LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 30: Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars accept award onstage during the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on August 30, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/MTV1415/WireImage) Show
By Patrick Hosken October 8, 2015 / 7:45 AM Bruno Mars' list of writing credits reads like a hitmaker's how-to guide. It's kind of wild how talented he is, but it's not particularly surprising -- we've seen Mars out there, tearing it up on "Uptown Funk" (which he co-wrote with Mark Ronson and a handful of other talents), "Locked Out Of Heaven," "Grenade" and all of his signature songs. But what you don't often see is Mars' behind-the-scenes production and writing work, which can definitely be described as prolific. Along with Philip Lawrence and Ari Levine, the three make up The Smeezingtons, a powerhouse pop music writing team whose long list of credits needs its own Wikipedia page. Mark Davis/WireImage 7th Annual ASCAP But to save you parceling through all that, we've highlighted 30 of them here -- in honor of Mars' 30th birthday. So, happy birthday, Bruno! Keep cranking 'em out, and we promise we'll keep listening. CeeLo Green: "F--k You" Undeniably THE feel-good soul-pop hit of 2010, CeeLo's "F--k You" was the fruitful partnership between Green, the Smeezingtons and Brody Brown. Still can't get it out of my head, tbh. Jay Z & Kanye West ft. Beyoncé: "Lift Off" This Watch The Throne jam is, in fact, a true jam -- co-written by Mars and a whole slew of talented songwriters, including Seal. Yes, that Seal. Snoop Dogg ft. Wiz Khalifa & Bruno Mars: "Young, Wild & Free" It's probably too late, but the vid is little NSFW. Or maybe not. It's hard to tell what's SFW and NSFW these days. Flo Rida ft. Ke$ha: "Right Round" Mars and Dr. Luke were only two of the mad scientists who helped craft this '80s-sampling tune. K'naan ft. Adam Levine: "Bang Bang (She Shot Me)" In an alternate universe, this would be such a Bruno-patented banger with him on the hook. Adam's pretty great, though. Travie McCoy: "Billionaire" Travie brought the raps, but Bruno sang the hook on this 2010 tune. And he might as well have, since he co-wrote it and all. Mike Posner ft. Lil Wayne: "Bow Chicka Wow Wow" Definitely some proto-"Gorilla" vibes in this one. Major Lazer ft. Bruno Mars, 2 Chainz, Tyga & Mystic: "Bubble Butt" This one, uh, kinda speaks for itself. The Vamps: "Can We Dance" Bruno had a hand in carving out this 2013 single from The Vamps' debut, co-produced by Norwegian team Espionage. Flo Rida ft. Akon: "Who Dat Girl" Co-written by Mars and produced by Dr. Luke and Benny Blanco, this 2011 jam was destined for success from the get-go. Bad Meets Evil ft. Bruno Mars: "Lighters" OK, so if Bruno sings on a song, there's a really good chance he had a hand in writing and/or producing it. Just sayin'. Sean Kingston: "Dumb Love" A collab between The Smeezingtons and The Jackie Boyz, Kingston's 2010 track was also featured hilariously on the Disney Channel's "The Suite Life On Deck." Far East Movement: "Girls On The Dance Floor" This one, produced by Mars and Stereotypes, is further proof of Mars' dominance of the pop charts before he stepped out on his own as a full-fledged performer. Cobra Starship: "Hot Mess" Oh, 2009. Remember this one? Adam Lambert: "Never Close Our Eyes" #glambert #2012 #throwback Brandy: "Long Distance" Brandy absolutely kills it here, but Bruno's version is equally magnificent in its own right. Matisyahu: "One Day" Matis + Smeezingtons = a veritable anthem that was used heavily during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Because, obviously. Alicia Keys: "Tears Always Win" My personal vote for one of the absolute best songs on this list. Top five, easily. Top three, potentially. The Cab: "Endlessly" ...starring BB Hailee Steinfeld! The Sugababes: "Get Sexy" This '09 electropop hit might not be within Bruno's typical genres of play, but the slinky verse melodies are pure Smeezingtons. Neon Hitch ft. Tyga: "Gold" A sunny Beatles-esque melody with a driving, pulsating electronic beat -- yep, the Smeezingtons definitely had a hand in this one. Mishon: "Just A Kiss" Borderline unrecognizable as a Mars composition but still a hearty R&B jam. More like this please? Can Bruno's third album be entirely electro-funk? Charice: "Before It Explodes" Bruno sang this Smeezingtons composition, too, but it ended up on Charice's album Infinity, released in Japan in 2011. Vaness Wu: "Knockin'" Bruno also penned "Better" from Wu's previous album, V. Keke Palmer: "Walls Come Down" Bruno collabed with frequent partners The Jackie Boyz and Garibay for this dance-pop gem from Palmer's second mixtape in 2011. Jibbs ft. Lloyd: "The Dedication (Ay DJ)" Golden falsetto hook? Check. Justin Michael & Kemal: "Her World Goes On" Bruno's on this one, too, obviously. And he sounds damn good. Melanie Fiona: "Johnny" A precursor to Doo-Wops And Hooligans, this tune's brass and steady backbeat could've definitely been a Bruno original on his debut album. Instead, Canadian singer Melanie Fiona released it on The Bridge in 2009. Goodie Mob ft. V: "Amy" An ode to "my very first white girl," this 2013 song from Goodie Mob's Age Against The Machine album is adorned with horns and soul-inspired rhythms, just like we've come to expect from Bru (and Cee Lo, tbh). Shontelle ft. Asher Roth: "DJ Made Me Do It" Further proof -- from Shontelle's 2010 No Gravity album -- of Bruno's absolute mastery. Pop Music Latest News
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