Studio Album · No. 3

Every Picture Tells a Story Songwriting Credits by Rod Stewart

1971 Mercury 9 tracks 40:31

Produced by Rod Stewart

Mercury Folk RockRock
33%
Authorship
Co-Performer

Holds writing credit on 3 of 9 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 3 / 9 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 9 tracks with documented writers, by whether Rod Stewart carries a lyricist or composer credit.

33%
3 trackswritten by Rod Stewart 6 tracksoutside writers
Rod Stewart's roles on this album

Share of the 9 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist33%
Composer33%
Producer100%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

9
Tracks
10
Lyricists
1
Producers
1
No.1 Single
1971
Released
Data Insight

Three tracks are his and two of them are the ones everyone knows. Martin Quittenton co-wrote "Maggie May" and wrote "Henry" alone, and Ronnie Wood takes the title track with him. Six of the nine tracks still come from outside.

The 1971 album that made him famous, number 1 in both the US and the UK, carrying "Maggie May".

Track Listing & Credits 9 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Every Picture Tells a Story
Rod StewartRonnie Wood Roderick David StewartRonnie Wood Rod Stewart Rod Stewart (Performer)
2
Seems Like a Long Time
Theodore Anderson Theodore Anderson Rod Stewart Rod Stewart (Performer)
3
That's All Right / Amazing Grace
Arthur Crudup Arthur Crudup Rod Stewart Rod Stewart (Performer)
4
Tomorrow Is a Long Time
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan Rod Stewart Rod Stewart (Performer)
5
Henry
Martin Quittenton Martin Quittenton Rod Stewart Rod Stewart (Performer)
6
Maggie May #1
Rod StewartMartin Quittenton Roderick David StewartMartin Quittenton Rod Stewart Rod Stewart (Performer)
7
Mandolin Wind
Rod Stewart Roderick David Stewart Rod Stewart Rod Stewart (Performer)
8
(I Know) I'm Losing You #24
Norman WhitfieldEddie HollandCornelius Grant Norman WhitfieldEddie HollandCornelius Grant Rod Stewart Rod Stewart (Performer)
9
(Find a) Reason to Believe
Tim Hardin Tim Hardin Rod Stewart Rod Stewart (Performer)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 11 contributors

More from Rod Stewart

1969 50%
An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down
Vertigo / Mercury
8 tracksProd. Rod Stewart
1970 33%
Gasoline Alley
Mercury / Vertigo
9 tracksProd. Rod Stewart
1972 44%
Never a Dull Moment
Mercury
9 tracksProd. Rod Stewart
1974 25%
Smiler
Mercury
12 tracksProd. Rod Stewart
1975 50%
Atlantic Crossing
Riva / Warner Bros.
10 tracksProd. Tom Dowd
1976 44%
A Night on the Town
Riva / Warner Bros.
9 tracksProd. Tom Dowd
1977 75%
Foot Loose & Fancy Free
Riva / Warner Bros.
8 tracksProd. Tom Dowd
1978 90%
Blondes Have More Fun
Riva / Warner Bros.
10 tracksProd. Tom Dowd
1980 100%
Foolish Behaviour
Warner Bros. / Riva
10 tracksProd. The Rod Stewart Group
1981 70%
Tonight I'm Yours
Warner Bros. / Riva
10 tracksProd. Jim Cregan
1983 100%
Body Wishes
Warner Bros.
10 tracksProd. Tom Dowd
1984 63%
Camouflage
Warner Bros.
8 tracksProd. Michael Omartian
1986 80%
Every Beat of My Heart
Warner Bros.
10 tracksProd. Bob Ezrin
1988 73%
Out of Order
Warner Bros.
11 tracksProd. Bernard Edwards
1991 46%
Vagabond Heart
Warner Bros.
13 tracksProd. Bernard Edwards
1995 25%
A Spanner in the Works
Warner Bros.
12 tracksProd. Trevor Horn
1998 18%
When We Were the New Boys
Warner Bros.
11 tracksProd. Rod Stewart
2001 0%
Human
Atlantic
11 tracksProd. Gregg Alexander
2002 0%
It Had to Be You: The Great American Songbook
J
14 tracksProd. Clive Davis
2003 0%
As Time Goes By: The Great American Songbook, Volume II
J
14 tracksProd. Richard Perry
2004 0%
Stardust: The Great American Songbook, Volume III
J
14 tracksProd. Clive Davis
2005 0%
Thanks for the Memory: The Great American Songbook, Volume IV
J
13 tracksProd. Clive Davis
2006 0%
Still the Same... Great Rock Classics of Our Time
J
13 tracksProd. John Shanks
2009 0%
Soulbook
J
13 tracksProd. Steve Tyrell
2010 0%
Fly Me to the Moon... The Great American Songbook Volume V
J
12 tracksProd. Richard Perry
2012 8%
Merry Christmas, Baby
Verve
13 tracksProd. David Foster
2013 92%
Time
Capitol / Decca
12 tracksProd. Rod Stewart
2015 83%
Another Country
Capitol
12 tracksProd. Rod Stewart
2018 85%
Blood Red Roses
Decca / Republic
13 tracksProd. Rod Stewart
2021 75%
The Tears of Hercules
Warner / Rhino
12 tracksProd. Rod Stewart
2024 0%
Swing Fever
Warner
13 tracksProd. Phil Manzanera

Frequently Asked Questions Every Picture Tells a Story

Who wrote the songs on Every Picture Tells a Story?
Rod Stewart on three of the nine tracks, with Martin Quittenton on two and Ronnie Wood on the title track. The rest are covers, including Bob Dylan and Tim Hardin.
Who wrote "Maggie May"?
Rod Stewart and Martin Quittenton.
How high did the singles chart?
"Maggie May" reached number 1 on the Hot 100 and "(I Know) I'm Losing You" number 24.
How high did the album chart?
Number 1 in both the United States and the United Kingdom.
Who produced it?
Rod Stewart.
How did it sell?
The article publishes no sales or certification figure for it.
How long is the album?
40:31 across nine tracks.

Sources