Marilyn Manson

Band

Photo: Patosky1 · CC0
Active 1989-present
Origin Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Albums 13
Tracks 166
Most frequent collaborator Sean Beavan · 46 tracks
Genres industrial rockshock rockindustrial metalalternative metalgothic rock
Complete Artist
99%
Authorship

Holds writing credit on 165 of 166 tracks

Does Marilyn Manson write their own songs?

Yes. The band is credited on about 99% of its catalogue, with frontman Brian Warner writing the lyrics and his bandmates composing the music. Founding guitarist Daisy Berkowitz shaped the early sound, and later Twiggy Ramirez and others co-wrote. Songs like 'The Beautiful People' and 'The Dope Show' are the band's own.

By the Numbers

13
Studio Albums
166
Tracks Credited
99%
Self-Written
over 50 million
Records Sold
37
Years Active
19
Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 165 / 166 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

Across all 166 tracks: how many Marilyn Manson 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.

Marilyn Manson has a writing credit99%
63%
37%
1%
Sole author104tracks63%
Co-written61tracks37%
Outside writers1tracks1%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Lyricist Performer Composer Producer
Marilyn Manson's roles across the catalogue

Share of all 166 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)99%
Composer (music)87%
Producer94%
Performer99%

Member Credit Breakdown share of tracks each member is credited on

Percentage of all 166 tracks, across every album, where each member holds a credit - split by role.

MemberPeriodLyricsMusicProductionPerformance
Marilyn Manson 1989-present
88%
43%
94%
99%
Twiggy Ramirez 1995-2002, 2008-2013
14%
39%
9%
0%
Daisy Berkowitz Died October 22, 2017 1989-1996 (died October 22, 2017)
2%
9%
0%
0%
Madonna Wayne Gacy 1991-2007
4%
16%
0%
0%
Ginger Fish 1995-2011
0%
0%
0%
0%
Zim Zum 1996-1998
0%
5%
0%
0%
John 5 1998-2004
0%
17%
0%
0%
Tim Skold 2002-present
0%
12%
16%
0%
Chris Vrenna 2004-2007
6%
15%
17%
0%
Piggy D. 2008-present
0%
0%
0%
0%
Gil Sharone 2011-present
0%
0%
0%
0%
Nick Annis 2017-present
0%
0%
0%
0%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

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

avg 99%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
93%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
1994Portrait of an American Family
1996Antichrist Superstar
1998Mechanical Animals
2000Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death)
2003The Golden Age of Grotesque
2007Eat Me, Drink Me
2009The High End of Low
2012Born Villain
2015The Pale Emperor
2017Heaven Upside Down
2020We Are Chaos
2024One Assassination Under God - Chapter 1
2026One Assassination Under God - Chapter 2
Early · 100% written
Mid · 98% written
Late · 100% written

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

100%
1990s
Portrait of an American Family, Antichrist Superstar +1 more
100%
2000s
Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death), The Golden Age of Grotesque +2 more
97%
2010s
Born Villain, The Pale Emperor +1 more
100%
2020s
We Are Chaos, One Assassination Under God - Chapter 1 +1 more

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

Where Marilyn Manson 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.

Marilyn Manson
Other artists on the site

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

Tim McGraw2%
Backstreet Boys25%
Marc Anthony37%
Boyz II Men51%
Alan Jackson66%
George Michael80%
Powerman 500089%
99%Marilyn Manson
Pure Performer0%
Songwriter~50%
Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

Lunchbox
Portrait of an American Family
Written by Marilyn Manson, Scott Frederick Putesky, Brad Melvin Stewart
Co-wrote
Get Your Gunn
Portrait of an American Family
Written by Marilyn Manson, Scott Frederick Putesky, Brad Melvin Stewart
Co-wrote
The Beautiful People
Antichrist Superstar
Written by Twiggy Ramirez, Jeordie Hobbs White
Wrote it
Tourniquet
Antichrist Superstar
Written by Daisy Berkowitz, Twiggy Ramirez, Scott Frederick Putesky, Jeordie Hobbs White
Wrote it
The Dope Show
Mechanical Animals
Written by Marilyn Manson, Jeordie Hobbs White
Wrote it
I Don't Like the Drugs (But the Drugs Like Me)
Mechanical Animals
Written by Marilyn Manson, Jeordie Hobbs White, Zim Zum
Wrote it
Rock Is Dead
Mechanical Animals
Written by Marilyn Manson, Jeordie Hobbs White, Stephen Gregory Bier Jr.
Wrote it
Disposable Teens
Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death)
Written by Marilyn Manson, John William Lowery, Jeordie Hobbs White
Wrote it
The Nobodies
Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death)
Written by Marilyn Manson, Brian Hugh Warner, John William Lowery
Wrote it
mOBSCENE
The Golden Age of Grotesque
Written by Marilyn Manson, John William Lowery, Brian Hugh Warner
Wrote it
Heart-Shaped Glasses (When the Heart Guides the Hand)
Eat Me, Drink Me
Written by Marilyn Manson, Brian Hugh Warner, Tim Sköld
Wrote it
We're from America
The High End of Low
Written by Marilyn Manson, Jeordie Hobbs White, Chris Vrenna
Wrote it
No Reflection
Born Villain
Written by Marilyn Manson, Twiggy Ramirez, Chris Vrenna, Brian Hugh Warner, Jeordie Hobbs White
Wrote it
Deep Six
The Pale Emperor
Written by Marilyn Manson, Tyler Bates
Co-wrote
Kill4Me
Heaven Upside Down
Written by Marilyn Manson, Tyler Bates
Co-wrote
Tattooed in Reverse
Heaven Upside Down
Written by Marilyn Manson, Tyler Bates
Co-wrote
We Are Chaos
We Are Chaos
Written by Marilyn Manson, Shooter Jennings, Brian Hugh Warner, Waylon Albright Jennings Jr.
Co-wrote
Don't Chase the Dead
We Are Chaos
Written by Marilyn Manson, Shooter Jennings, Brian Hugh Warner, Waylon Albright Jennings Jr.
Co-wrote
As Sick as the Secrets Within
One Assassination Under God - Chapter 1
Written by Marilyn Manson, Brian Hugh Warner, Tyler Bates
Co-wrote
Raise the Red Flag
One Assassination Under God - Chapter 1
Written by Marilyn Manson, Brian Hugh Warner, Tyler Bates
Co-wrote

Discography 13 albums

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

Marilyn Manson166 tracks
SB46Sean Beavan, 46 tracks 38Tyler Bates, 38 tracks 27Trent Reznor, 27 tracks on Nine Inch Nails's page DS19Dave Sardy, 19 tracks BG15Ben Grosse, 15 tracks DO14Dave Ogilvie, 14 tracks MB14Michael Beinhorn, 14 tracks RM13Roli Mosimann, 13 tracks SJ10Shooter Jennings, 10 tracks BM7Brad Melvin Stewart, 7 tracks MT3Michael Trent Reznor, 3 tracks RD1Roald Dahl, 1 track CM1Charles Manson, 1 track FS1Fred Sablan, 1 track on Deftones's page CS1Carly Simon, 1 track CE1Carly Elisabeth Simon, 1 track JD1Johnny Depp, 1 track DD1Dana Dentata, 1 track

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. SB Sean Beavan · DS Dave Sardy · BG Ben Grosse · DO Dave Ogilvie

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

Marilyn Manson (Brian Warner) has been the sole constant creative presence in the band across all lineups. His primary co-writing partner across the most commercially successful years was Twiggy Ramirez (Jeordie White), who co-wrote the majority of material from Antichrist Superstar through The High End of Low. John 5 was the key guitar collaborator for Mechanical Animals through The Golden Age of Grotesque. The Pale Emperor (2015) marked a major shift, Manson co-wrote entirely with producer Tyler Bates, yielding a bluesy, cinematic sound distinctly different from earlier albums.

Quick Facts

  • SalesHave sold over 50 million records worldwide
  • Antichrist SuperstarTheir 1996 album debuted at number three and sold nearly 2 million US copies
  • Trent ReznorSigned the band and produced their debut Portrait of an American Family
  • Shock rockBecame one of the most controversial acts in rock through image and lyrics
  • The frontmanBrian Warner has been the only constant member across all lineups

Creative Fingerprint

A band written from within: Marilyn Manson are credited on about 99% of their catalogue, with Brian Warner writing the lyrics and his bandmates composing the music, so the credits stay in-house across every lineup.

The Story

Marilyn Manson is an American rock band formed in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 1989, fronted by vocalist Brian Hugh Warner who adopted the Marilyn Manson stage name. The band emerged from the underground industrial and shock rock scene, achieving mainstream notoriety with Antichrist Superstar (1996) and Mechanical Animals (1998). Known for elaborate theatrical performances and provocative imagery, Marilyn Manson has remained one of hard rock's most recognized names across more than three decades and twelve studio albums. The band's sound has evolved from industrial metal to gothic rock, glam metal, and orchestral rock while maintaining its transgressive aesthetic.

Awards & Recognition

Antichrist Superstar (1996) debuted at number three on the Billboard 200
Have sold over 50 million records worldwide
Received multiple Grammy nominations across their career
One of the most influential and controversial acts in industrial and shock rock

Frequently Asked Questions Marilyn Manson

Does Marilyn Manson write their own songs?
Yes. The band is credited on about 99% of its catalogue, with frontman Brian Warner writing the lyrics and his bandmates composing the music. Founding guitarist Daisy Berkowitz shaped the early sound, and later Twiggy Ramirez and others co-wrote. Songs like 'The Beautiful People' and 'The Dope Show' are the band's own.
Who wrote 'The Beautiful People'?
'The Beautiful People,' from Antichrist Superstar (1996), is credited to the band's bassist Twiggy Ramirez. It became the band's signature song and a defining track of 1990s industrial rock, with Brian Warner's vocals driving its impact.
Did Trent Reznor work with Marilyn Manson?
Yes. Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails signed the band to his Nothing Records label and produced their debut, Portrait of an American Family (1994). He remained closely involved during the Antichrist Superstar era.
Are 'Sweet Dreams' and 'Tainted Love' Marilyn Manson songs?
No, both are covers. 'Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)' was originally by Eurythmics and 'Tainted Love' by Gloria Jones, later made famous by Soft Cell. Manson's dark reworkings became well known but are not band originals.
How many albums has Marilyn Manson released?
This catalogue covers their studio albums from Portrait of an American Family (1994) through One Assassination Under God - Chapter 1 (2024), including the landmark trilogy Antichrist Superstar, Mechanical Animals, and Holy Wood.
What happened to Daisy Berkowitz?
Daisy Berkowitz, born Scott Putesky, co-founded the band and composed much of its early music before leaving in 1996. He died of colon cancer on October 22, 2017, at age 49.
How many records has Marilyn Manson sold?
Marilyn Manson have sold over 50 million records worldwide, making them one of the most commercially successful industrial and shock rock acts in history.
What genre is Marilyn Manson?
Marilyn Manson play industrial rock, industrial metal, and shock rock with gothic and alternative metal elements, built on Brian Warner's provocative lyrics and imagery.

Sources

Wikipedia: Marilyn Manson Wikipedia: Scott Putesky Marilyn Manson (band) - Wikipedia File:Marilyn Manson1.jpg - Wikimedia Commons