MusicRow’s Top 100 Songwriters Of 2019

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Ashley Gorley. Photo: Josh Ulmer

2019 proved to be a prosperous year for these elite songwriters who saw the most chart success on the weekly MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart. Using algorithms based upon song activity according to airplay, digital downloaded track sales and streams, these 100 songwriters were on top in 2019.

There are 13 female songwriters within the top 100—which is made up of 115 songwriters because of tied scores—including: Hillary Lindsey (No. 5), Laura Veltz (No. 6), Maren Morris (No. 21), Nicolle Galyon (No. 32), Carrie Underwood (No. 38), Kelsea Ballerini (No. 40), Parker Welling (No. 57), Allison Veltz Cruz (No. 58), Sarah Aarons (No. 59), Natalie Hemby (No. 62), Alysa Vanderheym (No. 78), Heather Morgan (No. 80) and Connie Harrington (No. 90).

While maintaining the pinnacle position on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart for 39 out of 49 charts, and being in the top 3 all year, Ashley Gorley comes out of 2019 the MusicRow Top Songwriter of the year. Aggregating chart data from each weekly MusicRow Top Songwriters Charts of 2019, Gorley had the most credits from the co-written songs that charted in 2019.

Songs that made Gorley the No. 1 Top Songwriter of 2019 were Luke Bryan’s “What Makes You Country,” Chase Rice’s “Eyes On You,” Eli Young Band’s “Love Ain’t,” Dierks Bentley’s “Living,” Chris Janson’s “Good Vibes,” Lee Brice’s “Rumor,” Thomas Rhett’s “Remember You Young,” and more. Gorley also won his seventh ASCAP Songwriter of the Year award in November.

HARDY. Photo: Robby Klein

Michael Hardy—otherwise known as HARDY—takes the No. 2 slot on the list of 2019 hit-makers. The artist-writer had a stellar year, being nominated for MusicRow‘s Breakthrough Artist-Writer of the Year and winning AIMP’s Rising Writer/Artist Award. Songs that propelled HARDY were Blake Shelton’s “God’s Country,” Florida Georgia Line’s “Talk You Out Of It,” Chris Lane’s “I Don’t Know About You,” LoCash’s “One Big Country Song,” his own “Rednecker,” and more.

Luke Combs. Photo: Jim Wright

Chart-champion Luke Combs is at No. 3 in the top 100 songwriters, with writer credits on songs including his own “Beer Never Broke My Heart,” “What You See Is What You Get,” “Refrigerator Door,” and “Even Though I’m Leaving,” as well as the Carly Pearce and Lee Brice duet, “I Hope You’re Happy Now.” Combs took home two honors at the annual CMA Awards, including Male Vocalist of the Year and Song of the Year for “Beautiful Crazy,” which he wrote alongside Wyatt Durrette (No. 25) and Robert Williford (No. 60).

Ross Copperman. Photo: Kelly Taylor

Ross Copperman takes the No. 4 slot this year, with songs like Dierks Bentley’s “Living,” Eli Young Band’s “Love Ain’t,” Brett Young’s “Catch,” and Kenny Chesney’s “Tip Of My Tongue” and “Get Along” propelling him. Copperman was honored with BMI’s 2019 Songwriter of the Year, tied with Nicolle Galyon (No. 32).

Hillary Lindsey. Photo: Becky Fluke

Hillary Lindsey rounds out the top five on the MusicRow Top Songwriters of 2019. Lindsey is nominated with her co-writers Natalie Hemby (No. 62), Lady Gaga and Lori McKenna for their song on the A Star Is Born film, “Always Remember Us This Way,” at the upcoming Grammy Awards. Lindsey is also nominated for Best Country Song (“It All Comes Out In The Wash”), and for Best Song Written For Visual Media (“I’ll Never Love Again”).

Lindsey also won MusicRow‘s Female Songwriter of the Year at the 31st annual MusicRow Awards and was awarded the ASCAP Global Impact Award at the 2019 ASCAP Awards.

MusicRow‘s Top 100 Songwriters of 2019:
1. Ashley Gorley
2. Michael Hardy
3. Luke Combs
4. Ross Copperman
5. Hillary Lindsey
6. Laura Veltz
7. Shane McAnally
8. Jordan M. Schmidt
9. Ben Burgess
10. Kevin Kadish
11. Jon Nite
12. Shay Mooney
13. David Garcia
14. Bobby Pinson
15. Brock Berryhill
16. Josh Osborne
17. Zach Crowell
18. Blanco Brown
19. Brett James
20. Jeffery Hyde
21. Maren Morris
22. Eric Church
23. Jordan Reynolds, Dan Smyers
24. Jesse Frasure
25. Wyatt Durrette
26. Hunter Phelps
27. Rhett Akins
28. Jameson Rodgers
29. Kevin Welch
30. Gordie Sampson
31. Thomas Rhett
32. Nicolle Galyon
33. Trevor Rosen
34. Kane Brown
35. Matthew Ramsey
36. Jonathan Singleton
37. Ryan Hurd
38. Carrie Underwood
39. Cary Barlowe
40. Kelsea Ballerini
41. Chris DeStefano
42. Devin Dawson
43. Randy Montana
44. Riley Green
45. Tony Lane
46. Sam Ellis
47. Jimmy Robbins
48. Erik Dylan
49. Corey Crowder
50. Jordan Davis
51. Lee Brice, Kyle Jacobs
52. Cole Swindell, Brandon Kinney
53. Barry Dean
54. Josh Miller
55. Ryan Tyndell
56. Brad Tursi
57. Russell Dickerson, Parker Welling, Casey Brown
58. Matt Stell, Ash Bowers, Allison Veltz Cruz
59. Sarah Aarons, Greg Kurstin
60. Robert Williford
61. Brantley Gilbert
62. Natalie Hemby
63. Chris Young
64. Josh Dunne
65. Brett Warren, Brad Warren
66. Luke Laird
67. David Hodges, Brett McLaughlin
68. Brett Young
69. Kelley Lovelace
70. Neil Thrasher
71. Chase Rice
72. Taylor Phillips
73. Chris Janson
74. Chase McGill
75. Dustin Lynch
76. Ray Fulcher
77. Justin Ebach
78. Alysa Vanderheym
79. Kenny Chesney, Ed Sheeran
80. Heather Morgan
81. Brett Eldredge
82. Jimmie Allen
83. Justin Moore, Jeremy Stover
84. Paul DiGiovanni
85. Jon Green
86. Tyler Hubbard
87. Tofer Brown
88. Shy Carter
89. Billy Montana, Phillip LaRue
90. Connie Harrington
91. Scotty McCreery
92. Will Weatherly
93. Matthew McGinn
94. Michael Ray
95. Lee Thomas Miller
96. Jon Pardi
97. Andy Albert
98. Dierks Bentley
99. Lonnie Lee Fowler
100. Bryan Kennedy, Garth Brooks, Mitch Rossell

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