Hot 100 Turns 60! Paul McCartney Among Top Songwriters

Paul McCartney and Barry Gibb
photo (copyright Sam Gibb)



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Hot 100 Turns 60! Barry Gibb, Paul McCartney & Lionel Richie Among Top Songwriters
by Trevor Anderson  
August 03, 2018


Babyface, Paul McCartney & John Lennon
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Gibb and McCartney each boast five writing credits among the top 100 Hot 100 hits all-time.

As we celebrate the Billboard Hot 100's 60th anniversary, Billboard looks at those behind the hits: the most prominent songwriters who have lent their talents to crafting the chart's top smashes, dating to the chart's Aug. 4, 1958, inception.

Among the Hot 100's top 100 hits all-time, Barry Gibb and Paul McCartney share the mark for the most songwriting credits: five each.

Gibb, unsurprisingly, earned his biggest success in the late 1970s with Bee Gees classics, with brothers Maurice and Robin. At the same time, the trio's brother Andy, with whom Barry also wrote, achieved solo success. At the height of the Gibb siblings' reign in 1978, Barry scored the unprecedented feat of co-writing four consecutive Hot 100 No. 1 hits, in order: Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive," Andy Gibb's "(Love Is) Thicker Than Water," Bee Gees' "Night Fever" and Yvonne Elliman's "If I Can't Have You."

McCartney, meanwhile, had a hand in composing several hits across multiple decades. Many of his early successes were creations with fellow Beatles member John Lennon, and the Lennon-McCartney catalog fueled the Fab Four's record 20 Hot 100 No. 1s. After the band's 1970 breakup, McCartney went on to pen more hits for his next group, Wings, and solo-career collaborations with other major stars, including Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder.

Behind Barry Gibb and McCartney, the other two Bee Gees – Maurice and Robin Gibb – each claim four co-writes among the Hot 100's all-time top 100 titles, as does Lionel Richie, who wrote most of his solo material in the '80s, as well as Kenny Rogers' No. 1 "Lady."

Here is a look at the most common songwriters among the Hot 100's top 100 hits of the chart's first 60 years.

Barry Gibb (5)

"How Deep Is Your Love, Bee Gees (No. 25 rank all-time)
"I Just Want to Be Your Everything," Andy Gibb (No. 29)
"Night Fever," Bee Gees (No. 42)
"Shadow Dancing," Andy Gibb (No. 49)
"Stayin' Alive," Bee Gees (No. 59)

Paul McCartney (5)

"Hey Jude," The Beatles (No. 12 rank all-time)
"Silly Love Songs," Wings (No. 40)
"I Want to Hold Your Hand," The Beatles (No. 48)
"Say Say Say," Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson (No. 44)
"Ebony and Ivory," Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder (No. 76)

 Maurice Gibb / Robin Gibb (4 each)

"How Deep Is Your Love," Bee Gees (No. 25 rank all-time)
"Night Fever," Bee Gees (No. 42)
"Shadow Dancing," Andy Gibb (No. 49)
"Stayin' Alive," Bee Gees (No. 59)

Lionel Richie (4)

"Endless Love," Diana Ross & Lionel Richie (No. 18 rank all-time)
"Lady," Kenny Rogers (No. 60)
"Say You, Say Me," Lionel Richie (No. 94)
"All Night Long (All Night)," Lionel Richie (No. 96)

Babyface (3)

"We Belong Together," Mariah Carey (No. 14 rank all-time)
"I'll Make Love to You," Boyz II Men (No. 22)
"End of the Road," Boyz II Men (No. 55)

John Lennon (3)

"Hey Jude," The Beatles (No. 12 rank all-time)
"I Want to Hold Your Hand," The Beatles (No. 48)
"(Just Like) Starting Over," John Lennon (No. 68)




The Biggest Hits of All: The Hot 100's All-Time Top 100 Songs
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