Everything You Need to Know About Super Producer Max Martin

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By jessicat31 10 May 2016, 12:30pm

One of the most powerful forces in pop music has also been one of the most anonymous. A middle aged Swedish man, Martin Karl Sandberg, professionally known as Max Martin has ruled the American pop charts for the past twenty years. While most people are unfamiliar with his name, most everyone has heard his music.

His latest hit is Justin Timberlake's most recent single "Can't Stop the Feeling, " and as a producer and ghost-writer he's lurked in the liner notes of record collections for decades, racking up the third-most number one singles on the Billboard chart, behind only Paul McCartney and John Lennon. His single sales are estimated to be over 135 million.

It's pretty remarkable that one individual is responsible for the dictating and dominating the sound and style of modern pop music. Whether or not you are a fan of Martin's upbeat aesthetic, you have to give him credit for being a masterful tunesmith. After all, if it was easy to come up with a hit, there would likely be a lot more commercially successful producers out there. And while Martin has inspired a slew of proteges including Dr. Luke, Mattias Larsson and Robin Fredreiksson, he still remains the gold (or should we say platinum) standard for pop success.

The Basics:

Martin's style of pop is bubbly, danceable and instantly catchy. Combining the keyboard pop of ABBA with modern R&B sensibilities and powerhouse choruses, he practically spearheaded the teen idol revival of the late-90s. He rose to prominence when he co-produced 7 out of the 12 songs the Backstreet Boys' third album, Millennium, including the unavoidable single "I Want It That Way." He's also responsible for Britney Spear's breakout hit "…Baby One More Time." As his career progressed into the mid 2000s his signature sound got a slightly heavier and more rock-tinged. This is best exemplified in Kelly Clarkson's "Since You've Been Gone," Pink's "So What," and Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream." Martin's also responsible for Taylor Swift's ascension from country teen to pop princess. He co-wrote and produced "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together," her first number one single in the U.S., and worked on seven tracks off 1989. Now you know who to blame.

Intermediate Level:

One of the first albums Martin co-produced, along with his mentor Denniz Pop, was Ace of Base's The Bridge in 1995. It spawned several singles including "Beautiful Life." While lesser known, it set the template for the Euro-pop sound that would dominate his music to come.

Martin has also brought a more his playful musical approach to legacy artists such as Celine Dion, Cyndi Lauper and even Bon Jovi. While not his best known collaborations, Martin's youthful touch helped those artists maintain a greater level of relevancy decades into their careers.

Deep Cuts

It's hard to classify many of Max Martin's songs as "deep cuts" since many of them were released as singles on notable albums. However not all of the artists Martin has worked with have reached global levels of fame. Norway's Marion Raven and Ireland's Lesley Roy haven't gained much traction beyond their respective countries, for instance. These tracks are proof that even with the backing of the greatest producers, some pop songs just never catch on.