Pharrell & Timbaland
Songwriters behind some of the biggest R&B, Urban Pop and Hip Hop hits make Billboard’s just released top 20 Hot 100 songwriters of the last decade list. Revealed Monday, the list includes Timbaland, Beyonce, Pharrell Williams, Ludacris, Kanye West, and Alicia Keys. Timbaland tops the list at No.1 according to Billboard, with his best charting Billboard Hot 100 single to date being “Sexyback” (Justin Timberlake). Pharrell Williams made it on No. 3 right behind Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and Rob Thomas round out the top 5 on the list, based on Billboard Hot 100 chart performance between Jan. 1, 2000, and May 7, 2011.
While Pharrell would eventually become a familiar face, guesting on tracks by such luminaries as Ludacris, Mariah Carey and Snoop Dogg, he launched his Hot 100 chart career by co-writing Blackstreet’s 1995 hit “Tonight’s The Night” with his Neptunes partner-in-crime Chad Hugo. Williams really hit his stride in the 2000s, writing hits for Britney Spears (“I’m a Slave 4 U,” 2001), Kelis (“Milkshake,” 2003), Ludacris (“Money Maker,” 2006) and Madonna (“Give It 2 Me,” 2008).