The 50 Best Max Martin Songs

It begins with a throat clearing — and the most badass bass drop of the 2010s. “… Ready for It?”, produced by Martin, Shellback, and Ali Payami, kicks off 2017’s Reputation. It’s a deliciously devilish opening track that veers into rap, electronica, and dark synth-pop, yet it’s a cohesive thriller that sets the tone of the rest of the album. Swift said it’s about that moment you find your partner in crime: “It’s like, ‘Oh my god, we’re the same! Let’s rob banks together, this is great!’” It also marks the first time she references Elizabeth Taylor (“He can be my jailer, Burton to this Taylor,” referring to the actress’ tumultuous marriage to Richard Burton), which she’d revisit eight years later, on The Life of a Showgirl.–Angie Martoccio

Max Martin produced so many Britney hits, but “3” might be the weirdest — which is saying something. It blew up into a filthcore Number One hit, a manic electro-stomp with Brit chanting about sex-robot threesome hijinks, with a gigantic beat from Martin and Shellback. It’s a menage a Spears where she purrs, “Merrier the more, triple fun that way!” It made their previous hit “If U Seek Amy” sound wholesome. Nobody knows why Britney namechecks the sensitive 1960s folkies Peter, Paul, and Mary, not exactly the most sensual of pop groups — they were more into songs about flowers and world peace—but the answer is blowin’ in the wind. —Rob Sheffield

The premise, after all, was pretty straightforward: “Denniz Pop and I had the idea to write a song by Backstreet Boys singing about Backstreet Boys coming back with a new record,” as Max Martin later explained of the 1997 blockbuster that, paradoxically, served as the introduction to the band for American fans. “It was like ‘Backstreet’s back,’ we didn’t know where you went?” AJ McLean told Rolling Stone in 2017. “Who are you? What’s going on?”–Jonathan Bernstein

Lizzo gave herself a coronation on “Special.” And who better than Max Martin to crown her? It’s a kismet pair: Lizzo has the voice and vibe for gale-force empowerment anthems that fill arenas, while Martin’s meticulous touch keeps Lizzo’s humor and conversational warmth in the verses. He builds her a self-love anthem with a patient R&B sway that swells into a harmony-layered chorus — “In case nobody told you today, you’re special” — a line that feels like it belongs to anyone who sings it.–Sarah Grant

After “Call Me Maybe,” Carly Rae Jepsen flew to Sweden hoping her idol Martin, “the Wizard of Oz of producers,” could give her some edge. He took the Canadian singer’s bubblegum chirp down a very risky road:  2010s EDM. Except Jepsen’s neon-streaked makeover actually worked. Martin kept her vocal wide-eyed and sincere even when she’s talking tough (“Ain’t fucking with no fuck boys”) making it the counterpoint to the track’s dubstep chaos. The song didn’t become a chart smash, but it’s a fan favorite, like the glowstick you find in your purse the next morning and decide to keep.–S.G. 

Max Martin has always understood just how dynamic Pink’s voice is, and “Who Knew” is one of their most potent collaborations. The song mixes Martin’s taste for big, instantly infectious hooks with the rawness and vulnerability of Pink’s vocal performance, all while unfurling the heart-shattering story of what it’s like to lose a loved one to drugs. Similar to “Since U Been Gone,” it showed Martin’s ability to add some grit to his pop productions and showed just how deep Pink would go in her own writing and lyrics.–Julyssa Lopez

“God Is a Woman” gets to the heart of one of pop’s greatest love affairs: religious imagery intertwined with sharp hooks and choir-stacked harmonies. Ariana Grande opens the record with a vocal baptism, delivering her siren call over sparse, bluesy guitars before sinking into the depths of her temptation with thick percussive kicks. She slips into pockets of hip-hop influence on the verses, reserving her pristine pop expertise for the chorus — but those harmonies throughout are all classic Ariana.–Larisha Paul

For this swerving, syncopated song sbout romantic illusion Martin returned to the daunting piano stabs found on his early hits like “…Baby One More Time” and filtered that sonic motif through a jagged keyboard for a refreshed take that now seems emblematic of the hazy electro-pop of the mid-2010s. With Ellie Goulding’s urgent delivery and powerful Brit-lilt, the track still hits with the same insistent energy it did a decade ago.–Maya Georgi

If the year 2012 could sound like one song, it would be this one. Bieber and Minaj’s collaboration is a loud an explosive EDM-pop banger. Above a steady bass and wash of synths, Justin opines for “a beauty and a beat” to make his life complete. Martin co-produced the song with Zedd, well on his way to becoming a star DJ at the time, so there are plenty of dance-floor friendly notes that make this more than just a teen heartthrob hit. And Minaj is an excellent foil to Bieber’s earnestness, commenting on the then-teen star’s superstardom and romance with Selena Gomez at the time.–-Britanny Spanos

“Lust for Life” went through many iterations and edits, but Martin’s advice gave the song its heartbeat. “He felt really strongly that the best part was the verse and that he wanted to hear it more than once, so I should think about making it the chorus,” Del Rey told Courtney Love. The move also inspired Lana to incorporate more harmonies from The Weeknd. The result is a sprightly beacon that would even impress Iggy Pop.–M.G.

This breathy breakup anthem from Eternal Sunshine finds Ariana Grande and Max Martin back in their sweet spot: killing us softly, under strobelights. Martin produced some of Grande’s early smashes like “Problem” and “Break Free.” This time, she co-produced alongside him. Built on a Robyn-esque synth bed and a driving electropop beat, the song avoids grand modulations — and even Grande reels in her trademark melisma — letting the song’s plateauing energy echo the weary lyrics. The chorus takes off on “friends” like it’s a most catastrophic word in the English language.–S.G. 

“I Want You Back” might technically be ‘NSync’s debut single, but “Tearin’ Up My Heart,” the opening track to their self-titled album, became their official introduction to American audiences. Martin reportedly offered this millennium magic to the Backstreet Boys first, but thankfully, they turned it down, and our hearts were never the same. As Lance Bass correctly said, “I thought it was ‘I Want You Back’ on crack.” The hit has mega staying power: at Coachella in 2019, Ariana Grande brought a Timberlake-less ‘NSync onstage for a performance of it.–A.M

Taylor went to Max Martin for Reputation because she knew he could create the industrial “nighttime cityscape” mood she wanted. “I wanted the production to have nothing wooden,” she told Rolling Stone’s Brian Hiatt. “There’s no wood floors on that album.” But “Delicate” is the ghost in the machine—a breathy moment of open-hearted human vulnerability, at a dive bar on the east side of town. Taylor’s whisper in the dark—“Is it cool that I said all that?” — builds into a heartbreaking hook.—R.S.

In the summer of 2013, this chapter of the Perry-Martin oeuvre was so omnipresent, it might as well have been the weather. “Roar” was Katy Perry’s clapback to critics who doubted she would ever top her “Teenage Dream” winning streak. Built by Max Martin on a purposefully spare stomp-and-clap beat, the verses thud beneath Perry’s voice. It’s as if the track clears its own runway, saving energy for the pre-chorus flare of “I got the eye of the tiger” before lift-off. She announced she was here to stay. Martin ensured the world got the message.–S.G. 

Max Martin can sure draw emotion out of the word “it.” Shortly after her U.S. multi platinum Titanic-era stardom, Dion teamed up with Martin for this greatest hits album one-off. Does it sound like a cut and paste Millenium-era Backstreet Boys song that was recorded around the same time as another song that pondered the profundity of “it”? It sure does, but that doesn’t make song — in all its trademark Max Martin soaring pre-chorus glory — any less perfect.–J.B.

As the first true solo single from Normani, “Motivation” marked a pivotal moment for the Fifth Harmony member. She’d released a few songs on her own, but they each paired her with a featured male vocalist. Normani’s presence is commanding across the record, but never more so than when her voice cuts through an expertly arranged horn section. The sugary blend of pop and R&B hit a sweet spot in its teasing flirtation and unwavering confidence. — L.P.

The Australian twin-sister duo of Jessica and Lisa Origliasso took their name from the Eighties classic Heathers, in homage to Winona Ryder’s bad-ass teen heroine. They scored an immortal 2005 pop-punk dance hit with “4Ever,” their ode to rock & roll girls looking to make a little trouble tonight. “It’s about living life for the moment, forgetting about your worries and just getting up and dancing,” Lisa explained. “Plus it’s a bit bratty, which we like.”—R.S.

In the legendary pop summer of 1999, the Backstreet Boys were all over Total Request Live with “Larger Than Life.” Meanwhile, Britney was also all over TRL with “(You Drive Me) Crazy” — featuring the exact same backing track, a truly shameless flex. Was Max Martin just trolling at this point? It was Brit’s theme song for the immortal teen flick Drive Me Crazy, starring Adrian Grenier and Melissa Joan Hart. Spears and Hart also bonded on a very special episode of Sabrina the Teenage Witch.—R.S.

Martin concocted this disco rager with Dr. Luke and Benny Blanco, piling up guitars and synths over a heedless electro-trash thump as the song bounces towards one of the more anthemic choruses in the Martin canon. It was the perfect over-the-top track for Perry’s overheated vocal performance, which begins, “You change your mind like a girl changes clothes/Yeah, you PMS like a bitch, I would know.” Promoted with a wild bridezilla video, it made for one of Perry’s funnest hits and a huge global smash.–Jon Dolan

“Blow” is a mass recruitment into Kesha’s world of sticky dancefloors and late-night sleaze, which couldn’t have found a better ambassador. She sings like she’s leading an army to invade every club in a 50 mile radius. The thrilling anticipation of that first “This place about to — ” before the riotous chorus comes barreling in leaves you hanging on her every word. The track’s internal call-and-response emphasizes its pleasantly overloaded production. “Now what (What?),” Kesha prompts. “We’re taking control.”—L.P.

Demi Lovato’s rock-siren instincts were born from the 2000s pop Max Martin defined. Martin roughened up her sound with a gritty, rock-infused pop chassis — guitar licks grinding against synth bass, verses where Demi drops bicurious breadcrumbs with a wink and falsetto until she tears it all down on the blazing chorus: “Take me down!” Lovato’s voice provide the real fireworks here, stretching a one-syllable word like “type” into at least six. For Martin, it was confirmation he could still help a pop star transition into the big leagues by daring her to get weird.–S.G.

Britney Spears released her most adventurous dance-pop album in 2011 with Femme Fatale. Its third single  “I Wanna Go” was written by Martin and Shellback, along with Sevan Kotecha, sculpting a joyous house track topped off with a jaunty whistled refrain that brought to mind a classic from Chicago producer Frankie Knuckles. Britney sang about finding release on a big night out, losing herself in the glory of the groove. It’s a fun, frothy reminder of the singer’s copacetic relationship with her Swedish sonic muse--J.D.

Martin originally wrote Lambert’s breakout hit with P!nk for her album Funhouse. It’s the exact type of glam power ballad the American Idol alum would’ve aced during his tenure on the show: his vocals soar over a steely guitar. He injects a perfect amount of drama: his performance is assured and powerful while delivering the pained, self-deprecating lyrics that P!nk wrote whole going through a separation from her husband at the time. -–B.S.

Bon Jovi scored a massive radio comeback with their surprise Max Martin co-write “It’s My Life” — the Eighties rock-star cowboys riding this steel horse of a beat. It exploded out of nowhere in the summer of 2000, in the sweet spot between Sweden and Jersey. The Slippery When Wet boys give love a good name with a synth-rock groove in the style of “Livin’ on a Prayer,” even updating the story of Tommy and Gina. (Spoiler: It’s still tough! Sooo tough!) It was proof that a little Max Martin magic could give these dudes a chance to rock their millionth-and-first face.—R.S

Asked to contribute a song to Fifty Shades of Grey, Martin and his collaborators didn’t merely dash off a throwaway. “Love Me Like You Do” fits that movie like a leather glove, and not just thanks to lyrics (“You’re the cure/You’re the pain”) that echo the movie’s kink. With each verse — and especially each time she hits “What are you waiting for?”— Goulding’s voice grows more ardent, and the booming electro-pop and orchestration behind her more overheated. Few songs  better evoke a gnawing, all-consuming obsession. –David Browne

You usually don’t get this kind of pop perfection by accident, but for Martin and Swift’s first session together, they did. During a break while they worked, the singer exclaimed she was never, ever, ever reuniting with her ex-boyfriend. “That’s pretty harsh… that’s a song title,” Martin recalls saying at the time. Thus began Swift’s first foray into a new echelon of pop music, one that seamlessly blended the singer’s guitar-driven sound with Martin’s studio wizardry.–M.G. 

Teenage Dream was rolled out just as America was beginning to emerge from the Great Recession of 2008. And as a declaration of independence from that dreary period, this Martin-Perry cocktail was just what the doctor ordered — assuming that order involved an Eighties teen movie gone wild. A cavalcade of nude swimming, maxed-out credit cards, naughty threesomes, lots of alcohol, and a wailing sax solo, “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” could have been obnoxious. But thanks to Martin’s ear for a hook and the song’s unstoppable mattress-spring bounce, it’s utterly lovable. –D.B.

It doesn’t seem right that it took until 2020 for these two pop gladiators to collaborate. But as Gaga put it, “I decided to stop being an asshole and meet him at least.” Mother Monster was impressed by Martin’s “piano test,” his rubric for a song’s ability to resonate emotionally, without any studio garnish. “I want your stupid love” is less a full melody than a small cell that repeats around synths and a pounding beat. But the open-throated leap on “stupid” is the infectious noise that defined Chromatica, the sound of pop math colliding with a wild heart.–S.G.

Adele first became inspired to work with Martin after she heard Swift’s “I Knew You Were Trouble” while out for lunch. Somehow, she was the only pop star in the world who wasn’t familiar with his name. In their sessions, they reworked a piece she began writing as a teenager after listening to Amy Winehouse’s Frank. The result is one of Adele’s lightest break-up songs: a simple kiss-off hoping that even if she was treated badly by an ex that the next girl won’t have as tough a time.-–B.S.

If the feeling of a perfect night out could be bottled and sold, it would be “DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love.” Usher and Pitbull channel the most essential elements of pop escapism — relief that the week is over, a silly little crush to pass the time, doomsday dancing. Like many Max Martin classics, “DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love” is meant to be played loud, with the kind of thudding bass that rattles your chest and transports you to the dancefloor.–L.P.

With some touches of retro-soul, “Bang Bang” is a Geneva Convention of Max Martin girls. The song was originally intended for Grande, who wasn’t sold until she heard Jessie J belt out a demo version. They ended up combining forces, along with a classic Nicki Minaj verse. If there was an award for loudest vocal performance of all time, “Bang Bang” would easily win, as Grande and Jessi J have a friendly belt-off in the vein of “Lady Marmalade” 13 years earlier.-–B.S.

Britney had never sounded like this before: the heartbroken avenger, white-knuckling the steering wheel through Max Martin’s thunderstorm. The verses are all knives and whispers. Then the sky cracks open on “stronger,” the word itself detonating into the ABBA-huge chorus, Martin doubles her with synths and vocoder until it sounds massive. It’s a survival anthem built from scorn. But the best part may be the sly wink when she sings, “My loneliness ain’t killin’ me no more,” flipping a lyric from her debut single into a punch line and a victory lap.–S.G.

Ariana Grande and Max Martin are a match made in vocal production heaven on “Eternal Sunshine,” an emotionally eviscerating record that plays like a melodic lullaby. After more than a decade of working in each other’s orbit, the pair have established a concise language. Grande’s lush harmonies wrap themselves around airy arrangements that know exactly when to let her cutting lyrics breathe, and when to stack her vocals to the ceiling, resulting in a perfect three-and-a-half minute pop package.–L.P.

The Weeknd built his hype with the moody, vaguely creepy goth-R&B sound of his early releases. Martin didn’t try to go against that image when he helmed the writing of what became the singer’s breakout pop smash. “Can’t Feel My Face” tapped a Michael Jackson-like vibe of sleekness tinged with darkness, driven home by a slick, thick beat and an athletic vocal performance to match. Rolling Stone named it the best song of 2015.–J.D. 

Swift wrote the irresistible melody for what would become one of her longest-charting Number One hit songs on her signature, acoustic guitar. But thanks to Martin’s simple, yet snappy percussion, the track transformed into a hip-hop-inspired jaunt packed with a vixen-like confidence to carry Swift’s one-liners. In a recording of the demo session, Martin and Shellback can even be heard ad-libbing playful shouts as the pop star strums along. “This is like an early 2000s Nelly track now,” Swift says in the clip.–M.G.

In 2008, P!nk was at the top of her game. But as she was racking up the hits, her marriage to motocross legend Carey Hart was on the verge of combustion. With Martin and Shellback, she channeled the heartbreak into an even bigger hit, opening the song by taunting her own self with “I guess I just lost my husband/I don’t know where he went.” From there, the song teeters between an empowering anthem and raw confessional about her marriage’s collapse. It’s as funny as it is tender, with P!nk not letting her emotions hide for too long behind that attitude.–-B.S.

How much more meta can a pop song get? On the Oops!… I Did It Again single, Spears tells the story about a girl named Lucky, a starlet who feels trapped in her dream and wants to escape her Hollywood life. Spears herself was in the midst of an unprecedented ascent into not only pop stardom but celebrity status, and Martin and frequent collaborator Rami Yacoub captured the type of pain behind the glitz and glamor only Spears and Lucky could understand.-–B.S.

This Millennium cut is one of the weirder musical moments in boy band history: After a phone rings at the beginning, a Spanish guitar riff kicks in and kicks off the soap opera of a song about bad decisions made on a boys’ night out. The song is as melodramatic as it gets, with an anxious beat and even a chilling Gregorian chant-esque breakdown towards the end. And for all the track’s intensity, there’s still a little silliness: the boy band revealed a few years back that one of the instruments in the song is actually a sample of member Howie Dorough’s fart that Martin thought was funny.-–B.S.

Selena can’t keep her hands to herself — well, she COULD, but why would she want to? “Hands to Myself” was the peak smash from her 2015 coming-of-age gem Revival, purging some toxic romantic gloom out of her system with a hypnotic dance-floor chant, framed for her whispery voice with expertly paced tension and release. And it’s got quintessential Max Martin poetry in the quizzical mode of “I Want It That Way,” as Selena proclaims herself “your metaphorical gin and juice.”—R.S.

The first few seconds of the Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” linger in a hazy, haunting sound. The momentary fakeout makes that unmistakable, dazzling synth progression that breaks through the darkness all the more enthralling. “Blinding Lights” is the invention of two melodic madmen firing on all cylinders. Every pulsating moment of the record carries a distinct and enduring immediacy that kept it from ever feeling overplayed even as it became one of the most popular songs of the century. — L.P.

The last track written for 1989 was a massive coup for Swift, who had largely abandoned her signature guitar-focused country sound for the album. “Style” twists up the old Taylor and helped solidify her as a pop diva: it opens with that icy, funky guitar riff before exploding into a hurricane of synths. The song is elevated by the fusion of Swift and Martin’s signature writing styles. The two masters of heartbreak, yearning, and writing about toxic romances spin a steamy tale of two lovers meeting at night and being incapable of resisting each other. The sultry, intoxicating verses open up into a full pop anthem on the chorus, a true sing-along radio hit moment full of nostalgic references and a cheeky way of naming the British pop star who may have inspired it.–-B.S.

“I think I did it again.” He certainly did. With “Oops! … I Did It Again,” Martin delivered a bulletproof melody that was even more maddeningly catchy than the previous three Britney Spears smash hits he’d crafted. Then he tossed in a spoken-word bridge riffing on Titanic (“But I thought the old lady dropped it in the ocean in the end?”) that became the song’s secret engine. It’s quirky, it’s brilliant, it’s Martin in troll-genius mode: pulling pop apart, stuffing it with camp, then snapping it back together.–S.G.

In the mid-Nineties, a couple of Swedish kids trying to fake a TLC jam ended up changing the entire pop universe. Max Martin, just 24, was still learning the craft, but already testing out the tension-and-release formula that would make him unstoppable. The verses are bare-bones, just teenage Robyn confiding over a bass line before the chorus slingshots through like sudden rush of light. The song became Martin’s first U.S. Top Ten, proof that his melodic math could travel globally, and proof to Britney Spears’ camp that he was the one to trust with “…Baby One More Time.”–S.G.

Long before it spawned millions of millennial-beloved “It’s Gonna Be May” memes, this No Strings Attached single was giving *NSYNC’s previous smash “Bye Bye Bye” a run for its money. Typical of Martin’s biggest songs of the time, “It’s Gonna Be Me” is buzzing with energy in everything from the funky bass to the staccato piano. But propelling the song to another level is the vocal performances of Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez, the quirky and over-pronounced syllables that make “me” sound like “may” and give “babe” a little extra vibrato punch. The style was inspired by Martin’s own performances during his time fronting the band It’s Alive. –-B.S.

From the moment that drum beat tees up the track, “Into You” is an absolute joy ride of a pop song. The second single off Ariana Grande’s third album Dangerous Woman was not just a banger but a warning shot to the pop landscape that she was here to stay. Martin co-wrote the song with Grande and Ilya Salmanzadeh, whose first big break was Grande’s “Problem.” Joining them in the credits are Savan Kotecha and Alexander Kronlund, a certified team of pop tastemakers. Pulsating beneath Grande’s incredible vocal performance — a mix of coquettish coyness and soaring runs — is a house beat worthy of both dark clubs and massive stadiums.-–B.S.

Plenty of classic pop and soul has conjured the feeling of finding a great love later in life; Etta James’ “At Last” comes to mind, among many.  But few so viscerally capture that sense of rush as this collaboration between Perry and Martin. As Perry sings breathily about motel rooms and very tight jeans, Martin’s track (which also benefits form help of the likes of Benny Blanco) sweeps you up in its musical jet stream. It’s a siren song for love at any age.–D.B.

Though Max Martin is known for pitch-perfect pop anthems with a glossy sheen, “Since U Been Gone” was meant to capture an edgier side of his interests. Originally written for Pink, the track was inspired by the razored indie-rock of the early 2000s and acts like the Hives and the Strokes — but with catchier choruses. Once he and collaborator Dr. Luke had come up with the song, it bounced around a bit, briefly considered by Hillary Duff before going to Kelly Clarkson. That match unlocked a special kind of alchemy: The song fully blossomed into a raging power banger with Clarkson’s mighty voice, soaring packed with strength, and intensely energetic, making it one of the most iconic break-up kiss-offs in music history. —J.L.

Taylor and Max might have seemed like an odd couple at first — Ms. Teardrops On My Guitar vs. the ultimate studio-recluse technocrat. Yet these two always bring out the best in each other, from their early days of “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” and “22” to the industrial coldwave of Reputation to The Life of a Showgirl. But “New Romantics” is their peak dance-floor melodrama, with his zippiest beats and her moodiest vocals. No producer has so perfectly captured the sound of Taylor crying tears of mascara in the bathroom, especially when it explodes into the glorious final choruses. “New Romantics” wasn’t a hit — it didn’t even make the album! — but it’s a crown jewel in two of the all-time great pop songbooks.—R.S.

When the Backstreet Boys were planning to release their seminal album Millenium in 1999, the original plan was to make “Larger Than Life” the lead single. However, once people on their team got a hold of what Max Martin and the guys had done on “I Want It That Way,” they heard what the rest of the world would: insanely catchy harmonies, a burning buildup, and lyrics you want to scream along to, even if they’re slightly perplexing. Quickly, it became one of the band’s most beloved songs — and an enduring pop favorite that shows the full extent of Martin’s 2000s magic. —J.L.

Crazy as it seems, there was once a moment in history when nobody had heard of either Britney Spears or Max Martin. But that era ended forever in the opening seconds of “… Baby One More Time,” the hit that introduced the world to the 17-year-old queen of Kenwood, Louisiana, and her mysterious Swedish production genius. “Baby” was a radically futuristic pop manifesto, changing how music has sounded ever since — his mega-boom production versus her feral growl. As Britney told Rolling Stone in 2000, she stayed up late the night before the session listening to Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love” (“What a sexy song”) to get the sound she wanted. “I wanted my voice to be kind of rusty,” she said. The result was more than a Number One smash — it was the dawn of a new music era. Ever since this song, it’s been Britney, bitch — and Max Martin has never lost his magic touch. —R.S.