I Still Can’t Believe That These 4 Famous Pop Songs Were Ghostwritten

Pop music is made up of a wealth of talented songwriters, performers, singers, musicians, and artists. It’s not surprising that few individuals can wear all of those hats. In fact, some of the most well-known pop songs of all time were actually ghostwritten by songwriters who were different from the recording artists in question. Let’s take a look at a few surprising examples of pop songs that were actually ghostwritten!

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“Love Yourself” by Justin Bieber

Back in 2015, this hit from Justin Bieber was all over the airwaves. Surprisingly enough, this huge pop song was actually written by singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran. This is one of those rare examples of a song that would probably have been just as popular if the songwriter had recorded it over the musician who actually delivered it.

“Fly Me To The Moon” by Frank Sinatra

Frank Sinatra was one of the most talented vocalists of the 20th century. However, the majority of his most famous works weren’t actually written by him. He employed the talents of many songwriters back in the day, from Eddie Snyder to Charles Singleton to Bart Howard. In fact, Snyder and Singleton were the songwriters behind several of Sinatra’s biggest chart-topping hits. And the famous 1964 tune “Fly Me To The Moon” was actually written by Howard; not Sinatra, as some might believe.

“Paul Revere” by The Beastie Boys

If you’re a fan of The Beastie Boys, this is probably a tale you’re already familiar with. However, non-fans might be surprised ot hear that the group’s famous tune “Paul Revere” from 1986 was actually written by none other than Run-D.M.C. A standout track from Beastie Boys’ album Licensed to Ill, “Paul Revere” was a co-written effort between Run, D.M.C., and famed music producer Rick Rubin. Beastie Boys’ Adam Horovitz also worked on the song as well.

“B*tch Better Have My Money” by Rihanna

Rihanna, like many megastar pop artists, doesn’t write some of her music. This might be surprising to some, but it’s true. Much of Rihanna’s work is composed of ghostwritten songs, but they wouldn’t be nearly as good if Rihanna wasn’t the one belting them out. One famous example is the iconic track “B*tch Better Have My Money”, which was written by a young songwriter named Bibi Bourelly, in addition to a few other collaborators with some assistance from Rihanna. Bourelly has gone on to make a name for herself as a singer/songwriter.

Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

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