TLC

Band

Photo: The Come Up Show from Canada · CC BY 2.0
Active 1990-present
Origin Atlanta, Georgia
Albums 5
Tracks 73
Most frequent collaborator T-Boz · 68 tracks
Genres R&BHip HopNew Jack SwingPop
Collaborator
59%
Authorship

Holds writing credit on 43 of 73 tracks

Did TLC write their own songs?

In part. TLC co-wrote around 59% of their catalogue, with member Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes contributing raps and lyrics across their hits. But many of their biggest songs were written by producers: 'Baby-Baby-Baby,' 'Creep,' and 'Red Light Special' by Babyface and Dallas Austin, and 'No Scrubs' by an outside team. The group's writing was strongest on their raps and their up-tempo tracks.

By the Numbers

5
Studio Albums
73
Tracks Credited
59%
Self-Written
65M+
Records Sold
36
Years Active
120
Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 43 / 73 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

Across all 73 tracks: how many TLC 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.

TLC has a writing credit59%
7%
52%
41%
Sole author5tracks7%
Co-written38tracks52%
Outside writers30tracks41%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Lyricist Performer Composer Producer
TLC's roles across the catalogue

Share of all 73 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)59%
Composer (music)59%
Producer0%
Performer7%

Member Credit Breakdown share of tracks each member is credited on

Percentage of all 73 tracks, across every album, where each member holds a credit - split by role.

MemberPeriodLyricsMusicProductionPerformance
Crystal Jones Former 1990-1991
0%
0%
0%
0%
Tionne Watkins 1990-present
29%
29%
0%
7%
Lisa Lopes Died April 25, 2002 1990-2002
36%
36%
0%
7%
Rozonda Thomas 1991-present
10%
10%
0%
7%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

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

avg 59%
87%
38%
41%
62%
75%
1992Ooooooohhh... on the TLC Tip
1994CrazySexyCool
1999FanMail
20023D
2017TLC
Early · 54% written
Late · 68% written

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

54%
1990s
Ooooooohhh... on the TLC Tip, CrazySexyCool +1 more
62%
2000s
3D
75%
2010s
TLC

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

Where TLC 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.

TLC
Other artists on the site

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

Aaliyah0%
Backstreet Boys25%
Michael Jackson51%
Destiny's Child69%
George Michael80%
Chris Brown91%
Black Eyed Peas100%
59%TLC
Pure Performer0%
Songwriter~50%
Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg
Ooooooohhh... on the TLC Tip
Written by Dallas Austin, Lisa Lopes
Co-wrote
Baby-Baby-Baby
Ooooooohhh... on the TLC Tip
Written by Antonio Reid, Kenneth Edmonds, Daryl Simmons
Outside writers
What About Your Friends
Ooooooohhh... on the TLC Tip
Written by Dallas Austin, Lisa Lopes
Co-wrote
Hat 2 da Back
Ooooooohhh... on the TLC Tip
Written by Dallas Austin, Lisa Lopes, Kevin Wales
Co-wrote
Creep
CrazySexyCool
Written by Dallas Austin
Outside writers
Red Light Special
CrazySexyCool
Written by Kenneth Edmonds
Outside writers
Waterfalls
CrazySexyCool
Written by Marqueze Etheridge, Lisa Lopes, Rico Wade, Patrick Brown, Raymond Murray
Co-wrote
Diggin' on You
CrazySexyCool
Written by Kenneth Edmonds
Outside writers
Silly Ho
FanMail
Written by Dallas Austin
Outside writers
No Scrubs
FanMail
Written by Kevin Briggs, Kandi Burruss, Tameka Cottle
Outside writers
Unpretty
FanMail
Written by Dallas Austin, Tionne Watkins
Co-wrote
Dear Lie
FanMail
Written by Kenneth Edmonds, Tionne Watkins
Co-wrote
Girl Talk
3D
Written by Edmund Clement, Kandi Burruss, Lisa Lopes, Anita McCloud, Tionne Watkins
Co-wrote
Damaged
3D
Written by Dallas Austin, Tionne Watkins
Co-wrote
Way Back
TLC
Written by Tionne Watkins, James Abrahart, Calvin Broadus
Co-wrote

Discography 5 albums

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

TLC73 tracks
68T-Boz, 68 tracks C68Chilli, 68 tracks LE57Left Eye, 57 tracks DA27Dallas Austin, 27 tracks B9Babyface, 9 tracks 9Kenneth Edmonds, 9 tracks JD6Jermaine Dupri, 6 tracks DS5Daryl Simmons, 5 tracks ML5Marshall Lorenzo Martin, 5 tracks K4Kayo, 4 tracks SC4Sean Combs, 4 tracks on Puff Daddy's page CT4Chucky Thompson, 4 tracks KB4Kandi Burruss, 4 tracks on Xscape's page CW4Candace Wakefield, 4 tracks LR3L.A. Reid, 3 tracks AR3Antonio Reid, 3 tracks ME3Marqueze Etheridge, 3 tracks RW3Rico Wade, 3 tracks ON3Organized Noize, 3 tracks C3Cyptron, 3 tracks RJ3Rodney Jerkins, 3 tracks GN3Gabrielle Nowee, 3 tracks T3Tipz, 3 tracks MM2Marley Marl, 2 tracks MS2Manuel Seal, 2 tracks CT2Carl Thompson, 2 tracks SB2Sleepy Brown, 2 tracks RM2Raymond Murray, 2 tracks DK2Debra Killings, 2 tracks K'2Kevin 'She'kspere' Briggs, 2 tracks EC2Edmund Clement, 2 tracks EH2Eddie Hustle, 2 tracks DM2Daniel Moore, 2 tracks EB2Elvis Brown, 2 tracks JA2James Abrahart, 2 tracks CB2Calvin Broadus, 2 tracks D2D'Mile, 2 tracks SD2Snoop Dogg, 2 tracks RM2Rebekah Muhammad, 2 tracks KW1Kevin Wales, 1 track DF1Dionne Farris, 1 track on Arrested Development's page TS1Terrence Shelton, 1 track DF1Da Funky Bunch, 1 track MT1Malike Taylor, 1 track PD1Phife Dawg, 1 track JR1Jon-John Robinson, 1 track PN1Prince Nelson, 1 track AH1Arnold Hennings, 1 track TS1Trevor Smith Jr., 1 track BR1Busta Rhymes, 1 track AB1André Benjamin, 1 track DO1Dré of Outkast, 1 track KB1Kevin Briggs, 1 track TC1Tameka Cottle, 1 track on Xscape's page JH1James Harris III, 1 track TL1Terry Lewis, 1 track TT1Tony Tolbert, 1 track MD1Morris Dickerson, 1 track CM1Charles Miller, 1 track SA1Sylvester Allen, 1 track HB1Harold Brown, 1 track HS1Howard Scott, 1 track LO1Lee Oskar, 1 track LJ1Leroy Jordan, 1 track JJ1Jimmy Jam, 1 track RL1Ricciano Lumpkins, 1 track TS1Tamara Savage, 1 track CS1Carl So-Lowe, 1 track DW1Diane Warren, 1 track AM1Anita McCloud, 1 track FJ1Fred Jerkins III, 1 track LD1LaShawn Daniels, 1 track TM1Tomi Martin, 1 track PW1Pharrell Williams, 1 track TN1The Neptunes, 1 track KP1Kenisha Pratt, 1 track TB1Tyrell Bing, 1 track ME1Missy Elliott, 1 track TM1Tim Mosley, 1 track T1Timbaland, 1 track RS1Raphael Saadiq, 1 track GS1Glenn Standridge, 1 track BO1Bobby Ozuna, 1 track JA1Jake and the Phatman, 1 track RM1Ray Murray, 1 track PB1Pat Brown, 1 track ME1Marqueze Ethridge, 1 track MP1Marvin Parkman, 1 track SJ1Stewart Jordan, 1 track CW1Carnoy Watkins, 1 track DE1Dunlap Exclusive, 1 track J'1Joshua 'Tipz' Richardson, 1 track C'1Cory 'Knotch' Marks, 1 track BH1Bobby Hebb, 1 track AM1Albert McKay, 1 track MW1Maurice White, 1 track on Earth, Wind & Fire's page AW1Alta Willis, 1 track RF1Ron Fair, 1 track MB1Michael Busbee, 1 track DU1Daniel Ullman, 1 track BJ1Bryan Jarett, 1 track MM1Maureen McDonald, 1 track B1Busbee, 1 track C&1Casper & B., 1 track RS1Raylene S. Arreguin, 1 track AK1Ayo Kayo, 1 track D'1David 'Davey Remix' Reed, 1 track D'1Desmond 'Motown' Washington, 1 track BW1Benny Wond3r, 1 track T'1Tommy 'Vegas' Doyle, 1 track TC1Timothy Clayton, 1 track CA1Cory Allen Moore, 1 track CM1Cory Mo, 1 track D1Drephantom, 1 track K1Knotch, 1 track C'1Chris 'Big Duke' Malloy, 1 track NM1Niko McKnight, 1 track R'1Raymond 'Ray Keys' Komba, 1 track DE1Dernst Emile II, 1 track

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. C Chilli · LE Left Eye · DA Dallas Austin · B Babyface

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

Most of TLC's catalog was written by their primary producer Dallas Austin along with outside writers including Babyface, Jermaine Dupri, and Missy Elliott. Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes was the group's most active songwriter, co-writing and contributing rap verses on several tracks including 'Waterfalls,' while T-Boz and Chilli rarely held writing credits. The result is an authorship score in the 20-25% range, driven almost entirely by Left Eye's contributions.

Quick Facts

  • Best-selling girl groupThe best-selling American girl group of all time, since the Supremes
  • GrammysWon five Grammy Awards
  • CrazySexyCoolTheir 1994 album was certified Diamond by the RIAA
  • MembersT-Boz, Left Eye, and Chilli; Left Eye died in 2002
  • Producers behind themTheir sound was shaped by Dallas Austin, Babyface, and other Atlanta hitmakers

Creative Fingerprint

A group with a producer's stamp: TLC co-wrote about 59% of their catalogue, with member Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes and the others contributing raps and lyrics, while their biggest ballads were written for them by producers like Babyface.

The Story

TLC are an American R&B and hip-hop group formed in Atlanta in 1990, consisting of T-Boz (Tionne Watkins), Left Eye (Lisa Lopes), and Chilli (Rozonda Thomas). They became one of the best-selling girl groups of all time, known for their bold fashion, genre-blending sound, and socially conscious lyrics. Their 1994 album CrazySexyCool and 1999 album FanMail both produced multiple chart-topping singles and helped define the sonic landscape of 1990s R&B.

Awards & Recognition

The best-selling American girl group of all time, with 65 million records sold worldwide
Won five Grammy Awards
CrazySexyCool (1994) was certified Diamond by the RIAA
Scored multiple number-one Billboard Hot 100 singles, including 'Waterfalls' and 'No Scrubs'
One of the defining R&B groups of the 1990s

Frequently Asked Questions TLC

Did TLC write their own songs?
In part. TLC co-wrote around 59% of their catalogue, with member Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes contributing raps and lyrics across their hits. But many of their biggest songs were written by producers: 'Baby-Baby-Baby,' 'Creep,' and 'Red Light Special' by Babyface and Dallas Austin, and 'No Scrubs' by an outside team. The group's writing was strongest on their raps and their up-tempo tracks.
Who wrote 'Waterfalls'?
'Waterfalls' (1994) was co-written by TLC's Lisa Lopes with the production team Organized Noize and Marqueze Etheridge. Left Eye wrote and performed the song's famous rap. It became one of their signature hits.
Who wrote 'No Scrubs'?
'No Scrubs' (1999) was written by Kandi Burruss and Tameka Cottle of the group Xscape, along with producer Kevin Briggs, not by TLC. It became one of their biggest number-one hits.
Who wrote 'Creep'?
'Creep' (1994) was written and produced by Dallas Austin, one of TLC's key collaborators. It was the lead single from CrazySexyCool and a number-one hit.
Who are the members of TLC?
TLC is Tionne 'T-Boz' Watkins, Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes, and Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas. Left Eye, the group's rapper, died in a car accident in 2002, and the group has continued as a duo.
How many albums has TLC released?
This catalogue covers 5 of their studio albums, from Ooooooohhh... on the TLC Tip (1992) to their self-titled album TLC (2017).
How many records has TLC sold?
About 65 million worldwide, making them the best-selling American girl group of all time.
Did TLC win Grammys?
Yes, five over their career, including for their R&B performances and albums in the 1990s and 2000s.
Who wrote TLC's biggest hits?
A mix of top producers and the members. Dallas Austin and Babyface wrote many of their singles, while Left Eye co-wrote and rapped on hits like 'Waterfalls' and 'Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg.'
What genre is TLC?
They blended R&B, hip-hop, and new jack swing with pop, becoming one of the most successful and influential groups of 1990s R&B.

Sources

Wikipedia: TLC (group) File:TLC 2016.jpg - Wikimedia Commons