Carrie Underwood’s most trusted co-writer will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame this spring. Hillary Lindsey has written nearly 50 songs cut by the superstar, and dozens more for artists like Keith Urban, Little Big Town, Taylor Swift and Lady A.

• Timbaland, R.E.M., Steely Dan and Dean Pitchford join Lindsey in the Songwriters Hall of Fame induction class of 2024.
• Lindsey was on hand in 2023 to help induct Liz Rose. The pair (plus Lori McKenna) form the Love Junkies songwriting trio, responsible for songs like “Girl Crush.”
• The 2024 Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony is set for June 13 in New York City.

A partial list of hit songs co-written by Lindsey is below. The full list is remarkable for its length and diversity. “One Beer” by Hardy and “Jesus, Take the Wheel” could be considered stylistic bookends. She’s also written pop songs for artists like Lady Gaga that expand that collection.

The Georgia native has been having success since 2002 when “Blessed” became a hit for Martina McBride. While she landed a steady stream of cuts prior to 2005, her work on Underwood albums proved to be a breakthrough. The Some Hearts album included the singer’s breakthrough hit, as well a second No. 1 called “Wasted.”

From there, Lindsey would land six songs on Carnival Ride, three on Play On and seven on Blown Away and Cry Pretty (and eight on Denim & Rhinestones).

She was a good friend to country newcomers, as well, helping reality show stars like Kellie Pickler, Lauren Alaina and Steel Magnolia complete their first albums before finding success on albums recorded by country men, plus pop stars like Lady Gaga.

Songs Written by Hillary Lindsey (Partial List):

Carrie Underwood:
“Cry Pretty”
“Dirty Laundry”
“Ghost Story”
“Jesus, Take the Wheel”
“Just a Dream”
“Last Name”
“Smoke Break”
“Two Black Cadillacs”
“Wasted”

Lady A:
“American Honey”
“You Look Good”

Little Big Town:
“Girl Crush”
“Pain Killer”
“Shut Up Train”
“Sober”

Others:
Gary Allan, “Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain)”
Hardy, “One Beer”
Keith Urban, “Blue Ain’t Your Color”
Kelsea Ballerini, “Hole in the Bottle”
Luke Bryan, “Knockin’ Boots”
Martina McBride, “Blessed”
Miranda Lambert, “It All Comes Out in the Wash”
Sara Evans, “A Little Bit Stronger”
Taylor Swift, “Fearless”
Tim McGraw, “Shotgun Rider”

The three-time Grammy-winning songwriter was the second woman to receive the ACMs Songwriter of the Year award when she won in 2020. John Prine and Tom T. Hall (2019), Alan Jackson and Bill Anderson (2018) and Toby Keith (2015) are a few more country songwriters who’ve been inducted in recent years.