Artists that wrote iconic songs in their teens

Michael Jackson was 19 years old when his debut solo album ‘Off the Wall’ was released. The album featured singles ‘Don't Stop Til You Get Enough’ and ‘Rock with You.’ Although he had contributed melodies in the past with The Jackson 5, this was the first time he wrote most of an album himself.

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Justin Bieber -

Although Justin Bieber is thought of more as a performer, he is a credible musician and songwriter in his own right. Surprisingly, he was instrumental in the writing of ‘Baby’ and ‘Where Are You Now,’ which were both released in 2010 when he was 16.

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Taylor Swift -

When Taylor Swift was in ninth grade, she wrote ‘Teardrops on My Guitar,’ which was released in 2006 when she was 19 years old.

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Taylor Swift -

Another classic Taylor Swift song called ‘Sparks Fly’ was written by the singer when she was 16.

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Amy Winehouse -

A teenage Amy Winehouse wrote and recorded her award-winning single 'Stronger Than Me,' along with the rest of the tracks on her album 'Frank,' which was released when she turned 20.

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Lorde -

Singer, songwriter, and producer Lorde wrote ‘Royals’ when she was 15 years old. Ironically, the song speaks about a lack of desire to be rich and famous, but made her a superstar at age 16 after its release.

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Paul McCartney -

The Beatles recorded ‘I’ll Follow the Sun’ in 1964. It’s credited as written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, but it was written solely by McCartney years before when he was 18.

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Ray Charles -

‘Confession Blues’ was written by Ray Charles, and was released in 1949 when the singer was 19 years old.

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Adele -

Adele’s ‘Chasing Pavements’ was a single off of her album 19, which was written and recorded by the singer when she was 19 years old.

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Ed Sheeran -

Ed Sheeran’s ‘The A Team’ was written when he was 18 years old and living in London. The song was released two years later as a single off his debut album, and became a top 10 hit in the UK and in nine other countries.

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Van Morrison -

Van Morrison wrote ‘Gloria’ when he was 18, and recorded it one year later in 1963 with his band.

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Fiona Apple -

Fiona Apple wrote "Criminal" in 45 minutes when she was 17. It was first released in 1996, and is her biggest hit to date.

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Carole King -

‘Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow’ was written by Carole King when she was 18, with some assistance from Gerry Goffin. After its release in 1961, it was published to be sung by The Shirelles, whose version became a number one hit.

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Halsey -

Halsey wrote and recorded ‘Ghost’ when she was 19 years old. On a whim, she uploaded the song to SoundCloud in 2014, and her career took off.

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Billie Joe Armstrong -

Green Day released their first demo collection in 1991, which featured the song ‘Going To Pasalacqua,’ when front man Billie Joe Armstrong (center) was 16.

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Kate Bush -

Although 'The Man with the Child in His Eyes' was released when Kate Bush was 19 in 1978, the song was written six years earlier when the singer was 13 years old.

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Kate Bush -

Kate Bush was also the first woman to have a self-written number one hit in the UK with ‘Wuthering Heights,’ which she wrote when she was 18 years old and released a year later.

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Issac, Taylor, and Zac Hanson -

The brothers of Hanson were all in their teens when they wrote 'Mmmbop.'

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Chance the Rapper -

Chance the Rapper demonstrated an incredible ability to craft lyrics with his track ‘Brain Cells,’ which was released by the time he was 19 years old.

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Khalid -

Khalid’s breakout single ‘Location’ was written, recorded, and released by the time he was 18 years old.

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Eddie Vedder -

Eddie Vedder wrote ‘Better Man’ when he was in high school at age 14. Pearl Jam didn’t record and release the song until 1994, as the group felt that it sounded too much like pop music.

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Matt Bellamy -

‘Sober’ by Muse appeared on their debut album titled 'Showbiz,' but it also featured on their demo 'The Newton Abbot' when songwriter Matt Bellamy (front) was just 18.

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Tyler, the Creator -

Tyler, the Creator wrote and recorded his debut single ‘Yonkers’ when he was 19 years old. The song was released one year later and went on to be a hit.

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Olivia Rodrigo -

Olivia Rodrigo wrote, recorded, and released her debut single, 'Drivers License,' at just 17 years old.

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Alex Turner -

The members of the Arctic Monkeys were all teenagers when their first album was released. The band’s songwriter, Alex Turner, wrote the single ‘Fake Tales of San Francisco’ before he was 18. It featured on their first demo collection titled 'Beneath the Boardwalk.'

Sources: (Gigwise)(Musicoholics)

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Avril Lavigne -

Avril Lavigne released her single ‘Complicated’ in 2002, which she wrote when she was 17.

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Stevie Wonder -

‘Uptight’ was written and released by Stevie Wonder in 1966 when he was 16.

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Billie Eilish -

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Michael Jackson -

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Justin Bieber -

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Taylor Swift -

When Taylor Swift was in ninth grade, she wrote ‘Teardrops on My Guitar,’ which was released in 2006 when she was 19 years old.

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Taylor Swift -

Another classic Taylor Swift song called ‘Sparks Fly’ was written by the singer when she was 16.

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Amy Winehouse -

A teenage Amy Winehouse wrote and recorded her award-winning single 'Stronger Than Me,' along with the rest of the tracks on her album 'Frank,' which was released when she turned 20.

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Lorde -

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Paul McCartney -

The Beatles recorded ‘I’ll Follow the Sun’ in 1964. It’s credited as written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, but it was written solely by McCartney years before when he was 18.

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Ray Charles -

‘Confession Blues’ was written by Ray Charles, and was released in 1949 when the singer was 19 years old.

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Adele -

Adele’s ‘Chasing Pavements’ was a single off of her album 19, which was written and recorded by the singer when she was 19 years old.

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Ed Sheeran -

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Van Morrison -

Van Morrison wrote ‘Gloria’ when he was 18, and recorded it one year later in 1963 with his band.

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Fiona Apple -

Fiona Apple wrote "Criminal" in 45 minutes when she was 17. It was first released in 1996, and is her biggest hit to date.

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Carole King -

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Halsey -

Halsey wrote and recorded ‘Ghost’ when she was 19 years old. On a whim, she uploaded the song to SoundCloud in 2014, and her career took off.

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Billie Joe Armstrong -

Green Day released their first demo collection in 1991, which featured the song ‘Going To Pasalacqua,’ when front man Billie Joe Armstrong (center) was 16.

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Kate Bush -

Although 'The Man with the Child in His Eyes' was released when Kate Bush was 19 in 1978, the song was written six years earlier when the singer was 13 years old.

Getty Images

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Kate Bush -

Kate Bush was also the first woman to have a self-written number one hit in the UK with ‘Wuthering Heights,’ which she wrote when she was 18 years old and released a year later.

Getty Images

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Issac, Taylor, and Zac Hanson -

The brothers of Hanson were all in their teens when they wrote 'Mmmbop.'

Getyy Images

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Chance the Rapper -

Chance the Rapper demonstrated an incredible ability to craft lyrics with his track ‘Brain Cells,’ which was released by the time he was 19 years old.

Getty Images

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Khalid -

Khalid’s breakout single ‘Location’ was written, recorded, and released by the time he was 18 years old.

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Eddie Vedder -

Eddie Vedder wrote ‘Better Man’ when he was in high school at age 14. Pearl Jam didn’t record and release the song until 1994, as the group felt that it sounded too much like pop music.

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Matt Bellamy -

‘Sober’ by Muse appeared on their debut album titled 'Showbiz,' but it also featured on their demo 'The Newton Abbot' when songwriter Matt Bellamy (front) was just 18.

Getty Images

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Tyler, the Creator -

Tyler, the Creator wrote and recorded his debut single ‘Yonkers’ when he was 19 years old. The song was released one year later and went on to be a hit.

Getty Images

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Olivia Rodrigo -

Olivia Rodrigo wrote, recorded, and released her debut single, 'Drivers License,' at just 17 years old.

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Alex Turner -

Sources: (Gigwise)(Musicoholics)

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Artists that wrote iconic songs in their teens

Songwriting skills far beyond their years

05/07/24 | StarsInsider

MUSIC Songwriters

Songwriting is a renowned skill that very few artists master. Record labels pay millions for songwriters to craft catchy tunes for their artists. Indeed, most musicians who achieve fame from a young age usually have the music and lyrics written for them, but not all. It usually takes years to hone the craft of songwriting, but some artists had a gift for songwriting from the very beginning.

By the time these musicians had reached the age of 20, they had written some of the most iconic songs that we know and love. Click through to discover which artists wrote iconic songs in their teen years.