Shinedown

Band

Photo: Zeddawg · Public domain
Active 2001-present
Origin Jacksonville, Florida
Albums 8
Tracks 112
Most frequent collaborator Dave Bassett · 44 tracks
Genres Hard RockPost-grungeAlternative Metal
Complete Artist
99%
Authorship

Holds writing credit on 111 of 112 tracks

Who writes Shinedown's songs?

Frontman Brent Smith writes the lyrics and is the band's primary songwriter, a role he has held since Shinedown formed in 2001. The music comes from the band, with bassist Eric Bass becoming Smith's main co-writer from the Amaryllis era onward. Outside collaborator Dave Bassett co-wrote much of the Rob Cavallo-produced material.

By the Numbers

8
Studio Albums
112
Tracks Credited
99%
Self-Written
10 million+
Records Sold
25
Years Active
24
Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 111 / 112 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

Across all 112 tracks: how many Shinedown 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.

Shinedown has a writing credit99%
29%
70%
1%
Sole author33tracks29%
Co-written78tracks70%
Outside writers1tracks1%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Lyricist Performer Composer Producer
Shinedown's roles across the catalogue

Share of all 112 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)98%
Composer (music)99%
Producer54%
Performer99%

Member Credit Breakdown share of tracks each member is credited on

Percentage of all 112 tracks, across every album, where each member holds a credit - split by role.

MemberPeriodLyricsMusicProductionPerformance
Brent Smith 2001-present
93%
93%
0%
77%
Barry Kerch 2001-present
1%
2%
0%
77%
Zach Myers 2008-present
11%
13%
0%
54%
Eric Bass 2008-present
38%
48%
54%
61%
Brad Stewart Former 2001-2007
9%
9%
0%
22%
Jasin Todd Former 2001-2007
10%
10%
0%
22%
Nick Perri Former 2008
0%
0%
0%
10%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

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

avg 99%
92%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
2003Leave a Whisper
2005Us and Them
2008The Sound of Madness
2012Amaryllis
2015Threat to Survival
2018Attention Attention
2022Planet Zero
2026Eight
Early · 97% written
Mid · 100% written
Late · 100% written

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

97%
2000s
Leave a Whisper, Us and Them +1 more
100%
2010s
Amaryllis, Threat to Survival +1 more
100%
2020s
Planet Zero, Eight

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

Where Shinedown 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.

Shinedown
Other artists on the site

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

Michael Bublé15%
Josh Groban29%
Kelly Clarkson49%
Mario57%
Omarion67%
Guns N' Roses78%
Powerman 500089%
99%Shinedown
Pure Performer0%
Songwriter~50%
Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

Fly from the Inside
Leave a Whisper
Written by Brent Smith, Bob Marlette, Brently Stephen Smith
Co-wrote
45
Leave a Whisper
Written by Brent Smith, Tony Battaglia, Brently Stephen Smith
Co-wrote
Burning Bright
Leave a Whisper
Written by Brent Smith, Tony Battaglia, Brently Stephen Smith
Co-wrote
Simple Man
Leave a Whisper
Written by Ronnie Van Zant, Gary Rossington
Outside writers
Save Me
Us and Them
Written by Brent Smith, Tony Battaglia, Brently Stephen Smith
Co-wrote
I Dare You
Us and Them
Written by Brent Smith, Brad Stewart, Tony Battaglia, Brently Stephen Smith
Co-wrote
Heroes
Us and Them
Written by Brent Smith, Jasin Todd, Tony Battaglia, Brently Stephen Smith
Co-wrote
Devour
The Sound of Madness
Written by Brent Smith, Dave Bassett, Brently Stephen Smith, Dave Richard Bassett
Co-wrote
Second Chance
The Sound of Madness
Written by Brent Smith, Dave Bassett, Brently Stephen Smith, Dave Richard Bassett
Co-wrote
Sound of Madness
The Sound of Madness
Written by Brent Smith, Dave Bassett, Brently Stephen Smith, Dave Richard Bassett
Co-wrote
If You Only Knew
The Sound of Madness
Written by Brent Smith, Dave Bassett, Brently Stephen Smith, Dave Richard Bassett
Co-wrote
Bully
Amaryllis
Written by Brent Smith, Zach Myers, Dave Bassett, Brently Stephen Smith, Zachary Myers, David Bassett
Co-wrote
Unity
Amaryllis
Written by Brent Smith, Eric Bass, Dave Bassett, Brently Stephen Smith, William Frederic Bass Jr., David Bassett
Co-wrote
Enemies
Amaryllis
Written by Brent Smith, Eric Bass, Dave Bassett, Brently Stephen Smith, William Frederic Bass Jr., David Bassett
Co-wrote
I'll Follow You
Amaryllis
Written by Brent Smith, Eric Bass, Dave Bassett, Brently Stephen Smith, William Frederic Bass Jr., David Bassett
Co-wrote
Adrenaline
Amaryllis
Written by Brent Smith, Dave Bassett, Brently Stephen Smith, David Bassett
Co-wrote
Cut the Cord
Threat to Survival
Written by Brent Smith, Eric Bass, Brently Stephen Smith, William Frederic Bass Jr.
Wrote it
State of My Head
Threat to Survival
Written by Brent Smith, Carlo Colasacco, Ethan Thompson, Jayson DeZuzio, Pete Nappi, Brently Stephen Smith, Peter Nappi
Co-wrote
Asking for It
Threat to Survival
Written by Brent Smith, Dave Bassett, Brently Stephen Smith, David Bassett
Co-wrote
How Did You Love
Threat to Survival
Written by Brent Smith, Scott Stevens, Brently Stephen Smith
Co-wrote
Devil
Attention Attention
Written by Brent Smith, Brently Stephen Smith, William Frederic Bass Jr.
Wrote it
Get Up
Attention Attention
Written by Brent Smith, Brently Stephen Smith, William Frederic Bass Jr.
Wrote it
Monsters
Attention Attention
Written by Brent Smith, Brently Stephen Smith, William Frederic Bass Jr.
Wrote it
Attention Attention
Attention Attention
Written by Brent Smith, Brently Stephen Smith, David Bassett
Co-wrote
Planet Zero
Planet Zero
Written by Brent Smith, Eric Bass, Brently Stephen Smith, William Frederic Bass Jr.
Wrote it
Daylight
Planet Zero
Written by Brent Smith, Dave Bassett, Eric Bass, Zach Myers, Brently Stephen Smith, David Bassett, William Frederic Bass Jr., Zachary Myers
Co-wrote
Dead Don't Die
Planet Zero
Written by Blair Daly, Brent Smith, Eric Bass, Zac Maloy, Zach Myers, Brently Stephen Smith, William Frederic Bass Jr., Zachary Myers
Co-wrote
A Symptom of Being Human
Planet Zero
Written by Brent Smith, Eric Bass, Brently Stephen Smith, William Frederic Bass Jr.
Wrote it

Discography 8 albums

Covers all seven Shinedown studio albums, from Leave a Whisper (2003) through Planet Zero (2022). Live albums, acoustic sessions, and compilations are outside this scope.

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

Shinedown112 tracks
DB44Dave Bassett, 44 tracks TB27Tony Battaglia, 27 tracks DB27David Bassett, 27 tracks 23Rob Cavallo, 23 tracks BM13Bob Marlette, 13 tracks 13Rick Beato, 13 tracks DR9Dave Richard Bassett, 9 tracks SS4Scott Stevens, 4 tracks RV1Ronnie Van Zant, 1 track on Lynyrd Skynyrd's page GR1Gary Rossington, 1 track on Lynyrd Skynyrd's page OB1Olivia Battaglia, 1 track CG1Chris Gill, 1 track JS1John Shanks, 1 track BH1Bobby Huff, 1 track DC1Dana Calitri, 1 track NO1Nina Ossoff, 1 track KS1Kathy Sommer, 1 track CC1Carlo Colasacco, 1 track ET1Ethan Thompson, 1 track JD1Jayson DeZuzio, 1 track PN1Pete Nappi, 1 track PN1Peter Nappi, 1 track BD1Blair Daly, 1 track ZM1Zac Maloy, 1 track

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. DB Dave Bassett · TB Tony Battaglia · DB David Bassett · BM Bob Marlette

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

Shinedown is a self-authoring rock band organized around one lyricist. Brent Smith writes the words to the band's songs and holds a writing credit across the catalog, so the lyricist column is his on nearly every track. The music-writing shifts over time: the early records credit the founding lineup, the Rob Cavallo era (The Sound of Madness, Amaryllis) brings in the outside co-writer Dave Bassett on several hits including 'Second Chance,' and from Threat to Survival onward bassist Eric Bass, whose legal name is William Frederic Bass Jr., becomes Smith's main co-writer and the band's producer. The one clear non-original is the debut's cover of 'Simple Man,' written by Lynyrd Skynyrd's Ronnie Van Zant and Gary Rossington. The composer column carries the writers' legal names where they differ from the stage names, so Smith appears as Brently Stephen Smith and Bass as William Frederic Bass Jr., which keeps the authorship map consistent across every album.

Quick Facts

  • Mainstream Rock #1sShinedown holds the record for the most number-one singles on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart with 23.
  • 'Second Chance' crossover'Second Chance' reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified triple platinum.
  • Certified albumsLeave a Whisper, The Sound of Madness, and Us and Them all earned gold or platinum certifications.
  • Brent Smith sobrietyBrent Smith got sober before Amaryllis (2012), which shaped that album's themes of perseverance.
  • Jacksonville rootsThe band formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 2001 around Brent Smith.
  • In-house producerBassist Eric Bass produces the band's albums, starting with Attention Attention (2018).

Creative Fingerprint

Shinedown is a self-authoring rock band built on Brent Smith's lyrics and a stable co-writing core, with bassist-producer Eric Bass as his main musical collaborator.

The Story

Shinedown is an American rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 2001 by frontman Brent Smith, who has remained the group's constant and its lyrical voice through every lineup change. After debuting with Leave a Whisper (2003) and its cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd's 'Simple Man,' the band broke through with The Sound of Madness (2008) and the crossover hit 'Second Chance,' one of the best-selling rock singles of its era. The current lineup of Smith, guitarist Zach Myers, bassist Eric Bass, and drummer Barry Kerch has held since 2008, and Eric Bass took over as the band's producer and Smith's chief co-writer beginning with the 2018 concept album Attention Attention. Shinedown holds the record for the most number-one singles on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart, and every one of its studio albums has been certified gold or platinum. Across seven studio albums the constant is Smith's confessional, direct lyric-writing set against a hard-rock and post-grunge sound.

Awards & Recognition

Most number-one singles on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart (23)
Ranked No. 1 on Billboard's Greatest of All Time Mainstream Rock Artists chart (2021)
Leave a Whisper certified platinum
The Sound of Madness certified double platinum
Us and Them certified platinum
Amaryllis certified gold
'Second Chance' certified triple platinum, peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100
iHeartRadio Music Awards 2025: Rock Artist of the Year and Rock Song of the Year ('A Symptom of Being Human')

Frequently Asked Questions Shinedown

Who writes Shinedown's songs?
Frontman Brent Smith writes the lyrics and is the band's primary songwriter, a role he has held since Shinedown formed in 2001. The music comes from the band, with bassist Eric Bass becoming Smith's main co-writer from the Amaryllis era onward. Outside collaborator Dave Bassett co-wrote much of the Rob Cavallo-produced material.
Who wrote 'Second Chance'?
'Second Chance' was written by Brent Smith and Dave Bassett. Bassett was Smith's primary songwriting partner on The Sound of Madness (2008), contributing to most of the album's tracks. The single reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified triple platinum.
Is 'Simple Man' a Shinedown song?
No. 'Simple Man' is a Lynyrd Skynyrd song written by Ronnie Van Zant and Gary Rossington. Shinedown recorded a well-known cover of it, but they did not write the song.
Does Eric Bass produce Shinedown?
Yes. Bassist Eric Bass produced Attention Attention (2018) and has produced the band's albums since, including Planet Zero (2022). He also co-writes many of the band's songs, a role that grew starting with Amaryllis.
How many number-one rock hits does Shinedown have?
Shinedown holds the record for the most number-one singles on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, with 23. That total is more than any other act in the chart's history and is central to Billboard ranking them the No. 1 Greatest of All Time Mainstream Rock Artist in 2021.
Who is the constant songwriter in Shinedown?
Brent Smith is the only original member to appear on every Shinedown release and the single lyrical voice across the catalog. Every other seat in the band has changed at least once. Smith's lyrics are the through-line from Leave a Whisper (2003) to the present.
Who is Dave Bassett and what did he write for Shinedown?
Dave Bassett is an outside songwriter who co-wrote with Brent Smith during the Rob Cavallo-produced era. He was Smith's main collaborator on The Sound of Madness (2008), including the hit 'Second Chance.' He is a co-writer, not a member of the band.
Did the band's songwriting change when Eric Bass joined?
Yes. Eric Bass joined on bass in 2008 and became a core songwriting partner for Brent Smith beginning with Amaryllis (2012). He later took over production duties for the band starting with Attention Attention (2018). This shifted Shinedown toward an in-house writing and producing setup.
Is 'Eric Bass' the bassist's real name?
His full legal name is William Frederic Bass Jr. 'Eric' is his actual middle name and 'Bass' is his real surname, so his professional name is a shortened form of his legal name rather than an invented stage name. He was born October 23, 1974.

Sources

Shinedown - Wikipedia Shinedown discography - Wikipedia Shinedown - Wikipedia Brent Smith - Wikipedia Eric Bass - Wikipedia Second Chance written by Brent Smith, Dave Bassett - SecondHandSongs Second Chance by Shinedown - Songfacts