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Benny Blanco: The Number 1 singles and fan favourite album tracks by the hit producer
14 August 2018 | By Rob Copsey

The US songwriter and producer has been turning out grade-A hits for a decade.

At just 30 years old, US songwriter and producer Benny Blanco has amassed an enviable catalogue of global pop smashes.

Unsurprisingly, Virginia-born Blanco - real name Benjamin Levin - found success from an early age; his bedroom beat making and recordings caught the attention of Columbia Records when he was just 14 years old.

In 2008, at 15, he was placed under Dr Luke's tutelage and co-wrote/produced his first Number 1 - Katy Perry's I Kissed A Girl. In 2011, he broke away from Dr Luke and has since turned out a string of hit singles for acts including Maroon 5, Selena Gomez, The Weeknd and Jessie Ware plus album tracks that regularly rank among fans' favourites. Now,

Take a look at a selection below, before we reveal the best-selling Benny productions below.

Katy Perry - Teenage Dream

While I Kissed A Girl was Benny's breakout hit, Katy's 2011 single Teenage Dream is a modern day classic, often name checked by artists as a song they wish they'd written. The track - about a new love making you feel young again - was co-written with Katy, Bonnie McKee, Dr Luke and Max Martin. But, as recalled by McKee in an interview, it was ultimately inspired by Benny, who suggested The Teenagers' 2007 single Homecoming as a template for the track.

Britney Spears - Shattered Glass

A popular cut from her 2008 Circus album, Shattered Glass is one of Benny's productions during his partnership with Dr Luke. The track's lyrics about feeling trapped by fame was one of the few to offer some insight into Britney's troubled 2007.

Justin Bieber - Love Yourself

Produced by Benny and co-written with Ed Sheeran and Justin, Love Yourself ranks as the producer's biggest hit for another artist, with 2.26 million combined sales and streams in the UK. The song spent six weeks at Number 1 in the UK in 2015/2016, narrowly missing out on the Official Christmas Number 1 to The NHS Choir.

Jessie J - Thunder

An often forgotten single from Jessie's second album Alive, Benny teamed up with Swedish hitmakers Stargate on Thunder, which Jessie says she co-wrote with Benny in half an hour on the way to the airport. Proof that sometimes, good work can come in a bolt of creativity?

Rihanna - Diamonds

In 2012, Rihanna surprised the world by leading her Unapologetic album with a ballad. According to Benny, who worked with Ri's longtime collaborators Stargate on the song, the pair wanted to deviate from her usual sound and aim for something that might be expected from the likes of Kanye West. The whole song was done at lightning pace; Sia wrote the lyrics in 14 minutes.

Bruno Mars - Natalie

Benny co-wrote and produced this popular album track from Bruno's Unorthodox Jukebox record. Inspired by a woman who stole Bruno's watch, the star said in an interview with MTV that Benny is "a good friend" and marked the first time the pair worked together.

Maroon 5 ft. Christina Aguilera - Moves Like Jagger

One of Benny's first productions after breaking away from Dr Luke turned out to be huge success. Moves Like Jagger may have missed Number 1 in the UK, but it's the second best-selling track ever not to reach the top spot.

Jessie Ware - Tough Love

Anyone who's listened to the episode of Jessie Ware's Tables Manners podcast with Benny will know the pair are good friends. He produced several tracks on her 2014 album Tough Love, notably its sparse and subtly addictive title track.

Avicii - Lonely Together

What would turn out to be Avicii's final single before his untimely death in April this year was co-written and produced by Benny and Cashmere Cat.

Benny Blanco's Number 1s on the Official Singles Chart ranked in order of sales:

POS TITLE ARTIST YEAR
1 LOVE YOURSELF JUSTIN BIEBER 2015
2 PERFECT ED SHEERAN 2017
3 COLD WATER MAJOR LAZER 2016
4 DIAMONDS RIHANNA 2012
5 PAYPHONE MAROON 5 2012
6 DYNAMITE TAIO CRUZ 2010
7 TIK TOK KESHA 2009
8 CALIFORNIA GURLS KATY PERRY 2010
9 FREAKY FRIDAY LIL DICKY FT CHRIS BROWN 2018
10 I KISSED A GIRL KATY PERRY 2008
11 ME AND MY BROKEN HEART RIXTON 2014
12 WE R WHO WE R KESHA 2011

©2018 Official Charts Company. All rights reserved.

Benny Blanco's Official Top 20 biggest productions for other artists:

POS TITLE ARTIST PEAK YEAR
1 LOVE YOURSELF JUSTIN BIEBER 1 2016
2 PERFECT ED SHEERAN 1 2017
3 CASTLE ON THE HILL ED SHEERAN 2 2017
4 MOVES LIKE JAGGER MAROON 5 FT. CHRISTINA AGUILERA 2 2011
5 COLD WATER MAJOR LAZER 1 2016
6 DIAMONDS RIHANNA 1 2012
7 DON'T ED SHEERAN 8 2014
8 PAYPHONE MAROON 5 1 2012
9 DYNAMITE TAIO CRUZ 1 2010
10 TIK TOK KESHA 1 2009
11 CALIFOFNIA GURLS KATY PERRY 1 2010
12 ISSUES JULIA MICHAELS 10 2017
13 HOT N COLD KATY PERRY 4 2008
14 FREAKY FRIDAY LIL DICKY FT CHRIS BROWN 1 2018
15 I KISSED A GIRL KATY PERRY 1 2008
16 LONELY TOGETHER AVICII FT RITA ORA 4 2017
17 HAPPIER ED SHEERAN 6 2017
18 DON'T WANNA KNOW MAROON 5 FT KENDRICK LAMAR 5 2016
19 2002 ANNE-MARIE 3 2018
20 SUPERMARKET FLOWERS ED SHEERAN 8 2017

©2018 Official Charts Company. All rights reserved.