Top 20 Songs You Didn't Know Were Written by Bruno Mars

Neon Hitch feat. Tyga
Back in the early 2010s, when he was still carving his niche as a solo artist, Bruno Mars offered songwriting help to rising British singer Neon Hitch. For her single, “Gold,” Hitch teamed up with Mars’ songwriting powerhouse The Smeezingtons, who co-wrote and co-produced the track. “Gold” also featured American rapper Tyga and was slated as the second single from Hitch’s debut album, “Beg, Borrow & Steal.” Mars brought his knack for crafting infectious hits to the table, infusing the song with catchy lyrics and a high-energy dance-pop vibe. Although the album was eventually scrapped, the track itself achieved notable success in the U.S., topping the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.

Alexandra Burke
After winning the fifth series of “The X Factor” in a stunning fashion, Alexandra Burke released her debut album “Overcome” in 2009. The project debuted at number one in the UK and was a commercial success across Europe. A year later, Burke followed it up with a deluxe edition, which included the song “Perfect,” co-written and produced by Bruno Mars, as part of The Smeezingtons. A stripped-down pop ballad, “Perfect” mirrors the emotional depth of other acclaimed ballads by Mars like “When I Was Your Man.” With Mars’ masterful songwriting and Burke’s powerhouse vocals, the song delivers an irresistible mix of heart and soul, proving that its title is no overstatement.

The Cab

Although he’s largely known for his pure pop prowess, Bruno Mars has shown he is no one-trick pony. He proved this through his work with alternative rock band The Cab. For their self-funded second album “Symphony Soldier,” the group enlisted a series of high-profile collaborators, including Maroon 5’s Adam Levine, Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz, and of course, Bruno Mars. Mars co-wrote the song “Endlessly,” a pop rock anthem about an unwavering love, which became the album’s third single. While it may not have dominated the charts, the song still stands as proof of Mars’ ability to excel outside his usual musical wheelhouse.

Arashi

After years of dominating the Japanese music scene, J-pop boy band Arashi set their sights on a global audience. In 2020, they released “Whenever You Call,” their first song recorded entirely in English. Co-written and co-produced by Bruno Mars, the track came just a few months before the band was scheduled to go on hiatus. To honor this moment, Mars reportedly immersed himself in their past work, and set out to craft a song that captured the band’s essence, as well as their bittersweet feelings about the break. The result is a soaring pop ballad that doubles as a love letter to their old fans and a warm handshake to any potential new ones.

Rosé

Most people are already familiar with “Apt.,” Bruno Mars’ irresistible collaboration with Rosé. But that wasn’t the only track Mars sprinkled his magic on for the K-pop star’s debut solo album. For her second single, “Number One Girl,” Rosé once again tapped into Mars’ confident songwriting and production expertise. A soft pop ballad, the song was inspired by her feelings of insecurity after facing hateful comments on social media. Rosé poured her vulnerability into the track, also weaving in themes of heartbreak and unrequited love. While it didn’t reach the viral heights of “Apt.,” it became a moderate hit across Asia, reaffirming that when Rosé and Bruno Mars join forces, fans are in for musical gold.

Brandy

Before becoming the global pop sensation we know today, Bruno Mars spent years behind the scenes, writing songs for many well-known singers. In 2008, one of those singers was Brandy. Mars had written and recorded a demo of “Long Distance,” which Brandy immediately fell in love with after hearing it. The song was then expanded upon by legendary producer Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins and recorded by Brandy, who released it as the second single from her album “Human.” Critics praised “Long Distance” for its heartfelt lyrics and hymnlike production, part of which was also handled by Mars. Although he played a largely behind-the- scenes role, Mars made a cameo in the music video, as a pianist in one scene.

Flo Rida feat. Akon

Miami-born rapper Flo Rida dominated the early 2010s with hit after hit, cementing himself as one of the hottest music artists of that era. Although “Who Dat Girl” didn’t quite reach the same heights as some of his chart-toppers, it still achieved moderate success in the U.S., Canada and Australia. Featuring vocals from Akon, and a blend of electronic and R&B sounds, the track benefited from songwriting by Bruno Mars and his frequent collaborator Philip Lawrence. Interestingly, it wasn’t released as a single before its parent album premiered. However, after the album dropped, it began to gain traction, which led to it being put out as the official third single a few weeks later.

Far East Movement feat. Ryan Tedder

Prior to his impressive solo debut in 2010, Bruno Mars first gained waves with guest vocals on hits like “Nothin' on You” and “Billionaire,” both of which became Billboard top 10 hits. He nearly added another feather to his cap with Far East Movement’s “Rocketeer.” Mars helped write the song and even recorded a demo singing the chorus. However, another version was made with Ryan Tedder, which was eventually chosen as the final product. Nevertheless, Mars retained his songwriting credit and “Rocketeer” soared to number seven on the Billboard Hot 100. Conveniently, the track dropped in October 2010, just days after Mars unleashed his debut album, “Doo-Wops & Hooligans,” on the world.

Sugababes

For the seventh studio album “Sweet 7,” British girl group Sugababes crossed the Atlantic to collaborate with some American producers. This partnership included signing a deal with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, which opened the door to working with talents like Bruno Mars. Mars, along with his production group, the Smeezingtons, wrote and produced the album’s lead single “Get Sexy.” Built around a sample of Right Said Fred’s “I’m Too Sexy,” this track is a high-energy mix of electropop, techno and R&B sounds that was tailor-made for the dance floor. Despite a controversial exit of one of the group’s members shortly after its release, the song still rose to number two on the UK singles chart.

Jay-Z & Kanye West feat. Beyoncé

This collaboration between the three musical giants could have taken a completely different turn had the early rumors checked out. It was initially speculated that “Lift Off” would be the lead single from Jay-Z and Kanye West’s collaborative album “Watch the Throne,” with Bruno Mars, who co-wrote the song, handling the chorus. However, as the album’s release approached, plans seemed to change. “Lift Off” was replaced by “H•A•M” as the lead single, with Beyoncé stepping in to deliver the song’s chorus instead. It was eventually released as the third single from the album, but only managed to chart within the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart. One can only wonder how a Bruno Mars feature might have changed its fate.

Cobra Starship

When he isn’t writing for the biggest names in the industry, Bruno Mars also lends his pen to lesser-known musical acts, like this one. In 2009, Mars worked with pop punk band Cobra Starship on a song from their third studio album. The album was titled “Hot Mess,” as was the track that Mars helped to produce. Released as the second single from the project, the song debuted at number 64 on the Billboard Hot 100, and has since appeared on the soundtracks of TV shows such as “Gossip Girl.”

Matisyahu

Near the beginning of his career, Bruno Mars established a songwriting and producing team with Philip Lawrence and Ari Levine called The Smeezingtons. This was a stepping stone to Mars’ success and produced his first hit single “Nothin’ on You” along with many others. Several years before that though, the company worked with reggae artist Matisyahu on the song “One Day” from his album, “Light”. The artist calls the song “an anthem of hope” and says he has always wanted to write it despite it being a last minute addition to the album.

K'naan

In 2009, Bruno Mars collaborated with K'naan, a Somali-Canadian musician, to create this anthemic tune. The message behind the song was intended to be about the people of Somalia, but it has since expanded to become a global hit. While it charted high in Canada from the get go, it was Coca Cola’s choice to make a re-mixed version of the song the anthem for the 2010 FIFA World Cup that made it trend worldwide. It became so popular that K'naan actually penned a children’s book called: “When I Get Older: The Story Behind Wavin' Flag”. Mars also worked on K’naan’s other hit, “Bang Bang”.

The Vamps

In the fall of 2013, the UK charts were being dominated by One Republic’s hit, “Counting Stars”. Newcomers to the scene, The Vamps, put out their single “Can We Dance” in September and while it never managed to overtake “Counting Stars”, it was still insanely successful in its own right. Bruno Mars was both a writer and producer on this chart topping boy band hit. He worked alongside Karl Michael, Phillip Lawrence, Timz Aluo, and Espionage to create the catchy tune.

Alicia Keys

The opening notes of this song have Bruno Mars’ signature sound all over them. “Tears Always Win” appears on Alicia Keys’ fifth studio album, “Girl on Fire” which came out in 2012. Keys performed the song on American Idol just days after it was released digitally, amping up its popularity. Alicia Keys also co-wrote the song with Mars and others, and went on to make it part of her regular setlist for her Set the World on Fire Tour which took place in 2013.

Adam Lambert

“American Idol” alum Adam Lambert made history with the release of his second album, “Trespassing” in 2012. Though it had been several years since his reality TV success, the album debuted in the top spot on the Billboard 200. As an openly gay man, he was the first person to achieve this success. "Never Close Our Eyes" was the second single released from the album, and received much more positive reviews than its predecessor, "Better Than I Know Myself". Bruno Mars was both a writer and producer on the track.

Justin Bieber

Long before Justin Bieber revamped his image to become the adult artist he is today, he was a teen idol who worked with Bruno Mars on his single, “Love Me”. Before even “Baby” topped the charts, Bieber had just been signed with RBMG and was putting together his first album, “My World”. This formative record contained many of his original hits as well as tunes like this one. “Love Me” was released as an iTunes exclusive before the record actually launched.

Adele

Even top selling artists like Adele look for a little help from their friends when it comes to writing new tracks. After a significant period of inactivity in the aftermath of her smash hit album “21”, Adele came back with a vengeance in 2015 with her follow up, “25”. While “All I Ask” wasn’t one of the biggest hits on the album (it wasn’t even released as a single), it’s a quiet yet powerful number that works to bridge other songs on the record. Bruno Mars and his Smeezingtons collaborators worked on this together and Mars actually performed a cover of the song for the BBC.

Flo Rida feat. Kesha

One of the most heavily downloaded songs of the decade is this mega hit performed by Flo Rida, featuring Kesha. It relies on major sampling of Dead or Alive’s 80s hit “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record),” and was co-written by Bruno Mars and his collaborator Philip Lawrence. The song actually broke the existing record for first-week sales for an individual song with 636,000 downloads. It remains one of the best-selling digital singles, with over 12 million downloads several years after its release. The song has featured notably in pop culture, with an acapella version of the track appearing in the 2012 film, “Pitch Perfect.”

CeeLo Green

This tune became a monster radio hit under the tamer name “Forget You,” although it is actually known by several different titles including “FU” and “Thank You”. Because curse words feature so prominently in the song, different techniques were used to clean it up depending on the demographic. In the UK, they use blank spaces where the offending word is, while in the U.S. they use a sound effect. The creation of this song was a collaboration between Green himself, Bruno Mars, and the rest of the Smeezingtons group. Listening to the tune now, Mars’ influence seems clear considering the trajectory his sound took in the years that followed.



Which of these tunes did you already know was penned by Bruno Mars? Let us know in the comments below.