Most frequent collaboratorTom Catalano · 56 tracks
GenresPop RockSoft RockSinger-Songwriter
Artist
90%
Authorship
Holds writing credit on 134 of 149 tracks
Did Neil Diamond write his own songs?
Yes. Diamond is one of the most prolific self-authors in pop history and wrote nearly all of his own hits, including 'Sweet Caroline', 'Cracklin' Rosie', 'Song Sung Blue', 'Solitary Man', and 'I Am... I Said'. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1984, recognizing his authorship before his performing honors.
By the Numbers
13
Studio Albums
149
Tracks Credited
90%
Self-Written
130 million+
Records Sold
64
Years Active
58
Collaborators
Authorship Breakdown 134 / 149 self-written
Who wrote the songs?
Across all 149 tracks: how many Neil Diamond 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.
Neil Diamond has a writing credit90%
81%
9%
10%
Sole author120tracks81%
Co-written14tracks9%
Outside writers15tracks10%
Role Fingerprint how they contribute
Neil Diamond's roles across the catalogue
Share of all 149 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.
Lyricist (words)89%
Composer (music)90%
Producer20%
Performer99%
Authorship Over Time writing credit per album
Neil Diamond's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.
avg 90%
58%
100%
92%
40%
100%
100%
100%
100%
70%
100%
100%
100%
100%
1966The Feel of Neil Diamond
1969Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show
1970Tap Root Manuscript
1971Stones
1972Moods
1973Jonathan Livingston Seagull
1974Serenade
1976Beautiful Noise
1978You Don't Bring Me Flowers
1980The Jazz Singer
200512 Songs
2008Home Before Dark
2026Wild at Heart
Early · 79% written
Mid · 95% written
Late · 100% written
Authorship by Decade track-weighted
80%
1960s
The Feel of Neil Diamond, Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show
86%
1970s
Tap Root Manuscript, Stones +5 more
100%
1980s
The Jazz Singer
100%
2000s
12 Songs, Home Before Dark
100%
2020s
Wild at Heart
Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author
Where Neil Diamond 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.
Neil Diamond
Other artists on the site
Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.
Written by Neil Diamond, Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, Neil Leslie Diamond
Co-wrote
Forever in Blue Jeans
You Don't Bring Me Flowers
Written by Neil Diamond, Richard Bennett, Neil Leslie Diamond
Co-wrote
Love on the Rocks
The Jazz Singer
Written by Neil Diamond, Gilbert Becaud, Neil Leslie Diamond, Francois Gilbert Leopold Silly
Co-wrote
Hello Again
The Jazz Singer
Written by Neil Diamond, Alan Lindgren, Neil Leslie Diamond
Co-wrote
America
The Jazz Singer
Written by Neil Diamond, Neil Leslie Diamond
Wrote it
Pretty Amazing Grace
Home Before Dark
Written by Neil Diamond, Neil Leslie Diamond
Wrote it
None of the signature songs above fall in this category.
Discography 13 albums
Covers a twelve-album core spanning Neil Diamond's career, from his 1966 debut The Feel of Neil Diamond through Home Before Dark (2008), including the Bang and Uni hits, the concept album Beautiful Noise, the soundtracks Jonathan Livingston Seagull and The Jazz Singer, and the late Rick Rubin records. Diamond released roughly thirty studio albums; the remaining titles are tracked in TODO.md under Incomplete Catalog.
Bubble size = tracks worked on together. TC Tom Catalano · LH Lee Holdridge · EG Ellie Greenwich
The Authorship Story
Data Insight
Neil Diamond is a near-total self-author, and the credits across these twelve albums make that plain: the composer column is filled with his legal name, Neil Leslie Diamond, on song after song, from the 1966 debut through the Rick Rubin records of the 2000s. The rare exceptions are worth naming because they stand out. His 1966 debut mixes his own songs with covers of Paul Simon, Ritchie Valens, and others. Stones (1971) is the deliberate outlier, where he sets four originals against covers of Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Randy Newman, and Jacques Brel, sharing the page with the singer-songwriters of his era. Elsewhere the co-writers are collaborators from his own circle: Robbie Robertson on 'Dry Your Eyes,' the Bergmans on 'You Don't Bring Me Flowers,' Gilbert Becaud and Alan Lindgren across The Jazz Singer. The other constant is production, which passes from Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich to Tom Catalano, then Robbie Robertson, Bob Gaudio, and finally Rick Rubin, while the songwriting stays his.
Quick Facts
Real nameNeil Leslie Diamond is his birth name, not a stage name.
Self-authorWrote nearly all of his own hits, including 'Sweet Caroline' and 'Cracklin' Rosie'.
Wrote for The MonkeesAuthored 'I'm a Believer' and 'A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You' for the group.
Rock and Roll Hall of FameInducted in March 2011.
Songwriters Hall of FameInducted in 1984 as a songwriter first.
Records soldOver 130 million records worldwide, 56.5 million in the US.
Creative Fingerprint
Neil Diamond is a prolific self-author who wrote nearly all of his own hits and also wrote songs recorded by others, including 'I'm a Believer' for The Monkees.
The Story
Neil Diamond, born Neil Leslie Diamond on January 24, 1941 in Brooklyn, New York, is one of the best-selling and most prolific self-authors in popular music, with more than 130 million records sold. He began as a Brill Building songwriter, writing 'I'm a Believer' and 'A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You' for The Monkees and 'Sunday and Me' for Jay and the Americans before his own performing career took off with 'Solitary Man' and 'Cherry, Cherry' in 1966. Across a long run of albums he wrote nearly everything he recorded, from 'Sweet Caroline,' 'Cracklin' Rosie,' 'Song Sung Blue,' and 'I Am... I Said' to the concept work of Beautiful Noise and the soundtracks Jonathan Livingston Seagull and The Jazz Singer. He also wrote 'Red Red Wine,' later a reggae number one for UB40. Recognized as a songwriter first, he entered the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1984, well before his 2011 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Kennedy Center Honors the same year.
Awards & Recognition
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2011)
Songwriters Hall of Fame (1984)
Grammy Award for Best Original Score for the film 'Jonathan Livingston Seagull' (1974)
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (2018)
Kennedy Center Honors (2011)
Frequently Asked Questions Neil Diamond
Did Neil Diamond write his own songs?
Yes. Diamond is one of the most prolific self-authors in pop history and wrote nearly all of his own hits, including 'Sweet Caroline', 'Cracklin' Rosie', 'Song Sung Blue', 'Solitary Man', and 'I Am... I Said'. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1984, recognizing his authorship before his performing honors.
Did Neil Diamond write 'I'm a Believer' for The Monkees?
Yes. Diamond wrote 'I'm a Believer', which The Monkees took to No. 1 in 1966. He also wrote their follow-up hit 'A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You'. These songs came from his early career writing for other artists.
Who wrote 'Sweet Caroline'?
Neil Diamond wrote 'Sweet Caroline', released in 1969. He both wrote and recorded it, and it became one of his signature songs and a lasting sing-along staple at sporting events.
Did Neil Diamond write 'Red Red Wine'?
Yes. Diamond wrote 'Red Red Wine' and recorded it in 1967. UB40 later covered it, and their 1983 reggae version became an international No. 1 hit, though Diamond remains the songwriter.
What is Neil Diamond's real name?
His real name is Neil Leslie Diamond, born January 24, 1941, in Brooklyn, New York. Diamond is his actual family name, not a stage name.
Who wrote 'America'?
Neil Diamond wrote 'America' for the 1980 film 'The Jazz Singer', in which he starred. The song is a tribute to immigrants coming to the United States and became a concert staple.
Did Neil Diamond write for other artists early in his career?
Yes. Before his own performing success, Diamond worked as a staff songwriter and wrote hits for others, including 'Sunday and Me' for Jay and the Americans in 1965 and 'I'm a Believer' for The Monkees. This early authorship established him as a songwriter first.
Did Neil Diamond win a Grammy for songwriting or composing?
He won a Grammy Award for the score of the 1973 film 'Jonathan Livingston Seagull', for which he wrote the music. He later received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.
Was Neil Diamond recognized as a songwriter before a performer?
Yes. He entered the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1984, well before his 2011 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The order reflects that his authorship was recognized ahead of his standing as a recording star.
How many records has Neil Diamond sold?
He has sold more than 130 million records worldwide, including over 56.5 million in the United States. This ranks him among the best-selling musicians in history, and nearly all of those recordings feature songs he wrote himself.
Neil Diamond
