Studio · No. 5

Illuminations Songwriting Credits by Josh Groban

2010 143 Records / Reprise Records 13 tracks 49:52
143 Records / Reprise Records Classical CrossoverOperatic PopPop Rock
85%
Authorship
Artist

Holds writing credit on 11 of 13 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 11 / 13 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 13 tracks with documented writers, by whether Josh Groban carries a lyricist or composer credit.

85%
11 trackswritten by Josh Groban 2 tracksoutside writers
Josh Groban's roles on this album

Share of the 13 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist46%
Composer85%
Producer0%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

13
Tracks
11
Lyricists
1
Producers
800,000+ copies sold; certified Platinum by the RIAA (1,000,000+ units shipped)
US Copies Sold
2010
Released
Data Insight

Rick Rubin pushed Groban to write rather than just interpret, and Groban ended up co-writing 11 of the album's 13 tracks, 8 of them with Dan Wilson. The 2 tracks he had no hand in writing are covers - Declan O'Rourke and Seamus Cotter's "Galileo (Someone Like You)" and Nick Cave's "Straight to You." The remaining co-writes each pair Groban with a single outside collaborator handling music or lyrics - Walter Afanasieff, Marco Marinangeli, Kate McGarrigle, Rufus Wainwright, Carlinhos Brown, Lester Mendez, Tawgs Salter, and Marius de Vries - rather than a single steady writing partner across the record.

Josh Groban's fifth studio album, produced by Rick Rubin, pairs his classical-pop voice with singer-songwriter collaborators like Dan Wilson for his most heavily self-written record to date.

Track Listing & Credits 13 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
The Wandering Kind (Prelude)
Not documented Joshua Winslow Groban Rick Rubin Mike ValerioFrank MaroccoGeorge Doering
2
Bells of New York City
Dan WilsonJosh Groban Daniel Dodd WilsonJoshua Winslow Groban Rick Rubin Josh GrobanSara ParkinsJohn YoakumPaul Fried
3
Galileo (Someone Like You)
Declan O'RourkeSeamus Cotter Declan O'RourkeSeamus Cotter Rick Rubin Josh Groban
4
L'ora dell'addio
Marco Marinangeli Joshua Winslow GrobanWalter Afanasieff Rick Rubin Josh GrobanStephanie BennettRose CorriganGary GrayPhil O'ConnorEarl DumlerSteve BecknellDavid Washburn
5
Hidden Away #12
Dan WilsonJosh Groban Daniel Dodd WilsonJoshua Winslow Groban Rick Rubin Josh GrobanSpooner OldhamChris BlethJohn Yoakum
6
Au jardin des sans-pourquoi
Kate McGarrigleRufus Wainwright Joshua Winslow Groban Rick Rubin Josh GrobanChris BlethRobert ThiesAllen SavedoffDamian MontanoDon MarkeseSteven RobertsRong-Huey LiuPhil TeeleNick LaneDaniel GrecoBrad Warnaar
7
Higher Window #19
Dan WilsonJosh GrobanTawgs Salter Daniel Dodd WilsonJoshua Winslow GrobanThomas Salter Rick Rubin Josh GrobanSpooner OldhamPhil O'Connor
8
If I Walk Away
Dan WilsonJosh Groban Daniel Dodd WilsonJoshua Winslow Groban Rick Rubin Josh GrobanSteve RichardsDarryl PhinnesseeDorian HolleyPhillip IngramGeorge DoeringGrant GeissmanEmil Richards
9
Love Only Knows
Dan WilsonJosh Groban Daniel Dodd WilsonJoshua Winslow Groban Rick Rubin Josh GrobanSpooner OldhamJon GilutinChris BlethDavid WeissJoe MeyerNathan CampbellPaul KlintworthRichard ToddSteven RobertsDamian MontanoRose CorriganM.B. Gordy
10
Você Existe Em Mim
Carlinhos Brown Joshua Winslow GrobanLester Mendez Rick Rubin Josh GrobanDavid LevitaDidá Banda Feminina
11
War at Home
Dan WilsonJosh Groban Joshua Winslow Groban Rick Rubin Josh GrobanPete AnthonyBobbi Page
12
London Hymn
Marius de Vries Joshua Winslow Groban Rick Rubin Josh GrobanDavid Campbell
13
Straight to You
Nick Cave Nicholas Edward Cave Rick Rubin Josh GrobanPete Anthony

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 61 contributors

JW
Joshua Winslow Groban
Writer
On this album11 written
DW
Dan Wilson
Writer
On this album6 written
JG
Josh Groban
Writer
On this album6 written
DD
Daniel Dodd Wilson
Writer
On this album5 written
CB
Carlinhos Brown
Writer
On this album1 written
DO
Declan O'Rourke
Writer
On this album1 written
KM
Kate McGarrigle
Writer
On this album1 written
LM
Lester Mendez
Writer
On this album1 written
MM
Marco Marinangeli
Writer
On this album1 written
MD
Marius de Vries
Writer
On this album1 written
NE
Nicholas Edward Cave
Writer
On this album1 written
NC
Nick Cave
Writer
On this album1 written

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2003 23%
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2006 31%
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2007 0%
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2013 58%
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2018 75%
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2020 17%
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2026 0%
Cinematic
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Frequently Asked Questions Illuminations

Who produced Illuminations?
Rick Rubin produced the entire album, recorded across Los Angeles studios and London between spring 2008 and summer 2010.
How many songs did Josh Groban write on Illuminations?
Groban co-wrote 11 of the album's 13 tracks, the most extensive songwriting credit of his career to that point.
Who is Groban's main co-writer on the album?
Dan Wilson of Semisonic, who is credited on 8 tracks, most of them full music-and-lyrics collaborations with Groban.
Are there any cover songs on Illuminations?
Yes. "Galileo (Someone Like You)," written by Declan O'Rourke and Seamus Cotter, and "Straight to You," written by Nick Cave, are the only 2 tracks Groban did not co-write.
What language is "L'ora dell'addio" sung in?
Italian. The music is by Groban and Walter Afanasieff, with Italian lyrics by Marco Marinangeli.
What was the first single from Illuminations?
"Hidden Away," released September 13, 2010, ahead of the album.
Did Illuminations reach number one on the Billboard 200?
No. It debuted at number 4, selling about 190,000 copies in its first week.
Is Illuminations certified platinum?
Yes, in the US by the RIAA (1,000,000+ units shipped) and in Canada by Music Canada (80,000+ units shipped).
Who mixed the album?
Allen Sides mixed most of the album; Andrew Scheps mixed "War at Home" separately.
Where was Illuminations recorded?
Capitol Studios, Shangri-La, Sound City, and Sunset Sound in the Los Angeles area, plus sessions in London.

Sources

Wikipedia - Illuminations (Josh Groban album) Wikipedia - Josh Groban discography Discogs API - release search Discogs API - Illuminations release 2564619 (US CD) MusicBrainz - release search MusicBrainz - Illuminations release 7b4af5ba (US) Wikipedia - Josh Groban Wikipedia - Dan Wilson (musician) Wikipedia - Tawgs Salter Wikipedia - Nick Cave Wikipedia - Walter Afanasieff Wikipedia - Declan O'Rourke The Immortal Jukebox - Galileo (Someone Like You) writeup SecondHandSongs - L'ora dell'addio work page Wikipedia - Lester Mendez Flashlyrics - The Wandering Kind (Prelude) [instrumental confirmation] Billboard - Adult Contemporary chart, Feb 12 2011 Wikipedia - Higher Window Billboard - Josh Groban unveils Hidden Away single, Illuminations album art Cover Art Archive: Illuminations by Josh Groban