Billboard has unveiled its list of the Top Songwriters of the 21st Century on the Billboard Hot 100, celebrating 25 writers whose penmanship has shaped the sound and landscape of modern music.
The list is based purely on chart performance, spotlighting the songwriters with the most No. 1 hits in the first 25 years of the century. Among these writers are artistes, producers, and multi-hyphenates whose talents stretch far beyond a single lane.
One of those multi-hyphenates is Taylor Swift, the singer, songwriter, and producer who was named Billboard’s Woman of the Decade. From 2000 to 2024, she has earned 12 career No. 1 hits, beginning with her first chart-topper in 2012: the pop anthem “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” from her fourth studio album, Red.
Since then, Swift has stacked 11 more No. 1s across different eras of her career. They include the dance-pop hit “Shake It Off,” the electrifying “Blank Space,” and the Kendrick Lamar-assisted “Bad Blood” — all from her pop-focused album 1989. More chart-toppers followed: “Look What You Made Me Do” from the Grammy-nominated Reputation; “Cardigan” from her Grammy-winning indie-folk album Folklore; “Willow,” a pandemic-era success from Evermore; and the heart-wrenching 10-minute version of “All Too Well,” which made history as the longest No. 1 song in Billboard Hot 100 history.
Swift’s 2022 hit “Anti-Hero” from Midnights became a defining moment, spending eight weeks at No.1—her most till date. “Cruel Summer” from Lover, “Is It Over Now?” from 1989 (Taylor’s Version), and “Fortnight,” her Post Malone collaboration from The Tortured Poets Department, complete her 12 chart-toppers of the century.
Swift and Beyoncé are the only women in the top five, with the former at No. 4 and the latter No. 5. This makes Swift the biggest female songwriter of the 21st century, trailing behind Drake at No. 3, Dr Luke at No. 2, and Max Martin at No. 1.
Martin and Swift have collaborated on various projects throughout her career. He was instrumental in her transition from country to pop music with 1989, and he helped craft her latest project, The Life of a Showgirl, which sits at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for the sixth consecutive week.
The Grammy winner’s chart dominance hasn’t slowed. She currently holds a 13th No. 1 hit: “The Fate of Ophelia,” from The Life of a Showgirl, in its fifth consecutive week atop the Billboard Hot 100.