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18 Famous Women Who Actually Wrote Popular Songs For Other Singers

Missy Elliott has written all of your favorite songs — I kid you not!

1. Linda Perry wrote "Beautiful" for Christina Aguilera's 2002 album, Stripped.

Christina Aguilera singing in the "Beautiful" music video; Linda Perry and Christina Aguilera hugging each other on a red carpet

Listen to the song here:

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RCA / Via youtube.com

2. Linda Perry also helped write "Superwoman" with Alicia Keys for her 2007 album, As I Am.

Alicia Keys in the "Superwoman" music video, wearing glasses and business attire; Linda Perry smiling at a red carpet event

Listen to the song here:

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J Records / Via youtube.com

3. Lauryn Hill wrote "A Rose Is Still a Rose" for Aretha Franklin's 1998 album, A Rose Is Still a Rose.

Lauryn Hill and Aretha Franklin at the piano together in the "A Rose Is Still a Rose" music video

Listen to the song here:

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Arista / Via youtube.com

4. Missy Elliott (along with Timbaland) wrote "One in a Million" for Aaliyah's 1996 album, One in a Million.

Aaliyah dancing in the "One in a Million"

Listen to the song here:

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Blackground / Atlantic / Via youtube.com

5. Missy Elliott is also responsible for writing a plethora of major hits for singers in the 2000s, like "My Love Is Like...Wo" for Mýa, "Oops (Oh My)" for Tweet, and "So Gone" for Monica.

Mýa in the "My Love Is Like...Wo" music video; Missy Elliott and Tweet in the "Oops (Oh My)" music video; Monica in the "So Gone" music video

Listen to "My Love Is Like...Wo" here:

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Interscope / Via youtube.com

Listen to "Oops (Oh My)" here:

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The Goldmind / Elektra / Via youtube.com

Listen to "So Gone" here:

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J Records / Via youtube.com

6. Kelly Clarkson wrote "Tell Me a Lie" for One Direction's 2011 album, Up All Night.

The cover of One Direction's debut album, "Up All Night;" Kelly Clarkson at a press event in the late 2010s

Listen to the song here:

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Syco / Columbia / Via youtube.com

7. Yoko Ono cowrote "Imagine" for John Lennon's 1971 Imagine, but Lennon didn't give her songwriting credit.

Lennon and Ono in the "Imagine" music video from 1971; the cover of Ono's poetry book "Grapefruit;" an excerpt from Ono's poem "Cloud Piece" that reads: "Imagine the clouds dripping. Dig a hole in your garden to put them in"

Listen to the song here:

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Apple / Via youtube.com

8. Alicia Keys (along with Swizz Beatz) wrote "Million Dollar Bill" for Whitney Houston's 2009 album, I Look to You.

Whitney Houston in the "Million Dollar Bill" music video; Alicia Keys performing at the piano in the late 2010s

Listen to the song here:

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Arista / Via youtube.com

9. Diane Warren wrote "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" for Aerosmith's 1998 album, Armageddon: The Album.

Steven Tyler in Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" music video; Diane Warren and Steven Tyler at an event in LA in 2016

Listen to the song here:

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Columbia / Hollywood / Epic / Via youtube.com

10. Christina Milian wrote "Play" for Jennifer Lopez's 2001 album, J.Lo, and "Baby" for Justin Bieber's 2010 album, My World 2.0.

Milian and Lopez posing together in a music studio in the early 2000s; Jennifer Lopez in the "Play" music video; Justin Bieber in the "Baby" music video

Listen to "Play" here:

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Epic / Via youtube.com

Listen to "Baby" here:

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Island / RBMG / Via youtube.com

11. Jessie J wrote "Party in the U.S.A." for Miley Cyrus's 2009 EP, The Time of Our Lives.

Miley Cyrus singing in the "Party in the U.S.A." music video; Jessie J at Abbey Road studios in 2019

Listen to the song here:

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Hollywood / Via youtube.com

12. Alicia Keys wrote "Impossible" for Christina Aguilera's 2002 album, Stripped.

Alicia Keys producing Christina Aguilera in a music studio in the early 2000s for Aguilera's album, "Stripped"

Listen to the song here:

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RCA / Via youtube.com

13. Ester Dean cowrote "S&M" for Rihanna's 2010 album, Loud.

Rihanna in the "S&M" music video; Ester Dean posing for an episode of "Songland" Season 2

Listen to the song here:

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Def Jam / SRP / Via youtube.com

14. Tayla Parx co-wrote "Pynk" for Janelle Monáe's 2018 album, Dirty Computer.

Janelle Monáe in the "Pynk" music video; Tayla Parx at the BMI Pop Awards in 2019

Listen to the song here:

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Wondaland / Bad Boy / Atlantic / Via youtube.com

15. Carole King (along with Gerry Goffin) wrote major hits for famous artists in the '60s, like "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" for Aretha Franklin and "Pleasant Valley Sunday" for The Monkees.

Carole King posing for a portrait at A&M studios in 1972; the cover of Aretha Franklin's album "Lady Soul;" The Monkees' cover for their single "Pleasant Valley Sunday"

Listen to "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" here:

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CBS / Via youtube.com

Listen to "Pleasant Valley Sunday" here:

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Colgems / Via youtube.com

16. Carole King also rewrote her 1971 hit "Where You Lead" for the Gilmore Girls theme song in 2000.

Rory and Lorelai in the "Gilmore Girls" opening theme; Carole King's "Tapestry" album cover

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Warner Bros. / KOCH / Rockingale / Via youtube.com

17. Wynter Gordon cowrote "Don't Hurt Yourself," "Sorry," and "Daddy Lessons" for Beyoncé's 2016 album, Lemonade.

Beyoncé singing "He only want me when I'm not there, he better call Becky with the good hair" in her "Sorry" music video; Wynter Gordon at 2018 Beautycon in NYC

Listen to "Don't Hurt Yourself" here:

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Parkwood / Columbia / Via youtube.com

Listen to "Sorry" here:

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Parkwood / Columbia / Via youtube.com

Listen to "Daddy Lessons" here:

View this video on YouTube

Parkwood / Columbia / Via youtube.com

18. And Mariah Carey wrote Faith Hill's "Where Are You Christmas?" for the How the Grinch Stole Christmas soundtrack in 2000.

Faith Hill singing in the "Where Are You Christmas?" music video; Mariah Carey posing at an entertainment event in the late 2010s

Listen to the song here:

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Warner Bros. Nashville / Interscope / Via youtube.com