Most frequent collaboratorEmily Warren · 20 tracks
GenresElectronicEDMElectropopProgressive HousePop
Complete Artist
100%
Authorship
Holds writing credit on 53 of 53 tracks
Did The Chainsmokers write their own songs?
The songwriting sits almost entirely with Drew Taggart, who co-writes nearly every track the duo releases, while both Taggart and Alex Pall are credited as producers under the group name. Across their five studio albums the credits show Taggart working with a rotating set of outside co-writers such as Emily Warren and Ian Kirkpatrick rather than writing alone, so most songs are co-writes rather than sole compositions. Pall appears as a co-writer on a smaller share of tracks and is more consistently credited on production.
By the Numbers
5
Studio Albums
53
Tracks Credited
100%
Self-Written
14
Years Active
193
Collaborators
Authorship Breakdown 53 / 53 self-written
Who wrote the songs?
Across all 53 tracks: how many The Chainsmokers 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.
The Chainsmokers has a writing credit100%
6%
94%
Sole author3tracks6%
Co-written50tracks94%
Outside writers0tracks0%
Role Fingerprint how they contribute
The Chainsmokers's roles across the catalogue
Share of all 53 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.
Lyricist (words)100%
Composer (music)100%
Producer100%
Performer47%
Member Credit Breakdown share of tracks each member is credited on
Percentage of all 53 tracks, across every album, where each member holds a credit - split by role.
Member
Period
Lyrics
Music
Production
Performance
Alex Pall
2012-present
68%
68%
0%
47%
Andrew Taggart
2012-present
100%
100%
0%
47%
Authorship Over Time writing credit per album
The Chainsmokers's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.
avg 100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
2017Memories...Do Not Open
2018Sick Boy
2019World War Joy
2022So Far So Good
2023Summertime Friends
Early · 100% written
Late · 100% written
Authorship by Decade track-weighted
100%
2010s
Memories...Do Not Open, Sick Boy +1 more
100%
2020s
So Far So Good, Summertime Friends
Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author
Where The Chainsmokers 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.
The Chainsmokers
Other artists on the site
Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.
Written by Andrew Taggart, Chris Martin, Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion
Co-wrote
Paris
Memories...Do Not Open
Written by Andrew Taggart, Kristoffer Eriksson, Fredrik Häggstam, Charlee Nyman
Co-wrote
Honest
Memories...Do Not Open
Written by Andrew Taggart, Audra Mae, Sean Maxwell Douglas
Co-wrote
This Feeling
Sick Boy
Written by Andrew Taggart, Alex Pall, Emily Warren
Co-wrote
Who Do You Love
World War Joy
Written by Andrew Taggart, Alex Pall, Warren Felder, Luke Hemmings, Calum Hood, Ashton Irwin, Michael Clifford, Talay Riley, Sean Douglas, Trevor Brown, William Zaire Simmons
Co-wrote
High
So Far So Good
Written by Andrew Taggart, Alex Pall, Ethan Snorek, Nicholas Long, Natalie Solomon, Jacob Kasher Hindlin, Jeff Halavacs
Co-wrote
None of the signature songs above fall in this category.
Bubble size = tracks worked on together. Showing the 150 most frequent of 191. IK Ian Kirkpatrick · DS DJ Swivel · ES Ethan Snorek · TA Tony Ann
The Authorship Story
Data Insight
The Chainsmokers present a split authorship story: Andrew Taggart writes nearly every song on every album, often with outside co-writers like Emily Warren, Scott Harris, and Ian Kirkpatrick. Alex Pall receives co-writing credit on a meaningful but selective subset of tracks, notably absent from several lead singles. Both are always credited as producers under the group name. The result is a pattern where the lyricist/composer credit belongs almost entirely to Taggart, while production is attributed to the duo jointly.
Quick Facts
MembersAlex Pall and Drew Taggart
Breakthrough'#SELFIE' (2014), then pop crossover with 'Roses' and 'Closer'
Signature No. 1'Closer' featuring Halsey topped the US and UK charts
GrammyBest Dance Recording for 'Don't Let Me Down' (2017)
Debut albumMemories...Do Not Open (2017) debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200
Studio albumsFive, from Memories...Do Not Open (2017) to Summertime Friends (2023)
Creative Fingerprint
A production duo where Drew Taggart carries the writing: he co-writes nearly every track, usually alongside outside collaborators like Emily Warren and Ian Kirkpatrick, while both members share production credit under the group name.
The Story
The Chainsmokers are an American DJ and production duo consisting of Alex Pall and Andrew Taggart, formed in New York City in 2012. They rose to mainstream prominence with the 2014 single '#SELFIE' before crossing into pop with 'Roses' (2015), 'Don't Let Me Down' featuring Daya (2015), and the record-breaking 'Closer' featuring Halsey (2016). Drew Taggart serves as the primary vocalist and lyricist while both members share production duties. Their five studio albums span pop-inflected EDM, introspective singer-songwriter-adjacent pop (Sick Boy), and high-energy dance music (So Far So Good).
Awards & Recognition
Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording, 'Don't Let Me Down' featuring Daya (2017)
American Music Award for Favorite Artist - Electronic Dance Music (2016, 2017)
Billboard Music Award for Top Dance/Electronic Artist (2017)
iHeartRadio Music Award for Dance Song of the Year, 'Closer' (2017)
Frequently Asked Questions The Chainsmokers
Did The Chainsmokers write their own songs?
The songwriting sits almost entirely with Drew Taggart, who co-writes nearly every track the duo releases, while both Taggart and Alex Pall are credited as producers under the group name. Across their five studio albums the credits show Taggart working with a rotating set of outside co-writers such as Emily Warren and Ian Kirkpatrick rather than writing alone, so most songs are co-writes rather than sole compositions. Pall appears as a co-writer on a smaller share of tracks and is more consistently credited on production.
Who are the members of The Chainsmokers?
The Chainsmokers are an American DJ and production duo made up of Alex Pall and Drew Taggart. They formed in New York City in 2012, and Taggart is the primary vocalist and lyricist while both members share production duties.
Who wrote 'Closer' by The Chainsmokers?
'Closer' was written by Drew Taggart with Halsey, who performs the female vocal, along with a group of additional co-writers. It was released in July 2016 and reached number one in both the United States and the United Kingdom, becoming the duo's signature hit.
Did The Chainsmokers win a Grammy?
Yes. 'Don't Let Me Down,' featuring Daya, won the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording at the 59th Grammy Awards in 2017. It remains their only Grammy win to date.
Who wrote 'Something Just Like This'?
'Something Just Like This' is a collaboration between The Chainsmokers and Coldplay, and Coldplay's Chris Martin sings and shares the writing credit alongside Drew Taggart and the rest of Coldplay. It appears on the duo's 2017 debut album Memories...Do Not Open.
How many studio albums have The Chainsmokers released?
Yes. Drew Taggart is the duo's primary vocalist and performs lead vocals on many of their tracks, including 'Paris,' 'Sick Boy,' and 'This Feeling.' Their biggest early hits instead featured guest singers such as Halsey on 'Closer' and Daya on 'Don't Let Me Down.'
What was The Chainsmokers' first big hit?
Their first mainstream hit was the novelty single '#SELFIE' in 2014, which became a viral club track. They then moved toward pop with 'Roses' in 2015 and broke through globally with 'Don't Let Me Down' and 'Closer' in 2016.
Do The Chainsmokers work with a lot of co-writers?
Yes. Rather than writing in isolation, Drew Taggart regularly builds songs with outside collaborators, and Emily Warren and Ian Kirkpatrick appear repeatedly across the catalog. This team-writing approach is why most of the duo's tracks are credited as co-writes involving several names.
The Chainsmokers
