10 songs written by Kris Kristofferson that you didn't know he was behind
Kris Kristofferson was an American singer, songwriter, and actor renowned for his extraordinary voice and rugged looks. He is widely recognised for tracks such as Why Me, Casey's Last Ride, and From the Bottle to the Bottom. The singer has written songs for many popular artists in the entertainment industry. Discover some of the songs written by Kris Kristofferson you didn't know.
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Kris Kristofferson was born in June 1936 in Brownsville, Texas, United States. He passed away in September 2024 at the age of 88. He won multiple accolades as a songwriter. Some include the Western Heritage Awards (1999), the Songwriters Hall of Fame Johnny Mercer Award (2006) and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (2014).
10 famous songs written by Kris Kristofferson
Kris Kristofferson was among the songwriters who gained fame for composing songs for other artists in the entertainment industry. He has written songs in different genres, including country, rock, and ballad. Some of the most popular ones include:
| Songs | Artist |
| Me and Bobby McGee | Janis Joplin |
| Sunday Morning Coming Down | Johnny Cash |
| Help Me Make It Through the Night | Sammi Smith |
| For the Good Times | Ray Price |
| Once More With Feeling | Jerry Lee Lewis |
| The Taker | Waylon Jennings |
| I've Got to Have You | Carly Simon |
| Full Moon | Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge |
| The Heart | Lacy J. Dalton |
| One Day at a Time | Marilyn Sellars |
1. Me and Bobby McGee
- Artist: Janis Joplin
- Released: 12 January 1971
- Genre: Blues-rock. country rock
- Album: Pearl
The famous actor wrote Me and Bobby McGee at the suggestion of songwriter Fred Foster. Roger Miller, a distant cousin of Kristofferson, initially performed the song in 1969. Janis Joplin recorded the song for inclusion on her Pearl album only a few days before her death in October 1970.
The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1971, making it the second posthumously released No. 1 single in the US chart. In 2002, the 1971 version of the song by Janis on Columbia Records was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. The song is about two drifters, the narrator and Bobby McGee.
2. Sunday Morning Coming Down
- Artist: Johnny Cash
- Released: 1972
- Genre: Country
- Album: Sunday Morning Coming Down
Sunday Morning Coming Down is one of Johnny Cash's songs written by Kris Kristofferson. Ray Stevens first recorded it before it became a No. 1 hit on the Billboard US chart for Johnny Cash. The song is about waking up Sunday morning feeling hungover from too much drinking and partying on Saturday night.
3. Help Me Make It Through the Night
- Artist: Sammi Smith
- Released: 1970
- Genre: Outlaw country, country pop
- Album: Help Me Make It Through the Night
Help Me Make It Through the Night is the debut studio album recorded by the late American singer-songwriter Sammi Smith. It was originally released in September 1970 on Mega Records and produced by Jim Malloy. The album became Smith's biggest hit and signature song, reaching No.1 on the Billboard country music chart and the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
4. For the Good Times
- Artist: Ray Price
- Released: 1970
- Genre: Country
- Album: For the Good Times
For the Good Times was first recorded by American country musician Bill Nash in 1968. Ray Price recorded it in 1970. It reached number one on the country and Western charts for one week and #11 on the pop singles chart.
It was also his only release to hit the Top 40 of the pop chart. The song won the 1971 Academy of Country Music award as the Single of the Year.
5. Once More With Feeling
- Artist: Jerry Lee Lewis
- Released: 1970
- Genre: Country
- Album: She Even Woke Me Up to Say Goodbye
Once More With Feeling is one of Kris Kristofferson's famous songs. Jerry Lee Lewis recorded it as part of his 13th album, She Even Woke Me Up to Say Goodbye. Kris co-wrote it with Shel Silverstein. It became number one on the Cash Box Country Singles chart and number two on the Billboard Country chart.
6. The Taker
- Artist: Waylon Jennings
- Released: 1971
- Genre: Country
- Album: The Taker/Tulsa
The Taker is a song by Waylon Jennings, written by Kris Kristofferson and Shel Silverstein. It was released in 1971 as the title track of his album The Taker/Tulsa. Kristofferson later recorded the song in 1972 on his second album, The Silver Tongued Devil and I. The song is about a man who takes a woman for granted and then abandons her.
7. I've Got to Have You
- Artist: Carly Simon
- Released: 1971
- Genre: Pop, Rock, Folk
- Album: Anticipation
I've Got to Have You is the closing song of Carly Simon's album Anticipation. It was released as a single in Australia and emerged at number six on the Australian charts in 1972 and number 28 on the Top 100 of 1973. The song explores the theme of deep desire and longing for someone you can't live without.
8. Full Moon
- Artist: Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge
- Released: 1973
- Genre: Country
- Album: Full Moon
Full Moon is among Rita Coolidge's songs written by Kris Kristofferson. It is a duet album by American songwriter Kris Kristofferson and his then-wife Rita Coolidge. It was released a few weeks after the two got married.
The song was produced by Rita's producer, David Anderle. It was Rita's first of three collaborative albums with Kris Kristofferson.
9. The Heart
- Artist: Lacy J. Dalton
- Released: 1989
- Genre: Country
- Album: Survivor
The Heart is a song recorded by American country singer Lacy J. Dalton. It was the first single from the artist's 1989 album Survivor. Kris originally recorded the song on his 1986 album Repossessed. However, Lacy's version reached number 13 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.
10. One Day at a Time
- Artist: Marilyn Sellars
- Released: 1974
- Genre: Country
- Album: One Day at a Time
One Day at a Time is a popular country and Western-style Christian song first recorded by Marilyn Sellars and released in May 1974. Over 200 artists have since recorded it. It was composed by Kris and Marijohn Wilkin.
Marilyn's version became a US Top 40 and Top 20 hit on the Country charts. It won the 1975 Gospel Music Association (GMA) Dove Awards for best song.
What songs did Kris Kristofferson write for others?
Kris Kristofferson wrote the best songs for various notable artists. Some include Me and Bobby McGee by Janis Joplin, For the Good Times by Ray Price, and I've Got to Have You by Carly Simon.
What song did Kris Kristofferson write for Elvis?
The American songwriter wrote the Help Me song for Elvis Presley. The song was recorded in December 1973 and released in 1974.
How many #1 songs did Kris Kristofferson write?
According to Billboard, Kris has 11 number one hit tracks and albums he has written. Some include his songs, such as Why Me and Jesus Was a Capricorn.
Kris Kristofferson is one of the artists who are known for their incredible talent in writing songs. He was a famous singer-songwriter who gained recognition for composing songs for popular artists such as Johnny Cash, Janis Joplin, and Ray Price. The best songs written by Kris Kristofferson are known for winning awards.
Legit.ng recently published an article about surprising songs Chris Stapleton wrote that were recorded by other artists. Chris is a country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist widely known for writing songs for popular artists such as Adele, Brad Paisley, and Lee Anne Womack.
Chris Stapleton's prowess in writing songs has earned him several awards, such as the Triple Crow Award (2023) and the ACMusic Award for Songwriter of the Decade (2019). Some famous songs he has written for other artists include If It Hadn't Been Love and The Best Thing I Had Goin'. Discover other songs the singer has written in the article.
Source: Legit.ng
