Behind some of your favorite songs are prolific music producers who have shaped the sound of multiple generations. From pioneering hyperpop to defining hip-hop and pop anthems, these creators have crafted countless hits that might surprise you. Dive into the stories and careers of industry giants like Max Martin, Pharrell Williams, Dr. Dre, and more, whose influence runs deeper than you realize.
00:00Feel it rushin' through you from your head to toe, ohhh
00:06Welcome to Miss Mojo, where we'll be looking at some of the busiest producers in the industry,
00:11who you may not realize have made some of your favorite music.
00:22Number 10. AJ Cook
00:24Hyperpop began to form an identity in the mid-2010s,
00:27and by the end of the decade, it had entered the mainstream.
00:35Figures like Charlie XCX and Sophie pioneered the genre,
00:39and behind tons of their work was AJ Cook.
00:42In 2013, he founded PC Music, a label that became central to Hyperpop.
00:47Cook was the main producer for the 2019 album Charlie,
00:50one of the most celebrated albums of the genre.
00:53Shout out Sophie for this award, just cause, I mean it's obvious,
00:58but she's been a huge part of mine and Charlie's world.
01:02Since then, Hyperpop has faded back into obscurity,
01:06but not Cook and his collaborators.
01:08In 2024, he and Charlie showed their talents extend to other genres
01:12with the release of the very successful album Brat.
01:22Number 9. Ludwig Gorenson
01:24While you may not know his name, if you're into 2010's hip-hop,
01:28you're probably familiar with his work.
01:30He's primarily known for working with Childish Gambino,
01:33the rap persona of actor Donald Glover.
01:42Gorenson produced his two biggest albums,
01:44Because the Internet and Awaken My Love,
01:46as well as the hit single, This Is America.
01:49The latter was so celebrated, it won two Grammy Awards,
01:52including Record of the Year.
01:54He's also worked with other popular artists like Adele and Kendrick Lamar.
01:58Thank you, um, wow.
02:02Gorenson's also a prolific composer,
02:04working first on NBC's Community,
02:07then eventually landing blockbuster projects like The Mandalorian
02:10and Black Panther.
02:11You understand immediately what an ear he has for music
02:16and how much time you actually have to put in music
02:20to be able to put that in your films.
02:22Number 8. Benny Blanco
02:24In his career, Benny Blanco's work has sold over 500 million album equivalent units.
02:36Initially, he trained under Dr. Loop, a prolific producer in the late 2000's.
02:41His first production credit was a track for Hellrell in 2007.
02:45A year later, he was working with both Britney Spears and Katy Perry.
02:49For the next few years, Blanco's work was almost entirely unavoidable.
02:54The number of hits he's had to his name is way too long to list.
03:01But a few examples include moves like Jagger and Dynamite.
03:05Now, he's in a relationship with Selena Gomez, who he's also produced loads of tunes for.
03:10You were friends with her for years, right? It was an unexpected romance.
03:15It was so crazy. When we went out on our first date, I didn't even know it was a date.
03:19Number 7. Greg Kirsten
03:21This Californian producer is predominantly known for collaborating with English singer-songwriter Adele.
03:27You might remember Adele's Hello, a single that broke records.
03:31But maybe you didn't realize that Greg Kirsten produced and co-wrote the track.
03:35He would come to me in England so that I didn't have to leave my son,
03:38and yet you would leave your son and daughter.
03:40So thank you for your patience with me and for helping to create my favorite song I've ever done.
03:46So thank you, Greg.
03:47He has a background in jazz, which he said was a major boon within the industry.
03:51One of his early successes was Lily Allen's debut album in 2006.
04:01By 2008, he was working with Britney Spears.
04:04And as time has gone on, he's worked with other big names like Charlie XCX, Lady Gaga, Paul McCartney, and many more.
04:16Number 6. Dr. Dre
04:18Dr. Dre
04:19If you're interested in hip-hop, you'll already know how heavily Dr. Dre has been involved in the genre.
04:24He began as the primary producer for NWA in the early 90s, launching himself into stardom.
04:31The police are gonna have to come and get me!
04:33Dre became a pioneer of West Coast G-Funk.
04:36Following NWA's breakup, he went on to have a hugely successful solo career.
04:41Not only that, but he kept producing for some of the biggest names in the industry.
04:46These included Snoop Dogg and Eminem, who both became titans of rap.
04:54Now, Dre rarely makes his own music, as producing for others is his main focus.
04:59You can attach yourself to the career of NWA.
05:03It's not about attaching, Kevin. I don't like that word.
05:05It's not about attaching.
05:06Give me a word.
05:07Give me a word.
05:08It's about collaborating.
05:09Number 5. Timbaland
05:11In the early 2000s, Timbaland's production style was so successful, it inspired various pop trends in the late 2000s.
05:18One of his most known works is Justin Timberlake's 2002 hit, Cry Me A River.
05:27Following its success, Timbaland went on to produce most of Timberlake's ensuing albums.
05:31He's collaborated with dozens of other artists, too.
05:34Some of the biggest names include Katy Perry, Michael Jackson, and Rihanna.
05:39Now, while he's less prominent in pop music than he used to be, it's understandable, given his four Grammy wins, that he's taking more of a backseat.
05:52You know, my parents, God bless them, but we really wasn't taught, you know, like we can go higher.
05:57Right.
05:58I was just a kid who always dreamed so big, and I'm like, I gotta, this music thing is just on my heart.
06:06Number 4. Pharrell Williams
06:08Pharrell is one of the most well-known producers of 21st century pop music.
06:12There might be fewer people who don't know him than ones who do.
06:15He got his start alongside Chad Hugo in the production duo The Neptunes, formed in 1992.
06:21Decades later, he's considered one of pop music's biggest names.
06:30There's a high chance you're already familiar with his biggest songs.
06:34He's probably most well-known for Happy from the Despicable Me 2 soundtrack.
06:44Outside of his solo music, he's produced for an unbelievable number of major artists like Snoop Dogg,
06:50Beyonce, Ed Sheeran, and so many more.
06:57Number 3. Arif Martin
06:59Atlantic Records is one of America's most influential labels.
07:03Founded in 1947, they have since signed huge artists like Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles.
07:09For over 30 years, Arif Martin was one of their biggest producers.
07:14There is no doubt in my mind that Arif Martin was one of the greatest producers of all time.
07:18Magic.
07:19Genius.
07:20Amazing.
07:21Amazing is an understatement.
07:22He was brilliant.
07:23The Turkish-born musician ended up making music for some of the industry's biggest names,
07:28including Franklin, also known as the Queen of Soul.
07:37That wasn't the only royal he worked with either.
07:39He also produced for Queen.
07:41The band got him on board for the track Staying Power, notable for being the only Queen song with a horn section.
07:47Martin tragically died in 2006, but his legacy and influence can still be felt today.
08:02Number 2. Jack Antonoff
08:03Few will contest the claim that Jack Antonoff has been one of the most influential producers in 2010s and 2020s pop.
08:11For three years in a row between 2022 and 2024, Antonoff won Producer of the Year.
08:17He rose to fame as a member of Fun, who had a smash hit with We Are Young.
08:26He has written most of Taylor Swift's newer albums, which won him three Album of the Year awards.
08:32He also did Lorde's Melodrama, Lana Del Rey's NFR, and most recently Sabrina Carpenter's Short and Sweet.
08:43All three of those got him nominations for even more awards.
08:47Antonoff also has a band called Bleachers, which he was the sole member of until 2023.
08:55Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
08:58Katherine Marks
09:00She's become one of Indie's most influential producers.
09:03So I really had to kind of challenge myself to work at how was I going to record the cymbals and include them as part of the personality of the song.
09:12Madlib. One half of supergroup Madvillain is one of hip-hop's biggest producers.
09:16You are one of the last men standing in terms of just pure sampled music. Do you know what I'm saying?
09:23Yeah. Yeah, man. I've got sued a lot, man, throughout my career.
09:27Have you?
09:29Woo! I see why a lot of my homies don't sample.
09:32Andrew Watt. Watt's worked alongside Bieber, Gaga, Del Rey, and even Ozzy Osbourne.
09:38It had a lead riff in it to start, and so that became the melody. Like, I always kind of think in guitar riffs, and then a lot of times they become the melody of the song.
09:49Rick Rubin. Founded Def Jam Recordings, then became a huge figure in early hip-hop.
09:54The audience comes last.
09:56How can that be?
09:57Well, the audience doesn't know what they want. The audience only knows what's come before.
10:02Mike Dean. Since the 1980s, Dean's been producing synthesizer heavy anthems.
10:07Opened up for the weekend, you're performing now, you're doing your live shows.
10:11What's keeping you motivated, man?
10:14Just making new music, you know?
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10:36In the late 1990s, Max Martin's work on major hits like Baby One More Time and I Want It That Way made him a monumental pop producer.
10:45As of 2024, he's had 27 number one hits on the Billboard Hot 100. The only person with more than that is the Beatles' Paul McCartney.
10:58I want to thank all my co-producers, co-writers and artists who make me look a whole lot better than I deserve.
11:07Songs that got him there include Shake It Off and Blank Space by Taylor Swift, I Kissed a Girl by Katy Perry and The Weeknd's Blinding Lights.
11:15A frequent collaborator of his is Shelbach, another producer worth mentioning, who has also worked with Industry Titans.
11:27Were there any producers we missed? Leave them in the comments section below!
