Rancid

Solo Artist

Photo: Selbymay · CC BY 4.0
Active 1991-present
Origin Berkeley, California
Albums 10
Tracks 187
Most frequent collaborator Brett Gurewitz · 130 tracks
Genres Punk RockSka PunkStreet Punk
Complete Artist
99%
Authorship

Holds writing credit on 186 of 187 tracks

Does Rancid write their own songs?

Tim Armstrong is credited on 186 of the 187 studio tracks, and 174 of those have no writer from outside the band at all. The one track without a member on it is a cover of an Uptones song.

By the Numbers

10
Studio Albums
187
Tracks Credited
99%
Self-Written
35
Years Active
13
Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 186 / 187 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

Across all 187 tracks: how many Rancid 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.

Rancid has a writing credit99%
93%
6%
1%
Sole author174tracks93%
Co-written12tracks6%
Outside writers1tracks1%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Lyricist Performer Composer Producer
Rancid's roles across the catalogue

Share of all 187 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)99%
Composer (music)99%
Producer22%
Performer100%

Member Credit Breakdown share of tracks each member is credited on

Percentage of all 187 tracks, across every album, where each member holds a credit - split by role.

MemberPeriodLyricsMusicProductionPerformance
Tim Armstrong 1991-present
99%
99%
12%
35%
Matt Freeman 1991-present
61%
61%
0%
35%
Lars Frederiksen 1993-present
57%
57%
12%
35%
Branden Steineckert 2006-present
29%
29%
0%
35%
Brett Reed Former 1991-2006
1%
1%
0%
1%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

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

avg 99%
94%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
1993Rancid
1994Let's Go
1995...And Out Come the Wolves
1998Life Won't Wait
2000Rancid (2000)
2003Indestructible
2009Let the Dominoes Fall
2014...Honor Is All We Know
2017Trouble Maker
2023Tomorrow Never Comes
Early · 99% written
Mid · 100% written
Late · 100% written

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

99%
1990s
Rancid, Let's Go +2 more
100%
2000s
Rancid (2000), Indestructible +1 more
100%
2010s
...Honor Is All We Know, Trouble Maker
100%
2020s
Tomorrow Never Comes

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

Where Rancid 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.

Rancid
Other artists on the site

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

Aaliyah0%
Xscape17%
LeAnn Rimes41%
TLC59%
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts73%
Smash Mouth83%
The Clash91%
99%Rancid
Pure Performer0%
Songwriter~50%
Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

Time Bomb
...And Out Come the Wolves
Written by Tim Armstrong, Matt Freeman, Lars Frederiksen, Timothy Ross Armstrong, Roger Matthew Freeman, Lars Erik Dapello
Wrote it
Ruby Soho
...And Out Come the Wolves
Written by Tim Armstrong, Matt Freeman, Lars Frederiksen, Timothy Ross Armstrong, Roger Matthew Freeman, Lars Erik Dapello
Wrote it

Discography 10 albums

All ten studio albums. The splits, the live albums and the B-sides compilations sit outside this catalogue.

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

Photo of RancidRancid187 tracks
Photo of Brett Gurewitz130Brett Gurewitz, 130 tracks JF19Jerry Finn, 19 tracks DC16Donnell Cameron, 16 tracks ED4Eric Dinn, 4 tracks Photo of Vic Ruggiero3Vic Ruggiero, 3 tracks ER2Eric Raider, 2 tracks BJ1Billie Joe Armstrong, 1 track on Green Day's page JC1Jim Carroll, 1 track BB1Buju Banton, 1 track HP1Howie Pyro, 1 track SR1Skinhead Rob, 1 track F1Frederiksen, 1 track

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. JF Jerry Finn · DC Donnell Cameron · ED Eric Dinn · ER Eric Raider

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

Tim Armstrong is credited on 186 of the band's 187 studio tracks. Nothing in the catalogue was written by an outsider on their own, and the thirteen songs with a name from outside on them are all co-writes with friends, not hired writers.

Quick Facts

  • One writerTim Armstrong is on 186 of the 187 studio tracks
  • Self-written174 of the 187 have no outside writer at all
  • The other constantMatt Freeman is on 114, Lars Frederiksen on 106
  • Ten albums1993 to 2023, nine of them on Epitaph or Hellcat
  • Their big record...And Out Come the Wolves is certified platinum
  • Hot 100Only two singles reached it, both from the 1995 album

Creative Fingerprint

One writer on almost 187 songs, with the co-writers changing as the band's lineup does.

The Story

Rancid formed in Berkeley in 1991 out of the wreckage of Operation Ivy, and thirty years later Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman are still in it. Ten studio albums, all but one of them on Epitaph or its Hellcat imprint.

Frequently Asked Questions Rancid

Does Rancid write their own songs?
Tim Armstrong is credited on 186 of the 187 studio tracks, and 174 of those have no writer from outside the band at all. The one track without a member on it is a cover of an Uptones song.
Who wrote "Time Bomb"?
Tim Armstrong, Matt Freeman and Lars Frederiksen, like everything else on ...And Out Come the Wolves apart from two co-writes.
How many albums has Rancid released?
Ten studio albums, from the 1993 self-titled debut to Tomorrow Never Comes in 2023.
Did Billie Joe Armstrong write for Rancid?
He co-wrote "Radio" on Let's Go with Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman, and played guitar with the band on tour in 1993.
Which album is their biggest?
...And Out Come the Wolves, certified platinum, with "Time Bomb" and "Ruby Soho" both reaching the Hot 100.
What came before Rancid?
Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman were in Operation Ivy, which split in 1989. They started Rancid two years later.
How did the writing change over the years?
The early albums are Armstrong and Freeman together. Life Won't Wait and the 2000 album are largely Armstrong alone, and from 2009 the credit is the whole band.
Who are the outside co-writers?
Eric Dinn, Eric Raider, Billie Joe Armstrong, Jim Carroll, Vic Ruggiero, Buju Banton, Howie Pyro, Skinhead Rob and Brett Gurewitz, across thirteen songs in thirty years.
Who is Brett Gurewitz to Rancid?
The Bad Religion guitarist who runs Epitaph. He produced six of their albums and co-wrote "Up to No Good".
Are they still going?
Yes. Tomorrow Never Comes came out in 2023 with the same four people who made the 2009 album.

Sources

Wikipedia: Rancid Wikipedia: Tim Armstrong Wikipedia: Matt Freeman Wikipedia: Lars Frederiksen Wikipedia: Rancid discography