10 Musical Superstars You Never Knew Wrote Other Artists' Hit Songs

Prince, who sold over 100 million records, is one of the best-selling artists in the world. By the time he made it rain purple, the musical genius had already made his mark on the world—and continued to do so. Between his pseudonyms, pen names, and just his plain old self, Prince released hundreds—possibly thousands—of songs. His catalog contains an impressive 39 studio albums and 106 singles. From 1979 to 1999, the Sexy Dancer-singing powerhouse released at least one top-40 hit every. single. year.

Artists among the likes of Chaka Khan, Alicia Keys, and Cyndi Lauper have fueled their successful careers with Prince covers. Five years after he released Nothing Compares 2 U as a lukewarm side project, Sinead O’Connor famously covered the track in 1990. Her rendition of the mournful number went platinum and topped the Billboard Hot 100 singles.

Prince can also be seen just under the surface of plenty of other artists' songs. Using the alias “Joey Coco,” Prince penned a country track for Kenny Rogers’ album They Don’t Make Them Like They Used To. He wrote Manic Monday, which came in No. 2 on Billboard's Hot 100 in 1986, for The Bangles under the pseudonym “Christopher.” Donning the name "Alexander Nevermind” for Sheena Easton, Prince wrote Sugar Walls, which went on to hit No. 9 on the 1984 Billboard Hot 100 list.