Most frequent collaboratorCameron Webb · 72 tracks
GenresHeavy MetalHard RockSpeed Metal
Complete Artist
98%
Authorship
Holds writing credit on 244 of 250 tracks
Did Motörhead write their own songs?
Almost all of them. Lemmy Kilmister has a writing credit on 237 of the 250 tracks across the twenty-three studio albums, and the rest of the credits go to whoever else was in the line-up at the time. The thirteen tracks without him are covers and songs written before the band settled, mostly by Larry Wallis.
By the Numbers
23
Studio Albums
250
Tracks Credited
98%
Self-Written
more than 25 million
Records Sold
40
Years Active
46
Collaborators
Authorship Breakdown 244 / 250 self-written
Who wrote the songs?
Across all 250 tracks: how many Motörhead 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.
Motörhead has a writing credit98%
92%
5%
2%
Sole author231tracks92%
Co-written13tracks5%
Outside writers6tracks2%
Role Fingerprint how they contribute
Motörhead's roles across the catalogue
Share of all 250 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.
Lyricist (words)98%
Composer (music)98%
Producer30%
Performer100%
Member Credit Breakdown share of tracks each member is credited on
Percentage of all 250 tracks, across every album, where each member holds a credit - split by role.
Member
Period
Lyrics
Music
Production
Performance
Lemmy Kilmister Died December 28, 2015
1975-2015 (died December 28, 2015)
95%
92%
0%
0%
Phil Campbell Died March 13, 2026
1984-2015 (died March 13, 2026)
58%
62%
0%
0%
Mikkey Dee
1992-2015
48%
52%
0%
0%
Larry Wallis Died September 19, 2019
1975-1976 (died September 19, 2019)
2%
2%
0%
0%
Lucas Fox Former
1975
0%
0%
0%
0%
Phil Taylor Died November 12, 2015
1975-1984, 1987-1992 (died November 12, 2015)
30%
30%
0%
0%
"Fast" Eddie Clarke Died January 10, 2018
1976-1982 (died January 10, 2018)
18%
18%
5%
0%
Brian Robertson Former
1982-1983
4%
4%
0%
0%
Würzel Died July 9, 2011
1984-1995 (died July 9, 2011)
18%
18%
0%
0%
Pete Gill Former
1984-1987
4%
4%
0%
0%
Authorship Over Time writing credit per album
Motörhead's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.
avg 98%
88%
100%
100%
89%
100%
100%
100%
100%
90%
100%
91%
100%
100%
100%
100%
90%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
92%
1977Motörhead
1979Overkill
1979Bomber
1979On Parole
1980Ace of Spades
1982Iron Fist
1983Another Perfect Day
1986Orgasmatron
1987Rock 'n' Roll
19911916
1992March ör Die
1993Bastards
1995Sacrifice
1996Overnight Sensation
1998Snake Bite Love
2000We Are Motörhead
2002Hammered
2004Inferno
2006Kiss of Death
2008Motörizer
2010The Wörld Is Yours
2013Aftershock
2015Bad Magic
Early · 98% written
Mid · 97% written
Late · 99% written
Authorship by Decade track-weighted
95%
1970s
Motörhead, Overkill +2 more
98%
1980s
Ace of Spades, Iron Fist +3 more
99%
1990s
1916, March ör Die +4 more
98%
2000s
We Are Motörhead, Hammered +3 more
97%
2010s
The Wörld Is Yours, Aftershock +1 more
Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author
Where Motörhead 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.
Motörhead
Other artists on the site
Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.
Written by Lemmy Kilmister, "Fast" Eddie Clarke, Phil Taylor, Ian Fraser Kilmister, Edward Allan Clarke, Philip John Taylor
Wrote it
No Class
Overkill
Written by Lemmy Kilmister, "Fast" Eddie Clarke, Phil Taylor, Ian Fraser Kilmister, Edward Allan Clarke, Philip John Taylor
Wrote it
Bomber
Bomber
Written by Lemmy Kilmister, "Fast" Eddie Clarke, Phil Taylor, Ian Fraser Kilmister, Edward Allan Clarke, Philip John Taylor
Wrote it
Ace of Spades
Ace of Spades
Written by Lemmy Kilmister, "Fast" Eddie Clarke, Phil Taylor, Ian Fraser Kilmister, Edward Allan Clarke, Philip John Taylor
Wrote it
Iron Fist
Iron Fist
Written by Lemmy Kilmister, "Fast" Eddie Clarke, Phil Taylor, Ian Fraser Kilmister, Edward Allan Clarke, Philip John Taylor
Wrote it
I Got Mine
Another Perfect Day
Written by Lemmy Kilmister, Phil Taylor, Brian Robertson, Ian Fraser Kilmister, Philip John Taylor
Wrote it
Shine
Another Perfect Day
Written by Lemmy Kilmister, Phil Taylor, Brian Robertson, Ian Fraser Kilmister, Philip John Taylor
Wrote it
Deaf Forever
Orgasmatron
Written by Lemmy Kilmister, Würzel, Phil Campbell, Pete Gill, Ian Fraser Kilmister, Michael Richard Burston, Philip Anthony Campbell, Peter Gill
Wrote it
The One to Sing the Blues
1916
Written by Lemmy Kilmister, Würzel, Phil Campbell, Phil Taylor, Ian Fraser Kilmister, Michael Richard Burston, Philip Anthony Campbell, Philip John Taylor
Wrote it
Born to Raise Hell
Bastards
Written by Lemmy Kilmister, Ian Fraser Kilmister
Wrote it
God Save the Queen
We Are Motörhead
Written by Paul Cook, Steve Jones, John Lydon, Glen Matlock
Outside writers
None of the signature songs above fall in this category.
Discography 23 albums
All twenty-three studio albums. The live albums, compilations and EPs sit outside this catalogue.
Bubble size = tracks worked on together. CW Cameron Webb · PS Peter Solley · RD Ryan Dorn · DB Duane Baron · JM Jimmy Miller
The Authorship Story
Data Insight
The credit line is a roll call of whoever was in the band that year. Lemmy is on everything, and around him the names rotate: Eddie Clarke and Phil Taylor on 46 and 76 tracks in the first run, Würzel and Pete Gill on 46 and 9 in the mid-eighties four-piece, Brian Robertson on the ten tracks of Another Perfect Day and nothing else. Phil Campbell ends up second in the catalogue with 146 and Mikkey Dee third with 119, because they stayed longest. Everything gets split evenly among whoever is in the room, which is why almost no Motörhead song has a single writer and almost none has an outside one. The thirteen tracks Lemmy has no credit on are the covers and the pre-1976 material: "Train Kept A-Rollin'", "Leaving Here", "Cat Scratch Fever", "God Save the Queen", "Sympathy for the Devil", and the Larry Wallis songs from the sessions that became On Parole.
Quick Facts
Lemmy's share237 of the 250 album tracks
Second and thirdPhil Campbell on 146 tracks, Mikkey Dee on 119
Studio albumsTwenty-three, from 1977 to 2015
SalesMore than 25 million albums worldwide
GrammyBest Metal Performance, 2005, for "Whiplash"
Line-upTen members in forty years, three or four at a time
Creative Fingerprint
A band credit that is really one constant plus whoever is in the line-up, split in equal shares and almost never opened to an outsider.
The Story
One man wrote almost all of it. Lemmy Kilmister has a writing credit on 237 of the 250 tracks across twenty-three studio albums, and whoever was standing next to him got their name on the rest.
Awards & Recognition
Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 2005 for "Whiplash", after nominations in 1992, 2000 and 2015
Kerrang! Silver K Award, 2000
Kerrang! Inspiration Award, 2019
Metal Hammer Golden God, Lemmy Kilmister in 2005 and the band in 2013
Classic Rock Roll of Honour Living Legend, Lemmy Kilmister, 2005
Los Angeles City Council honour for the band's 40th anniversary, 2015
Frequently Asked Questions Motörhead
Did Motörhead write their own songs?
Almost all of them. Lemmy Kilmister has a writing credit on 237 of the 250 tracks across the twenty-three studio albums, and the rest of the credits go to whoever else was in the line-up at the time. The thirteen tracks without him are covers and songs written before the band settled, mostly by Larry Wallis.
Who wrote Motörhead's songs?
The whole line-up, credited in equal shares. Lemmy is on 237 tracks, Phil Campbell on 146, Mikkey Dee on 119, Phil Taylor on 76, and Eddie Clarke and Würzel on 46 each.
Who wrote "Ace of Spades"?
Lemmy Kilmister, Eddie Clarke and Phil Taylor, the three-piece line-up that made the album. Every track on Ace of Spades carries the same three names.
How many studio albums did Motörhead release?
Twenty-three, from the 1977 debut through Bad Magic in 2015. The live albums and compilations are counted separately.
Did Motörhead ever have a hit single?
In Britain, yes. "Ace of Spades" reached number 15 in 1980 and the live "Motörhead" got to number 6 in 1981. They never entered the Billboard Hot 100 in America.
How many records has Motörhead sold?
More than 25 million albums worldwide as of 2025.
Did Motörhead win a Grammy?
One, in 2005, in the Best Metal Performance category, for their cover of Metallica's "Whiplash". They were also nominated in 1992, 2000 and 2015.
Who were the members of Motörhead?
Ten people over forty years. Lemmy Kilmister was there for all of it. The final line-up was Lemmy, Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee; the best known one is Lemmy, "Fast" Eddie Clarke and Phil Taylor, who made Ace of Spades.
Which Motörhead album charted highest?
Ace of Spades reached number 4 in the UK in 1980, and Bad Magic got to number 10 there in 2015 and number 1 in Germany, Austria and Finland. Aftershock was their best US placing at number 22.
What covers did Motörhead record on their studio albums?
Motörhead