You’ve heard his work. Honestly, even if you think you haven't, you definitely have.
Whether it’s the graduation anthem playing at every high school ceremony or the moody synth-pop track you cry to in your car, Benjamin Levin—better known as Benny Blanco—is likely the architect behind it. He doesn't just write songs; he builds cultural moments. With 29 number-one hits under his belt as of 2026, he’s basically the invisible hand of the Billboard charts.
He's currently dominating the news cycle because of his marriage to Selena Gomez, but long before the headlines about their three-day wedding, he was a kid from Virginia obsessively making beats in his bedroom.
The Hits You Didn't Realize Were benny blanco popular songs
Most people see a "Benny Blanco" credit and think of his solo artist career, which really kicked off with "Eastside" in 2018. But the rabbit hole goes way deeper.
Take Rihanna's "Diamonds." It’s a career-defining vocal performance, right? Benny produced that. He actually revealed in an interview that the beat was originally sought after by Eminem. Imagine how different music history looks if Slim Shady had taken that track instead of RiRi.
Then there’s the Katy Perry era. You literally could not escape the radio in 2010 without hearing a Blanco production. He co-wrote and produced:
- "California Gurls" (The Diamond-certified summer anthem)
- "Teenage Dream" (Widely considered one of the greatest pop songs ever written)
- "I Kissed a Girl"
It’s kind of wild to look back and see how much he shaped the "California Gurls" aesthetic while being a guy who mostly wears tie-dye hoodies and eats monstrous amounts of steak. He has this weird, innate ability to understand what a teenage girl wants to hear while being... well, a dude who looks like he just woke up from a nap.
The Maroon 5 and Ed Sheeran Connection
If you’ve ever found "Moves Like Jagger" or "Payphone" stuck in your head for three days straight, blame Benny. He’s been a go-to collaborator for Adam Levine for over a decade. He’s the reason those songs have that specific, punchy "radio-ready" sheen that makes them impossible to ignore.
And then there's Ed Sheeran.
They collaborated on "Castle on the Hill," which is basically the sonic equivalent of driving through your hometown with the windows down. Benny has a way of taking Ed’s folk-leaning songwriting and polishing it into a stadium-sized pop record without losing the "relatability" factor.
Moving Into the Spotlight: The Artist Era
Around 2018, Benny decided he was tired of just being the guy behind the glass. He started releasing music under his own name, and the results were massive.
"Eastside" with Halsey and Khalid wasn't just a hit; it became a streaming juggernaut with over 2 billion plays on Spotify. It’s a simple song. Just a few guitar chords and some honest lyrics about growing up. But that’s the Blanco secret sauce—he knows when to get out of the way of a good melody.
His 2022 collab "Bad Decisions" featured BTS members (Jin, Jimin, V, and Jungkook) and Snoop Dogg. It was a bizarre pairing on paper, but it debuted at number 10 on the Hot 100. It proved he could bridge the gap between K-pop stans and old-school hip-hop heads without breaking a sweat.
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The 2025 "I Said I Love You First" Era
Lately, his music has become much more personal. In early 2025, Benny and Selena Gomez released a joint project titled I Said I Love You First.
It’s a vulnerable record.
Songs like "Sunset Blvd" and "Ojos Tristes" (featuring The Marías) show a softer, more experimental side of his production. Some critics on places like Reddit complained the mixing was "too raw" or "under-produced," but that was clearly the vibe they were going for. It feels like a home movie in audio form.
"Call Me When You Break Up" with Selena and Gracie Abrams also made a huge splash, peaking at number 46 on the Hot 100. It’s got that signature Benny "simplicity" that makes it feel like you’re eavesdropping on a private conversation.
The Evolution of the "Blanco Sound"
What actually makes benny blanco popular songs stand out?
It’s usually the drums. He started out as a protégé of Disco D and then Dr. Luke, so he learned how to make drums that "hit" through laptop speakers and car stereos alike. But as he’s aged, he’s moved away from the "loudness war" production of the 2010s.
Now, he uses a lot of "found sounds." He might record the sound of a fork hitting a plate or a door slamming and turn it into a percussion loop. It gives his newer tracks a textured, organic feel that separates them from the sterile, AI-generated pop that's starting to flood the market in 2026.
A Quick Cheat Sheet of His Top-Tier Credits
| Song Title | Lead Artist | Benny's Role |
|---|---|---|
| TiK ToK | Kesha | Co-writer / Producer |
| Love Yourself | Justin Bieber | Co-writer / Producer |
| Lonely | Justin Bieber | Lead Artist / Producer |
| Señorita | Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello | Co-writer / Producer |
| Somebody Save Me | Eminem & Jelly Roll | Producer |
He’s worked with everyone from Kanye West (on the ye album) to SZA (on "Nobody Gets Me" and "Special"). His versatility is sort of terrifying. He can switch from a trap beat for Wiz Khalifa to a heartbreaking ballad for Lana Del Rey in the same afternoon.
Why He Still Matters in 2026
The music industry changes every six months, but Benny stays relevant because he’s a "fan first."
He doesn't follow trends; he follows what feels good. Whether he's hosting a cooking show, writing a cookbook, or releasing a chart-topping album with his wife, he stays authentic to his brand of "organized chaos."
If you want to understand the modern pop landscape, you have to look at the credits. You’ll find his name hidden there more often than not.
To really get the full experience of his evolution, you should listen to his discography chronologically. Start with the glitter-pop of Kesha’s "Animal," move through the mid-2010s Maroon 5 era, and finish with his latest work on I Said I Love You First. You'll hear the sound of a producer who finally found his own voice by helping everyone else find theirs.
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Next Steps:
Check out the official "benny blanco: The Songwriters" playlist on Apple Music or Spotify to see the full breadth of his 300+ song catalog. Many fans find it helpful to compare his early work with Dr. Luke to his more recent, independent productions to see how his "sonic fingerprint" has changed over the last two decades.