The 75 Greatest Women’s Anthems Written by Men!

Male writer(s): Kevin Kadish

Theme: body positivity, self-love

Note: Singer Megan Trainor co-wrote this, her first (and so far only) No. 1 hit! Its themes of body positivity and self-love resonated with a lot of people, and women in particular, who are often derided for having a little extra poundage in certain areas.

Male writers: Ritchie Cordell, Kenny Latina, Marty Joe Kupersmith

Themes: Defiance, empowerment, resistance, attitude

Note: Joan Jett co-wrote what has become one of the greatest hard-rock women’s anthems of all time.

Male writers: Sean Combs, Jean-Claude Olivier

Themes: overcoming, self-affirmation, optimism

Note: Mary J. Blige and Arlene DeValle also co-wrote this understated R&B classic from MJB’s iconic ‘My Life’ album, viewed by many to be her best.

Male writers: Chris Tompkins and Josh Kear

Themes: revenge, love rights, power, assertiveness

Note: Former American Idol Carrie Underwood made potential cheaters take notice when she unleashed this tutorial on relationship retribution in 2006. It’s still one of her signature songs and a song no man wants his girlfriend or wife to get life lessons from.

Male writers: James Lloyd, Shawn Carter, Adrian Bartos, Sylvester James, Harvey Fuqua

Themes: defiance, assertiveness, sexuality, power

Note: This freak-flag hip-hop anthem belongs on the list just by its opening line alone (“I used to be scared of the dick, now I throw lips to the shit, handle it like a real bitch). Lil Kim (Kimberly Jones) received writers credits along with the five men listed above. Harvey Fuqua’s credit came courtesy of the sample used from Sylvester’s 1978 song “Was It Something I Said.”

Male writers: Dieuson Octave (a/k/a: Kodak Black), Klenord Raphael, Jordan Thorpe, Anthony White, Laquan Green

Themes: attitude, overcoming odds, empowerment, sexuality

Notes: Cardi B (under her birth name Belcalis Almánzar) co-wrote what is currently the highest-certified single by a female rapper at nine million equivalent copies sold and counting!

Male writers: Fernando Garibay, Jeppe Laursen, DJ White Shadow

Themes: empowerment, sexual orientation, uniqueness

Note: Lady Gaga co-wrote this tune, which became her first to debut at No. 1 in 2011. She had another No. 1 debut in 2020, giving her the longest span of songs that debuted at the top, with nine years and three months between her first and her most recent.

Male writers: James (Jimmy Jam) Harris III and Terry Lewis

Themes: independence, control, empowerment, defiance

Note: Janet Jackson co-wrote this song with her producers. It was the title track and fourth single from her classic coming-of-age breakthrough album in 1986.

Male writer: Dallas Austin

Themes: Disapproval, defiance, sexuality

Note: Solely written and produced by Svengali-like Austin, this became TLC’s first No. 1 hit and ranked as the third-biggest hit of 1995.

Male writer: Ian Kirkpatrick

Themes: overcoming, survival, independence

Note: Dua Lipa, Caroline Ailin and Emily Warren outnumbered the men in the co-write for this huge No. 2 smash from 2020. As of this writing, it’s Lipa’s biggest hit!

Male writer: Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds

Themes: overcoming, inner peace, strength,

Note: This was Whitney Houston’s eleventh and final No. 1 song on the Billboard pop chart. It also spent a record-breaking eleven weeks at No. 2 after retreating from its No. 1 debut.

Male writer: Stephen Bray

Themes: empowerment, self-expression, power, womanhood

Note: Madonna co-wrote this No. 2 classic with Bray from her critically acclaimed fourth studio album ‘Like A Prayer’ in 1989. It was kept from No. 1 by another woman, Martika, whose “Toy Soldiers” marched right over Madonna in the early summer of 1989.

Male writer: Dave Bassett

Themes: positivity, vulnerability, fight, overcoming, empowerment

Note: Rachel Platten co-wrote this 2015 smash, and it won the iHeartRadio award for best lyrics following its huge success.

Male writers: Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Sandy Wilhelm

Theme: empowerment, self-love, achievement

Note: Katy Perry and Ester Dean were the women who co-wrote this explosive anthem, which was the third of a record-tying five No. 1 singles from Perry’s 2010 album, ‘Teenage Dream.’

Male writers: Rae Sremmurd, Asheton Hogan, Michael Len Williams II

Themes: empowerment, consciousness, black girl power, independence

Note: Beyoncé Knowles may have shared a co-write with the three men above, but this song is among her signature hits, one that raised many political eyebrows when she performed it at Super Bowl 50 in 2016.

Male writers: Denzel Foster and Thomas McElroy

Themes: anti-racism, empowerment, black girl power

Note: This 1992 song was written by the group’s producers and was En Vogue’s most socially conscious single, deviating from the relationship themes of such classics as “Hold On,” “My Lovin’,” and “Giving Him Something He Can Feel.”

Male writers: Salaam Remi, Jeff Bhasker, Billy Squier

Themes: achievement, empowerment, vulnerability, fierceness

Note: Alicia Keys co-wrote this anthem in 2012 and 1980s rocker Billy Squier got a co-write because it included a sample of his 1980 song, “The Big Beat.”

Male writer: Robert Hazard

Themes: Free will, womanhood, defiance

Note: Few people know that Robert Hazard wrote and first recorded this song in 1979, and that Cyndi Lauper’s 1984 smash hit version is a remake. But it’s true.

Male writers: Ilya Salmanzadeh, Max Martin, Savan Kotecha, Rickard Göransson

Themes: empowerment, sexuality, prowess, confidence

Note: Ariana Grande co-wrote this song with the fellas, but it’s clearly her perspective and female prowess that dominates.

Male writer: Eric Frederic

Themes: empowerment, confidence, uplift, independence

Note: Lizzo (under her legal name Melissa Jefferson) co-wrote this 2019 smash with Frederic. Although originally released in 2016, it became a hit three years later during Lizzo’s breakout year.

Male writers: David Paich, David Foster

Themes: attitude, self-expression, realness

Note: Cheryl Lynn co-wrote this disco classic with the two Davids above. David Paich, who with his brother Marty Paich of Toto produced the song, enlisted a third David (Shields) for the song’s memorable bass line.

Male writers: Rodney Jerkins, Fred Jerkins III, LaShawn Daniels, Harvey Mason, Jr.

Themes: attitude, sexuality, assertiveness, singleness

Note: Some of the tunes on this list didn’t have a single woman involved in writing them. This perfectly written song (from a female’s perspective) is surprisingly one of them. Toni Braxton owned it though!

Male writers: Tyrone Griffin, Jr., Isaac Bynum, Miles McCollum, Michael Foster, Derrick Carrington, Jordan Houston, Georges Olivier

Themes: empowerment, womanhood, uplift, sexuality

Note: This 2019 jam will always be remembered for launching the career of rapper Megan Thee Stallion, who co-wrote “Hot Girl Summer” with Nicki Minaj, Jatavia Johnson (from the group City Girls) and all the men listed above. Of course, both Megan and Nicki have had a better 2020, with two No. 1 songs apiece - both as part of duets.

Male writer: Ray Burton

Themes: empowerment, women’s rights, unity, uplift, self affirmation, strength, invincibility, equality

Note: The late Helen Reddy wrote a poem that contained many of this song’s crucial lyrical elements. Ray Burton later helped her transform it from prose to song form, and the rest is history!

Male writers: MNEK, Larzz Principato and Whiskey Water

Themes: defiance, independence, attitude

Note: Lipa wrote this song with Skyler Stonestreet (a renowned female writer) and the three men above. In case you’re from another world, the acronym title stands for “I Don’t Give A Fuck.”