Pharrell Williams Songs That You May Not Know He Contributed

This article on Pharrell Williams Songs is originally written and posted on Billboard. Pharrell Williams songs reach accros genre and style. He is a true writer and musician.

10 Songs You Didn’t Know Pharrell Helped Write

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Pharrell Williams performs at ComplexCon 2017 on Nov. 5, 2017 in Long Beach, Calif.

Including the likes of Nelly, Gwen Stefani, Madonna, Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean and more.

Pharrell Williams has finally teamed back up with Chad Hugo and Shay Haley to put together a new N.E.R.D. album, which they performed at ComplexCon over the weekend in Los Angeles.

The artists featured on the forthcoming album are Rihanna, Gucci Mane, Wale, Kendrick Lamar, Future, M.I.A., Andre 3000 and Ed Sheeran — a roster that showcases some of the multiple artists that Pharrell has written and produced with in the past.

Skateboard P is embedded throughout the music industry and has been for years. There’s a reason N.E.R.D. stands for Nobody Ever Really Dies.

 

Below are 10 songs you might not have known Pharrell has his fingerprints on — either in the writing credits on beat production.

Pharrell Williams performs at ComplexCon 2017 on Nov. 5, 2017 in Long Beach, Calif.

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Gwen Stefani – “Hollaback Girl” (2005)

Gwen Stefani began her solo career away from No Doubt behind “Hollaback Girl” in 2005, which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Pharrell would become a staying power in Stefani’s solo career, also assisting her with “Can I Have It Like That” (2006) and “Spark The Fire” (2014).

Nelly – “Hot in Herre” (2002)

“Hot in Herre” peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained at the top for seven weeks in a row. In June, Nelly told The Fader that he had actually turned Nellyville in prior to putting “Hot in Herre” on the record.

“I knew that we are missing something,” the St. Louis rapper said. “We missing something. We don’t have the fuse to the bomb. We called up Pharrell. Pharrell was a good friend of ours, and then he came with the Chuck Brown [beat]. … Pharrell said something about, ‘You gotta have the girls add some ‘Getting so hot.'”

Frank Ocean – “Sweet Life” (2012)

Frank Ocean is incredible,” Pharrell told VIBE. “We worked together, too. Frank Ocean, to me, is a singer-songwriter. His album itself is incredible. We met at Coachella. I told him, ‘Man, I like what you do. Let’s do something.’ And then we ended up working. He’s super talented. He is, to me, he’s like the black James Taylor.”

“Sweet Life” is track No. 5 on Ocean’s debut album channel ORANGE, which was released in 2012. On Ocean’s most recent album, Blond, Pharrell co-wrote/produced “Pink + White,” which peaked at No. 84 on the Hot 100.

Pharrell Williams performs at ComplexCon 2017 on Nov. 5, 2017 in Long Beach, Calif.

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Britney Spears – “I’m A Slave 4 U” (2001)

Originally, The Neptunes made “I’m A Slave 4 U” for Janet Jackson. But as things played out, the song ended up being responsible for Spears officially leaving teeny pop behind. “Slave 4 U” peaked at No. 27 on the Hot 100.

Ed Sheeran – “Sing” (2014)

Although Pharrell was featured in Sheeran’s “Sing” music video, but given the singer-songwriter’s extensive catalog since 2014, one could hardly be blamed for forgetting this collab took place. “Sing” was the lead single off of Sheeran’s (Multiply) album and peaked at No. 13 on the Hot 100. Sheeran detailed what it was like working with Pharrell in an interview with Music News in June 2014.

“Originally [Pharrell] tweeted ‘This Angels To Fly song is great’ a while ago and then at the Grammys, I don’t think he knew what I looked like, so I just went up to him and said, ‘I’m a massive fan, I just wanted to say that’s my tune!’ And then we swapped numbers. ‘Sing’ was from my first session with him, and when you work with Pharrell, he tends to push you: he wants you to do the best thing possible. So you don’t necessarily go for the first thing he plays you. It must have been on the seventeenth thing that he played me, and I had just dismissed everything. I just didn’t really get it. I don’t really get jazz chords and Pharrell’s very jazzy!”

Kendrick Lamar – “Alright” (2015)

Pharrell had already headed up production for Kendrick’s 2012 debut EP good kid, m.A.A.d city before co-writing and providing back-up vocals for “Alright” in 2015. Of the collaboration, Pharrell told MTV News, “I wanted to do something that felt like it was in that vein but just a little bit more colorful and add rhodes and instruments that are not usually used in that style of music, and just try to bring something a little bit more mystical. I kind of had my Tribe Called Quest hat on that day. I’m a huge Q-Tip fan.”

“Alright” peaked at No. 81 on the Hot 100 and No. 24 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songschart.

Justin Timberlake – “Señorita” (2003)

At this time, according to Complex‘s calculations, The Neptunes were attached in some capacity to 43 percent of the songs playing on U.S. radio. One of those songs was “Señorita” on Justin Timberlake‘s debut solo album Justified, which was nominated for four Grammys.

Timberlake has become a frequent Pharrell collaborator, with major speculation that Pharrell is heavily involved in JT’s next album.

“Señorita” peaked at No. 27 on the Hot 100.

Kelis – “Milkshake” (2003)

Another 2003 hit Pharrell was in the thick of, “Milkshake” is by far the most popular song associated with Kelis to this day. “Milkshake” peaked at No. 3 on the Hot 100.

In 2015, Kelis told The U.K.’s Independent, “I’ve known Pharrell since he was 15, and he wasn’t ‘Pharrell’ at the time, he was just Pharrell.”

JAY-Z – “I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)” (2000)

One of JAY-Z‘s collaborations with Pharrell dates all the way back to the beginning of this century with “I Just Wanna Love U” from Hov’s The Dynasty: Roc La Familia. Pharrell co-wrote the song with Too $hort, Jay, Notorious B.I.G., Diddy and his Neptunes/N.E.R.D. partner Chad Hugo. Along with co-writing, Pharrell is featured on the track. “I Just Wanna Love U” peaked at No. 11 on the Hot 100.

Madonna ft. Kanye West – “Beat Goes On” (2008)

“Beat Goes On” was a true team effort with Madonna, Pharrell and Kanye West — It’s a wonder that with such starpower, the song never cracked the Hot 100. Can’t win them all.

DJ Mystical Michael

Best Selling Music Artists of All-Time

The list of best selling music artists includes artists with claims of 75 million or more record sales in multiple third-party reliable sources. The claimed sales figures and the total certified sales figures (for each country) within the provided sources include sales of albums, singles, compilation-albums, music videos as well as downloads of singles and full-length albums. The artists in the following tables are listed with both their claimed and certified sales figures and are ranked in descending order, with the highest claimed sales at the top. Artists with the same claimed sales are then ranked by certified units. Sales figures, such as those from Soundscan, which are sometimes published by Billboard magazine, have not been included in the certified units column. Currently, The Beatles are listed at the top of the list as they are considered the highest-selling band based both on sales claims and certified units. Elvis Presley, who is listed the second on the list is considered the highest-selling individual artist based both on sales claims and certified units.

All artists included on this list, which have begun charting on official albums/singles charts have their available claimed figure(s) supported by at least 20% in certified units. That is why Cliff RichardDiana RossCharles AznavourBing CrosbyNana MouskouriDeep PurpleIron MaidenTom JonesThe Jackson 5Dionne WarwickThe Andrews Sisters,Luciano Pavarotti and others have not been included on this list. The percentage amount of certified sales needed increases the newer the artist is, meaning, artists such as Rihanna are expected to have their claimed figures supported by over 60% in certified units. The certified units are sourced from available online databases of local music industry associations. Note that all certified units are converted from Gold/Platinum/Diamond certification awards based on criteria provided by certifying bodies.

The requirements of certified sales are designed to avoid inflated sales figures, which are frequently practiced by record companies for promotional purposes.

The claimed figures are sourced to articles that use the term records (singles, albums, videos) and not albums. However, if all available sources for an artist/band say albums, such sources can only be used if the certified album units of the said artist meet the required percentage amount. Note that this list uses claimed figures that are closer to artists’ available certified sales. In other words, inflated claimed figures that will meet the required certified sales amount but are unrealistically high from available certified sales, will not be used.

Best Selling Music Artists of All-Time

  • The Beatles Best Selling Music Artists of All-Time with Rhode Island Wedding DJ

    The Beatles

The Beatles United Kingdom 1960–1974
1962
Rock / Pop

600 million
Michael Jackson Best Selling Music Artists of All-Time with Rhode Island Wedding DJ

Michael Jackson

 

Michael Jackson
United States 1964–2009
1971
Pop / Rock / Dance /R&B

400 million
350 million
300 million
  • Madonna Best Selling Music Artists of All-Time with Rhode Island Wedding DJ

    Madonna

Madonna United States 1979–present
1982
Pop / Rock / Dance

300 million
275 million
  • Led Zeppelin Best Selling Music Artists of All-Time with Rhode Island Wedding DJ

    Led Zeppelin

    Led Zeppelin United Kingdom 1968–1980
    1969
    Hard rock / Heavy metal

    300 million
    200 million

    I am not surprised The Beatles are #1 but am a bit so that Elvis Presley is ahead of Michael Jackson, due to Michael Jackson’s global appeal. It is somewhat amazing that Led Zeppelin can be this high on Best Selling Music Artists of All-Time without a long history of hit singles, based solely on the strength of their album sales. These have been the most consistent hit producers of Pop Music and deserve their ranking. All are great artists for any professional Wedding DJ or Party DJ.

    is there any artist(s) that you thought would be in the top five Best Selling Music Artists of All-Time that did not reach this level of sales?

    DJ Mystical Michael New jersey DJ & Boston DJ

    973.908.8147

Madonna Material Girl

It was June 30, 1985. America was in transition from the laid-back feeling of the 60’s and 70’s to an electronic culture with a new generation focused on different things than equality, peace and love. They were the beginning of the generation of ‘me’.  And the ‘me’ generation had their owns interests and agendas, one of them in the front of the train was money and material possessions. So who better to write and place this in the face for all to see than Madonna Material Girl?

 

Her hit, Madonna Material Girl, marked this shift in cultural focus clearly with no apologies or excuses. She was bold enough to make a video demonstrating just who she and this new generation were in diamonds and glitter. It is hard to know whether she was writing about herself specifically or just making a statement but either way we all knew that the times has changed and money was now was the goal and direction of the country and individual. President Reagan had done his thing and we were an economically strong country, affluence was the norm not the exception among certain racial and cultural groups.

 

I am not certain the same video or song would hold the same impact and weight today as it did then. Affluence has been such an undercurrent that it is accepted as how we exist now. The days of sharing and leaving doors unlocked have been replaced by SAT prep classes and parents writing high school students college personal statements and having them proofed by a college entrance application proofreader.  Today education is focused on tests, not learning. Students volunteer for resumes, not service today. Madonna forecasted this. Enjoy Madonna Material Girl!

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Madonna: Thirty Years of Music And Still Evolving

I remember as a new Rhode Island DJ when I was turned on to Madonna’s first single, a ‘45’ on Sire Records, “Everybody”.  As a DJ in New Jersey, the song was available regionally before its national release later that year.  Her sound was fresh, energetic and full of passion. We all knew at the time that we were listening to something unique and important. We had no idea that thirty years later she would still be a force in the music industry and the pop icon she grew to become. It certainly never occurred to me that I would be watching her performing at a Super Bowl in 2012!

 

Madonna has been a woman that has guided her life and career in her own way.  She has been willing to take risks and the potential consequences that have at times come with those risks. Madonna redefined what a female recording artist was capable of achieving in the music industry and paved the way for many of today’s female pop singers and performers. She used sexuality, courage and creativity to influence the fashion, music, art and film industries and still being recognized today.

 

“According to Santiago Fouz-Hernández, female pop performers such as Britney Spears, the Spice GirlsDestiny’s ChildJennifer LopezKylie Minogue and Pink were like “Madonna’s daughters in the very direct sense that they grew up listening to and admiring Madonna, and decided they wanted to be like her.”

Madonna at Live8 with DJ Mystical Michael

Like her or not, Madonna has certainly left an imprint on pop culture for the last thirty years and probably will continue to do so till she decides she is done. Madonna has always done things her way and no reason to believe she will change now. Just like this New Jersey and Boston DJ:)

DJ Mystical Michael – Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ