This is a list of songs written by Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson .
Year | Song [1] | Original artist [1] | U.S. Pop [2] | U.S. R&B [3] | UK Singles Chart [4] | Other charting versions, and notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1965 | "The Real Thing" | Betty Everett | - | - | - | Written by Ashford, Simpson, and Jo Armstead 1965: Tina Britt, #20 R&B [5] |
"Let's Go Get Stoned" | The Coasters | - | - | - | Written by Ashford, Simpson, and Jo Armstead 1966: Ray Charles, #31 US, [6] #1 R&B [7] | |
"One Step at a Time" | Maxine Brown | 55 | - | - | Written by Ashford, Simpson, and Jo Armstead | |
"Hey Ho, What You Do to Me" | The Guess Who | 125 | - | - | Written by Ashford, Simpson, and Jo Armstead, #3 hit in Canada | |
"Never Had It So Good" | Ronnie Milsap | 106 | 19 [8] | - | Written by Ashford, Simpson, and Jo Armstead B-side: Let's Go Get Stoned | |
1966 | "The Hard Way" | The Nashville Teens | - | - | 45 | Written by Ashford, Simpson, and Jo Armstead |
"Cry Like a Baby" | Aretha Franklin | - | 27 | - | Written by Ashford, Simpson, and Jo Armstead 1973: Dorothy Moore, #79 R&B | |
"I Don't Need No Doctor" | Ray Charles | 72 | 45 | - | Written by Ashford, Simpson, and Jo Armstead 1971: Humble Pie, #71 US 1972: New Riders of the Purple Sage, #81 US 1987: W.A.S.P. (live), #31 UK | |
1967 | "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" | Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell | 19 | 3 | - | 1970: Diana Ross, #1 US, #1 R&B, #6 UK 1981: Boys Town Gang, #46 UK 1986: Diana Ross, #85 UK (reissue) 1998: Whitehouse, #60 UK 1998: Jocelyn Brown, #35 UK Credited as co-writers with Amy Winehouse, following use of sample: 2007: Amy Winehouse, "Tears Dry on Their Own", #16 UK 2011: Amy Winehouse, "Tears Dry on Their Own", #27 UK (reissue) |
"Your Precious Love" | Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell | 5 | 2 | - | 1982: Al Jarreau and Randy Crawford, #16 R&B 1990: Tamika Patton, #20 R&B 1999: Erykah Badu and D'Angelo, #83 R&B | |
"California Soul" | The Messengers | - | - | - | 1968: The 5th Dimension, #25 US, #49 R&B 1970: Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, #56 US 2005: Riot Act, #59 UK | |
1968 | "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" | Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell | 8 | 1 | 34 | 1974: Aretha Franklin, #47 US, #6 R&B 1976: Donny and Marie Osmond, #21 US 1982: Chris Christian, #88 US 1994: Marcella Detroit and Elton John, #24 UK |
"Some Things You Never Get Used To" | Diana Ross and the Supremes | 30 | 43 | 34 | ||
"You're All I Need to Get By" | Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell | 7 | 1 | 19 | 1971: Aretha Franklin, #19 US, #3 R&B 1975: Tony Orlando & Dawn, #34 US 1978: Johnny Mathis & Deniece Williams, #47 US, #10 R&B, #45 UK 1995: Method Man, #3 US, #1 R&B, #10 UK | |
"I Am Your Man" | Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers | 85 | 40 | - | ||
"Destination: Anywhere" | The Marvelettes | 63 | 28 | - | ||
"Keep On Lovin' Me Honey" | Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell | 24 | 11 | - | ||
1969 | "You Ain't Livin' Till You're Lovin'" | Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell | - | - | 21 | |
"Good Lovin' Ain't Easy to Come By" | Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell | 30 | 11 | 26 | ||
"Didn't You Know (You'd Have to Cry Sometime)" | Gladys Knight & the Pips | 63 | 11 | - | ||
"The Onion Song" | Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell | 50 | 18 | 9 | ||
"What You Gave Me" | Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell | 49 | 6 | - | 1979: Diana Ross, #86 R&B | |
1970 | "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)" | Diana Ross | 20 | 7 | 33 | 1973: Diana Ross, #51 UK (reissue) |
"Who's Gonna Take the Blame" | Smokey Robinson & the Miracles | 46 | 9 | - | ||
"Remember Me" | Diana Ross | 16 | 10 | 7 | ||
1971 | "Surrender" | Diana Ross | 38 | 16 | 10 | |
1972 | "Tear It On Down" | Martha Reeves and the Vandellas | - | 37 | - | |
"Silly Wasn't I" | Valerie Simpson | 63 | 24 | - | Written by Ashford, Simpson, and Jo Armstead | |
1973 | "(I'd Know You) Anywhere" | Ashford & Simpson | 88 | 37 | - | |
1974 | "Have You Ever Tried It" | Ashford & Simpson | - | 77 | - | |
"Main Line" | Ashford & Simpson | - | 37 | - | ||
"Don't Send Nobody Else" | Ace Spectrum | 57 | 20 | - | ||
"Everybody's Got to Give It Up" | Ashford & Simpson | - | 53 | - | ||
"Shoe Shoe Shine" | The Dynamic Superiors | 68 | 16 | - | ||
1975 | "I Had a Love " | Ben E. King | - | 77 | - | |
"Bend Me" | Ashford & Simpson | - | 73 | - | ||
"Leave It Alone" | The Dynamic Superiors | - | 13 | - | ||
"Nobody's Gonna Change Me" | The Dynamic Superiors | - | 51 | - | ||
"Deception" | The Dynamic Superiors | - | 53 | - | ||
1976 | "It'll Come, It'll Come, It'll Come" | Ashford & Simpson | - | 96 | - | |
"Somebody Told a Lie" | Ashford & Simpson | - | 58 | - | ||
"Tried, Tested and Found True" | Ashford & Simpson | - | 52 | - | ||
1977 | "So So Satisfied" | Ashford & Simpson | - | 27 | - | |
"Over and Over" | Ashford & Simpson | - | 39 | - | ||
"Send It" | Ashford & Simpson | - | 15 | - | ||
1978 | "Don't Cost You Nothing" | Ashford & Simpson | 79 | 10 | 51 | |
"By Way of Love's Express" | Ashford & Simpson | - | 35 | - | ||
"Stuff Like That" | Quincy Jones | 21 | 1 | 34 | Written by Ashford, Simpson, Steve Gadd, Eric Gale, Quincy Jones, Ralph MacDonald and Richard Tee | |
"It Seems to Hang On" | Ashford & Simpson | - | 2 | 48 | ||
"Ride-O-Rocket" | The Brothers Johnson | - | 45 | 50 | ||
"I'm Every Woman" | Chaka Khan | 21 | 1 | 11 | 1989: Chaka Khan (remix), #8 UK 1993: Whitney Houston, #4 US, #5 R&B, #4 UK 2004: Chaka Khan (reissue), #80 UK | |
"Is It Still Good to Ya" | Ashford & Simpson | - | 12 | - | ||
1979 | "Flashback" | Ashford & Simpson | - | 70 | - | |
"Found a Cure" | Ashford & Simpson | 36 | 2 | - | ||
"The Boss" | Diana Ross | 19 | 12 | 40 | 1997: The Braxtons, #31 UK | |
"Nobody Knows" | Ashford & Simpson | - | 19 | - | ||
"No One Gets the Prize" | Diana Ross | - | - | 59 | ||
"It's My House" | Diana Ross | - | 27 | 32 | 1979: Storm, #36 UK | |
1980 | "Gimme Something Real" | Wardell Piper | - | 53 | - | |
"Clouds" | Chaka Khan | - | 10 | - | 1997: The Source, #38 UK | |
"Top of the Stairs" | Collins and Collins | - | 68 | - | ||
"Landlord" | Gladys Knight and the Pips | 46 | 3 | - | ||
"Love Don't Make It Right" | Ashford & Simpson | - | 6 | - | ||
"A Taste of Bitter Love" | Gladys Knight and the Pips | - | 38 | 35 | ||
"Happy Endings" | Ashford & Simpson | - | 35 | - | ||
"Bourgie', Bourgie'" | Gladys Knight and the Pips | - | 45 | 32 | ||
1981 | "Bad Company" | Ullanda McCullough | - | 36 | - | |
"I Ain't Asking" | Phyllis Hyman | - | ||||
"I Will Fight" | Gladys Knight and the Pips | - | 21 | - | ||
"If That'll Make You Happy " | Gladys Knight and the Pips | - | 37 | - | ||
"Get Out Your Handkerchief " | Ashford & Simpson | - | 65 | - | ||
"It Shows in the Eyes" | Ashford & Simpson | - | 34 | - | ||
1982 | "A Friend of Mine" | Gladys Knight and the Pips | - | 50 | - | |
"Keep Away Girls" | Stephanie Mills | - | 13 | - | ||
"Street Corner" | Ashford & Simpson | 56 | 9 | - | ||
"Love It Away" | Ashford & Simpson | - | 20 | - | ||
1983 | "High-Rise" | Ashford & Simpson | - | 17 | - | |
"It's Much Deeper" | Ashford & Simpson | - | 45 | - | ||
1984 | "Solid" | Ashford & Simpson | 12 | 1 | 3 | |
1985 | "Outta the World" | Ashford & Simpson | - | 4 | - | |
"Babies" | Ashford & Simpson | - | 29 | 56 | ||
1986 | "Count Your Blessings" | Ashford & Simpson | - | 4 | 79 | |
1989 | "I'll Be There for You" | Ashford & Simpson | - | 2 | - | |
"Uh-Uh Ooh-Ooh Look Out (Here It Comes)" | Roberta Flack | - | 37 | 72 | ||
1990 | "Hungry for Me Again" | Ashford & Simpson | - | 40 | - | |
1996 | "Been Found" | Ashford & Simpson | - | 80 | - | |
"I Can't Help Myself" is a 1965 song recorded by the Four Tops for the Motown label.
"Ain't No Mountain High Enough" is a song written by Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson in 1966 for the Tamla label, a division of Motown. The composition was first successful as a 1967 hit single recorded by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, and became a hit again in 1970 when recorded by former Supremes frontwoman Diana Ross. The song became Ross's first solo number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
"You're All I Need to Get By" is a song recorded by the American R&B/soul duo Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell and released on Motown Records' Tamla label in 1968. It was the basis for the 1995 single "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" from Method Man and Mary J. Blige.
"Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" is a 1968 single released by American R&B/soul duo Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, on the Tamla label in 1968. The B-side of the single is "Little Ole Boy, Little Ole Girl" from the duo's United LP. The first release off the duo's second album: You're All I Need, the song—written and produced by regular Gaye/Terrell collaborators Ashford & Simpson—became a hit within weeks of release eventually peaking at number eight on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot Soul Singles chart, the first of the duo's two number-one R&B hits. In the UK "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" reached number 34.
"Spanish Harlem" is a song recorded by Ben E. King in 1960 for Atco Records. It was written by Jerry Leiber and Phil Spector and produced by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. "Spanish Harlem" was King's first hit away from The Drifters, peaking at number 15 on Billboard's rhythm and blues and number 10 in pop music chart.
Linked here are Billboard magazine's number-one rhythm and blues hits. The Billboard R&B chart is today known as the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
The Boss is the tenth studio album by American singer Diana Ross, released on May 23, 1979, by Motown Records.
"Written All Over Your Face" is a song by American R&B group The Rude Boys, released as the second single from their debut album Rude Awakening. The song was written and produced by group member Larry Marcus with additional production from session musician and recording engineer Jim Salamone. The song became the group's signature song and spent one week at number one on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart. It also peaked at number sixteen on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1991. "Written All Over Your Face" made the group a sensation, as the single topped the R&B charts and reached the national top 20. The single rode the charts for 31 weeks, and made it to #1 on the Billboard R&B charts and #16 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"Go Away Little Girl" is a popular song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. It was first recorded by Bobby Vee for Liberty Records on March 28, 1962. The lyrics consist of a young man asking a young attractive woman to stay away from him, so that he will not be tempted to betray his steady girlfriend by kissing her. The song is notable for making the American Top 20 three times: for Steve Lawrence in 1963, for The Happenings in 1966, and for Donny Osmond in 1971. It is also the first song, and one of only nine, to reach US number 1 by two different artists. Also notable in each of the solo versions is the similar double-tracked treatment of the singer's voice.
"Slow Hand" is a song recorded by American vocal group The Pointer Sisters for their eighth studio album Black & White (1981). The song, written by Michael Clark and John Bettis, was released by the Planet label in May 1981 as the lead single from Black & White.
"Keep On Lovin' Me Honey" is a 1968 hit written and produced by Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson, and issued as a single on Motown Records' Tamla label by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. It was the third release from the duo's You're All I Need album. Billboard described the single as a "potent, driving rocker" that "will put [Gaye and Terrell] rapidly at the top." Cash Box said that it "blazes its way with terrific rhythmic impact and super-powered vocal splendor."
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by Billboard. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 positions but was shortened to 50 positions in October 2012.
"Stuff Like That" is a hit song with music and lyrics written by Quincy Jones, Ashford & Simpson, Steve Gadd, Eric Gale, Ralph MacDonald and Richard Tee. The song was originally an instrumental rhythm track. Jones worked on the track with Ashford & Simpson, Chaka Khan and studio musicians Gadd, Gale, MacDonald and Tee to turn it into a single. Ashford & Simpson and Khan featured as vocalists while George Young was playing alto saxophone. The song was included on Jones' 1978 album Sounds...And Stuff Like That!. The single spent one week at number one on the R&B singles chart, for the week ending 1 July 1978, and peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
"Solid" is a song recorded by American husband-and-wife songwriting duo Ashford & Simpson, released in September 1984 as the first single from their eleventh studio album, Solid (1984). It peaked at number one on the US Billboard soul chart and number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
"Let's Go Get Stoned" is a song originally recorded by The Coasters in May 1965. It was written by Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson, and Josephine Armstead. Ronnie Milsap recorded it in October 1965 as a B-side to the single, "Never Had It So Good.
That's What Friends Are For is an album by American singers Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams, released in July 1978 by Columbia Records. The project was a continuation of the pairing of the artists that began on his previous LP, You Light Up My Life, which included "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late", the duet that was on its way to number one on three different charts in Billboard magazine as the recording sessions for this album got underway.
"Chains Of Love", a 12-bar blues, was written by Doc Pomus.
"Barefootin'" is a 1966 song written and performed by Robert Parker. "Barefootin'" was arranged and produced by Wardell Quezergue in 1965. Parker's record label, Nola Records, claimed that the record sold over one million copies.
Tina Britt is an American R&B singer who had two hits on the Billboard R&B chart in the 1960s. She released one album Blue All The Way, and six 45s between 1965 and 1970.
"Hangin' On" is a song by the Gosdin Brothers, released in August 1967. It has been recorded by numerous artists, including Joe Simon, Ann Peebles, Cher, Cliff Richard and Ann-Margret & Lee Hazlewood.