A music producer is the driving force behind your favorite band or musician. In the last so many years, one thing that has remained constant in the music industry has been the prominence of the music producer. While singers and bands come and go, these super producers have continued to exist since the days of Joe Meek and Phil Spector – nearly half a century ago. Though they are the ones who create the magic behind the scenes and are often relegated to only a name in the credits listed on the back cover, but music producers have, over the years, become famous household names. Today, many music producers have become stars in themselves. Here’s a look at the top ten music producers in the world.
Mugafi Ved – AI Storywriting tool
Max Martin
You might not recognize the name Max Martin, but the chances are high that you have definitely listened and grooved along to his music. Martin broke into the music scene in the late Nineties, and since then, the Swedish producer and songwriter have co-written 22 Billboard Hot 100 number-one hits. His associated acts include Britney Spears, The Weeknd, and Ariana Grande, amongst others.
Mugafi Ved – AI copilot for writers
Born Karl Martin Sandberg and known professionally as Max Martin, the music producer was responsible for molding Britney Spears into the explosion that she became into the music scene at the turn of the century. Some of his defining works include Taylor Swift’s 1989, which was one of the biggest albums in the 2010s. Martin is also regarded as the person behind the success of Taylor Swift, transforming her from a country superstar into one of the biggest artists in the world.
From the 90s teen-pop classics like Britney Spears’ Baby One More Time and Backstreet Boys’ I want It That Way to the fantastic neo-disco tracks of this decade – The Weeknd’s Can’t Feel My Face and Justin Timberlake’s Can’t Stop The Feeling, Martin continues to make his mark on the music industry, choosing to remain behind the scenes.
Sir George Martin
Teenagers of today might not be aware of who this great legend was. Often referred to as the Beatles producer, it was Sir George Martin who masterminded this legendary band’s rise to global fame. He was the music producer behind some of the most iconic albums like Revolver, Rubber Soul, and St. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, all of which ended up making it to the top five of every list imaginable. Perhaps the best fact that many people don’t know about him is that he was actually not very impressed by The Beatles when they had first performed for him.
Apart from his work with The Beatles, Sir Martin also went on to produce albums for Jeff Beck, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas, UFO, Celine Dion, Little River Band, and many others. Within the recording industry, Martin was one of the first producers who became independent at a time when most music producers remained salaried.
Sir George Martin passed away in March 2016, leaving his legacy alive in the memory of all The Beatles fans.
Joey Moi
Joey Moi is a well-known Canadian music producer, musician, songwriter, and audio engineer. He is best known for his work with country music acts like Florida Georgia Line, Jake Owen, Morgan Wallen, Chris Lane, and Dallas Smith, as well as the famous rock groups Nickelback and My Darkest Days.
The signature move of Joey Moi is that his productions are unpretentious but always loud and big, and not afraid to combine hip-hop, rock, and country styles and present them in a manner that has redefined the entire scene of country music over the last few years.
One of his most defining works has been Florida Georgia Line’s ‘Cruise,’ which gave the world the artists Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard. Today, this is considered to be the ground zero of the Bro-Country sub-genre, which is known to beautifully blend country, hip-hop, and rock rhythms.
If you are hunting for something to listen to, then it is a good idea to check out the hidden gem from Joey Moi – ‘Drinkin’ Songs’ from MacKenzie Porter. The song was a huge hit in Canada but did not find favor in the US. You won’t be able to stop yourself from singing along as the piece combines heartache with some of the most irresistible catchy choruses you have ever heard!
RedOne
RedOne, born Nadir Khayat, is a Swedish-Moroccan music producer, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He is popularly known as being one of the most influential and the greatest music producers of all time, as well as a great global musician of his generation.
As a music producer, RedOne has worked with numerous high-profile artists, including Lady Gaga, Ava Max, Michael Jackson, RBD, U2, Nicki Minaj, Jennifer Lopez, Now United, Gru, Cross Gene, Enrique Iglesias, Shakira, Mariah Carey, One Direction, Arc Anthony, Prince Royce, Usher, and many others. As you can see from the list of famous recording artists, RedOne has definitely made a mark in the music industry. He has also established his own record label by the name of RedOne Records.
If you follow his music, you will be aware of his signature sound, which brings together whooshing synthesizers with steamrolling club beats. You will be forgiven for thinking that they sound like you are being beamed up into an alien disco.
One of the most defining works of his career has been Lady Gaga’s ‘Just Dance’ and ‘Bad Romance.’ He is also known for the entire range of dance tracks he co-produced for Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded.
Rick Rubin
Frederick Jay Rubin, popularly known as Rick Rubin, is a famous music producer and also the former co-president of Columbia Records. Many people look up to Rubin as being an innovator who helped popularize hip-hop in the 80s. He also co-founded Def Jam Records and worked with famous artists like the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, and Run DMC.
Some of the biggest names in the music industry, from Metallica to Tom Petty, Kanye West, and the Dixie Chicks, have all worked with him. It is his ability to constantly come up with out-of-the-box ideas that have made him produce music for some of the most famous artists.
In 2007, the true impact of Rick Rubin on the music industry became known as he was listed in a poll by Time magazine as being one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. No wonder he still remains one of the most influential music producers in the world.
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young, famously known as Dr. Dre, is a music producer, rapper, and entrepreneur who founded Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics. Aftermath Entertainment is responsible for paving the way to fame for artists like 50 Cent, Kendrick Lamar, and Eminem, amongst others. He had previously also co-founded Death Row Records. In the early 1990s, Dr. Dre was known to be the key figure responsible for popularizing West Coast G-funk, which is a sub-genre of hip-hop.
His earlier career saw him work with the gangsta rap group NWA and his rapping career itself made him famous as one of the most seminal musicians in the world. Today, though, he is known more as being a wise music producer.
Boi-1da
Matthew Jehu Samuels, better known as Boi-1da, is a Canadian-Jamaican music producer and songwriter who has worked with many famous artists like Eminem, Drake, and Nicki Minaj, to name a few.
His signature sound revolves around booming, cinematic production that lets his recording artists to dive deep and come up with stadium-shaking anthems and anecdotal rhymes.
One of his most well-known works is ‘Forever,’ a soundtrack made by the superteam of Lil Wayne, Eminem, Drake, and Kanye West.
Quincy Jones
Quincy Jones is a famous music producer, songwriter, composer, film and television producer, and a musician. There is no end to his credentials as a music producer. He has had an illustrious career that included 79 Grammy Award nominations, out of which he won 28 for his production. He is perhaps most famous for producing Michael Jackson’s albums Bad, Thriller, and Off The Wall. No other music producer can boast of that, at least!
When it comes to his prowess in music production, Jones has also been the producer behind many films, including The Italian Job, In Cold Blood, and Banning. With Banning, Jones became the first African American to get nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Linda Perry
When you hear the name of Linda Perry, you immediately think of the studio album ‘Bigger, Better, Faster, More!’ Perry was the songwriter and lead singer for the American alternative rock group 4 Non Blondes, and ‘Bigger, Better, Fast, More!’ was the only studio album the group released.
After leaving this group in 1994, Perry formed two record labels and started producing songs for the likes of Gwen Stefani, Christina Aguilera, and Pink. Perry was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015 for her services to the music industry.
Joel Little
Joel Little is a Grammy Award-winning songwriter, music producer, and musician. The list of his most famous works is very long and includes artists like Taylor Swift, the Jonas Brothers, Lorde, Sam Smith, Imagine Dragons, Khalid, Shawn Mendes, and many others.
He is known for his signature style of alternative baiting dark pop, though over the years, he has become somewhat of a jack of all trades, mastering helming rock, R&B, and pop all together.
Other Important Links
Learn Lyric Writing from Sameer Anjaan
Learn singing online with Monali Thakur
Join Unlu Lyric Writing Fellowship and Become the next great Lyricist
Join Unlu Community of Lyricists, Singers, Composers, and Producers
