: Solitary Man cover
200038%

American III: Solitary Man

American Recordings/Columbia

13 tracks
 The Man Comes Around cover
200220%

The Man Comes Around

American Recordings / Universal

15 tracks
 American V: A Hundred Highways cover
200625%

American V: A Hundred Highways

American Recordings/Lost Highway

12 tracks
 American VI: Ain't No Grave cover
201010%

American VI: Ain't No Grave

American Recordings/Lost Highway

10 tracks

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

Johnny Cash480 tracks
DL158 LB88 RR77 CB59 BA49 BJ47

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. DL Don Law · LB Larry Butler · RR Rick Rubin · CB Charlie Bragg · BA Brian Ahern · BJ Bob Johnston

The Writers & Producers Behind Johnny Cash 6 key collaborators

DL
Don Law
Producer
The Fabulous Johnny Cash / Hymns by Johnny Cash / Songs of Our Soil / Ride This Train158 tracks
LB
Larry Butler
Producer
A Thing Called Love / Any Old Wind That Blows / Ragged Old Flag / John R. Cash88 tracks
RR
Rick Rubin
Producer
American Recordings / Unchained / American III: Solitary Man / The Man Comes Around77 tracks
CB
Charlie Bragg
Producer
Ragged Old Flag / John R. Cash / Look at Them Beans / One Piece at a Time59 tracks
BA
Brian Ahern
Producer
Silver / Rockabilly Blues / The Baron / Adventures of Johnny Cash49 tracks
BJ
Bob Johnston
Producer
From Sea to Shining Sea / The Holy Land / Hello, I'm Johnny Cash / Man in Black47 tracks

The Authorship Story

Data Insight

Johnny Cash is a songwriter who wrote roughly half his own material while embracing a wide range of covers, traditional folk and gospel, plus songs by Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and Trent Reznor. The early Sun and Columbia years (1957-1965) mix Cash originals with folk, railroad, and gospel covers; The Fabulous Johnny Cash, in particular, contains more outside songs than it first appears. His 1971 Man in Black album is largely self-written but includes an outside track by Glen B. Tubb and one by Dick Feller. The two American Recordings albums (1994-2002) skew heavily toward covers, with Cash writing only a handful of tracks each. Ring of Fire, often assumed to be a Cash composition, was written by June Carter Cash and Merle Kilgore.

Quick Facts

  • Three Halls of FameInducted into the Country Music, Rock and Roll, and Gospel Music Halls of Fame
  • Man in BlackEarned the nickname for his trademark all-black stage wardrobe
  • InterpreterRecorded a huge number of covers and traditional songs alongside his own writing
  • American RecordingsHis late-career comeback included an acclaimed cover of Nine Inch Nails' 'Hurt'
  • ReachSold more than 90 million records across country, rock, gospel, and folk

Creative Fingerprint

A songwriter and a great interpreter: Johnny Cash wrote about half of his enormous catalogue, including 'I Walk the Line' and 'Folsom Prison Blues,' but he was also one of music's finest interpreters, recording countless traditional songs and covers from Kris Kristofferson to Nine Inch Nails.

The Story

Johnny Cash (1932-2003) was one of the most influential and versatile musicians in American history, a towering figure who bridged rockabilly, country, gospel, and folk with a baritone voice and moral authority that was entirely his own. Born J. R. Cash in Kingsland, Arkansas, he signed with Sun Records in 1954 and scored immediate hits with 'Cry! Cry! Cry!' and 'Folsom Prison Blues.' His 1956 recording of 'I Walk the Line' became a defining country standard. Moving to Columbia Records in 1958, Cash expanded his artistic scope with concept albums like Ride This Train, protest records like Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian, and a string of classic albums throughout the 1960s and 1970s. By the early 1990s, his career was at a commercial low, but producer Rick Rubin partnered with him for the American Recordings series, a late-career reinvention that produced some of his most celebrated work, including a stark cover of Nine Inch Nails' 'Hurt' that became a valedictory masterpiece. Cash died on September 12, 2003, four months after the death of his wife June Carter Cash.

Awards & Recognition

Sold more than 90 million records worldwide, one of the best-selling music artists of all time
Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame (1980), the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame
Won multiple Grammy Awards, including for his late-career American Recordings albums
Wrote enduring classics including 'I Walk the Line' and 'Folsom Prison Blues'
Nicknamed 'The Man in Black,' one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century

Frequently Asked Questions Johnny Cash

Did Johnny Cash write his own songs?
Partly. Johnny Cash wrote about half of his huge catalogue, roughly 52%, including signatures like 'I Walk the Line,' 'Folsom Prison Blues,' 'Big River,' and 'Man in Black.' But he was also one of the great interpreters in music, recording a vast number of traditional songs, gospel numbers, and covers, from Kris Kristofferson's 'Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down' to Nine Inch Nails' 'Hurt.'
Who wrote 'I Walk the Line'?
'I Walk the Line' (1956) was written by Johnny Cash himself. It was his breakthrough hit and became one of his signature songs and one of the defining records of early country music.
Did Johnny Cash write 'Hurt'?
No. 'Hurt' was written by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. Cash covered it on his 2002 album American IV: The Man Comes Around, and his stripped-down version became one of the most acclaimed covers ever recorded.
Who wrote 'Folsom Prison Blues'?
'Folsom Prison Blues' (1955) was written by Johnny Cash. It became one of his best-known songs, especially after his famous 1968 live album recorded at Folsom Prison.
Who wrote 'Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down'?
'Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down' was written by Kris Kristofferson, not by Cash. Cash's recording of it became a hit and helped launch Kristofferson's songwriting career.
Why was Johnny Cash called the Man in Black?
He was known for wearing all black on stage, and he wrote the 1971 song 'Man in Black' explaining that he wore it in solidarity with the poor, prisoners, and the downtrodden.
How many albums did Johnny Cash release?
This catalogue covers 44 of his studio albums, a career spanning nearly five decades from the late 1950s to his final American Recordings sessions.
How many records did Johnny Cash sell?
More than 90 million worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time.
When did Johnny Cash die?
Johnny Cash died on September 12, 2003, in Nashville, at the age of 71, from complications of diabetes. He died just four months after his wife, June Carter Cash.
What genre is Johnny Cash?
He is a country legend, but his music also drew on rock and roll, rockabilly, gospel, and folk. That range is why he is one of the few artists in the Country, Rock and Roll, and Gospel Halls of Fame.

Sources

Wikipedia: Johnny Cash Wikipedia: Johnny Cash with His Hot and Blue Guitar! Wikipedia: The Fabulous Johnny Cash Wikipedia: Hymns by Johnny Cash Wikipedia: Songs of Our Soil Wikipedia: Ride This Train Wikipedia: Blood, Sweat and Tears (album) Wikipedia: Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian Wikipedia: Orange Blossom Special (album) Wikipedia: Man in Black (album) Wikipedia: Ragged Old Flag Wikipedia: Johnny 99 Wikipedia: American Recordings (album) Wikipedia: Unchained (Johnny Cash album) Wikipedia: American IV: The Man Comes Around