Complete List Of Brett James Songs From A to Z

Feature Photo: (DoD photo by D. Myles Cullen/Released), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Brett James Cornelius was born in Columbia, Missouri, on June 5, 1968, and grew up in Del City, Oklahoma. He attended Christian Heritage Academy in Del City and later graduated from Baylor University. While he began medical school, he shifted his path toward music and moved to Nashville in the early 1990s to pursue his songwriting dreams. His early resolve to switch from medicine to music laid the groundwork for a career that would shape country songwriting.

In 1995 Brett James released his debut studio album Brett James via Career Records, a division of Arista Nashville. That album included the singles “Female Bonding,” “If I Could See Love,” and “Worth the Fall,” all of which appeared on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart though none reached the top forty. This early recording effort demonstrated his commitment to writing and performing, even though his greatest impact would come behind the scenes.

As a songwriter and producer, James became far more prolific. He penned more than 500 songs that were recorded by artists across country and pop, with his compositions appearing on albums of more than 110 million in sales. He achieved 26 or 27 number-one country hits, including “Who I Am” by Jessica Andrews, “Jesus, Take the Wheel” by Carrie Underwood, “When the Sun Goes Down” by Kenny Chesney and Uncle Kracker, and “The Truth” by Jason Aldean. His reach extended well beyond his own performing career into a realm of songwriting mastery.

Awards and recognitions followed. He won the Grammy Award for Best Country Song for “Jesus, Take the Wheel” in 2007 and collected other professional honors including ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year in 2006 and 2010. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020. James also served on the board of directors of the Country Music Association and worked as a national trustee of The Recording Academy (the Grammys). His dual role as creator and advocate made him particularly respected in the industry.

Outside of writing songs, he founded Cornman Music, a publishing company, and Believer Artist Management. He worked as a record producer with credits including Taylor Swift, Jessica Simpson, Josh Gracin, and Kip Moore. He helped shape the careers of other artists while still writing hits for the genre’s biggest names. This part of his work shows his influence beyond individual songs and into helping build musical careers.

Brett James passed away on September 18, 2025, when the Cirrus SR22T he was piloting crashed near Franklin, North Carolina. He was 57 years old. His wife and stepdaughter were also on board and died in the crash. The news shocked the country music community and prompted tributes from artists he wrote for and worked with. Though his performing career was modest, his songwriting legacy remains immense.

The reason he was so loved in the business is multifaceted: his songwriting delivered emotional clarity, melodic strength and resonant lyrics; he supported other songwriters as a leader in governing organizations; and he helped bridge country and pop in a way that broadened the genre’s reach. His name may not have been on every marquee as a performer, but his fingerprints are on countless hit records and careers.

From his early predictable path in medicine to the unpredictable heights of songwriting and production, Brett James’s career embodied persistence, versatility and impact. He leaves behind a catalogue of songs and a network of relationships that continue to shape music today.

Complete List Of Brett James Songs From A to Z

The songs below were all written by Brett James. I have added the artist who recorded them next to the song.

“90 Degrees and Freezing” – Chicago
“After All” – Brett James
“All the Crap I Do” – Mark Wills
“Always Be This Way” – Martina McBride
“Always Sixteen” – Billy Ray Cyrus
“American Radio” – Carolina Rain
“At the End of the Day” – Kellie Coffey
“Baby, You’re Right” – Phil Vassar
“The Bad in Me” – Jake Owen
“Big Cry” – Sara Evans
“Blessed” – Martina McBride
“Bottoms Up” – Brantley Gilbert
“Bucket” – Kenny Chesney
“Chasin’ Amy” – Brett James
“Cheatin'” – Sara Evans
“Country Star” – Pat Green
“Cowboy Casanova” – Carrie Underwood
“Cowboy Girl” – Lonestar
“Crazy White Boy” – Mark Wills
“Dancin’ for the Groceries” – Kenny Chesney
“Dark Side of the Moon” – Brett James – 1995
“Days of Thunder” – Mark Wills
“Don’t Give Up on Me” – Jason Aldean
“Drugs or Jesus” – Tim McGraw
“Enjoy the Ride” – Brett James – 1995
“Falling” – Trent Harmon
“Feels Just Like It Should” – Pat Green
“Female Bonding” – Brett James – 1995
“Fingerprints” – Kellie Coffey
“Flat on the Floor” – Katrina Elam, Carrie Underwood
“Flip Flop Summer” – Kenny Chesney
“Follow Me Home” – Jamie O’Neal
“Footsteps of Our Fathers” – Pat Green
“From This Dream” – Little Big Town
“Funny Thing About Love” – Lauren Alaina
“Game On” – Carrie Underwood
“Get Off on the Pain” – Gary Allan
“Grown Woman” – Jason Aldean
“Hands on You” – Florida Georgia Line
“Hank” – Mark Wills
“Heartache That Don’t Stop Hurting” – Jason Aldean
“The Heart of Dixie” – Danielle Bradbery
“Helpless When She Smiles” – Backstreet Boys
“Helplessly, Hopelessly” – Jessica Andrews
“Here I Am” – Leona Lewis
“Hollywood, California” – Blue County
“I Don’t Want To” – Ashley Monroe with Ronnie Dunn
“I Don’t Want to Live” – Josh Gracin, Chris Cagle
“I Hold On” – Dierks Bentley
“I Just Want to Love You” – Lonestar
“I Love My Old Bird Dog (& I Love You Too)” – Crossin Dixon
“I Love You This Big” – Scotty McCreery
“I Need a Man” – Crystal Shawanda
“I Use What I Got” – Jason Aldean
“I Want to Live” – Josh Gracin
“I Was Made for You” – Chris Cagle
“I Would” – Jolie & the Wanted
“I’ve Forgotten You” – Michelle Wright, Rhonda Vincent
“If I Could See Love” – Brett James – 1995
“Invisible” – Josh Gracin
“It’s a Business Doing Pleasure with You” – Tim McGraw
“It’s America” – Rodney Atkins
“Isabella” – Dia Frampton
“Jesus, Take The Wheel” – Carrie Underwood
“Just Like We Never Happened” – Brett James – 1995
“Just to Say We Did” – Kenny Chesney
“Keep on Wanting” – The Fray
“Keg in the Closet” – Kenny Chesney
“Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me” – Kenny Chesney
“Knowing You” – Kenny Chesney
“Life After You” – Daughtry
“Little Bit Lonely” – Billy Currington
“Livin’ It Up” – Josh Gracin
“Long Lost Friend” – Chicago
“Look What I Found” – Chris Cagle
“Losing at Loving” – Blue County
“Lost Without You” – Pat Green
“Loved” – Lucy Hale
“Love Don’t Have to Be So Hard” – Trent Willmon
“Love Is a Sweet Thing” – Faith Hill
“The Love We Make” – Rodney Atkins
“Love You Out Loud” – Rascal Flatts
“Love Wins” – Carrie Underwood
“Man Enough” – Jessica Simpson
“The Man I Want to Be” – Chris Young
“Many Tears Ago” – Brett James – 1995
“Mine Is You” – Neal McCoy
“Mr. Know It All” – Kelly Clarkson
“My Heart Move On” – Chris Cagle
“Never Love Enough” – Chely Wright
“(No One’s Gonna) Break Me Down” – Wynonna Judd
“No Place” – Backstreet Boys
“Not Tonight” – Kristy Lee Cook
“November” – Emerson Drive
“On My Highway” – Jason Aldean
“On My Way to You” – Cody Johnson
“Once Upon a Broken Heart” – The Beu Sisters
“One Trip” – Montgomery Gentry
“The One You Love/Todo Mi Amor” – Paulina Rubio
“Out Last Night” – Kenny Chesney
“Out Of My Head” – Theory of a Deadman
“Peace of Mind” – Josh Gracin
“A Perfectly Good Heart” – Taylor Swift
“Pray Out Loud” – Jessica Simpson
“Raincoat” – Kelly Sweet
“Reality” – Kenny Chesney
“Red Camaro” – Keith Urban
“Right Now” – Chad Brock
“Save Us” – Keith Bryant
“Say Yes” – Dusty Drake
“Scars on This Guitar” – Bon Jovi
“She’s Killin’ Me” – Brett James – 1995
“Sing” – Neal McCoy
“Somethin’ Bad” – Miranda Lambert w/Carrie Underwood
“Something in the Water” – Carrie Underwood
“So Magical” – Martina McBride
“Spirit of a Storm” – Kenny Chesney
“Start of Something Good” – Daughtry
“Stay with Me (Brass Bed)” – Josh Gracin
“Still Beautiful” – Jessica Simpson
“Still Don’t Stop Me” – Jessica Simpson
“Strange” – The Warren Brothers
“Stubborn (Psalm 151)” – Lee Ann Womack
“Sugar and Daisies” – 3 of Hearts
“A Summer Day” – Shane Yellowbird
“Summer Nights” – Rascal Flatts
“Summer of Love” – Martina McBride
“Swingin’ Door” – Catherine Britt
“Tears and Time” – Andy Griggs
“Telluride” – Tim McGraw, Josh Gracin
“Texas Plates” – Kellie Coffey
“Things That You Say” – Jon McLaughlin
“This Time” – Pia Toscano
“This Mystery” – Marco Borsato & Sita
“A Thousand Years” – Little Big Town
“Thrill of the Chase” – Brett James – 1995
“Till We Ain’t Strangers Anymore” – Bon Jovi with LeAnn Rimes
“To Get to You” – Lorrie Morgan
“Touch of Grey” – Bon Jovi
“Tremble” – Mindy McCready
“The Truth” – Trent Willmon, Jason Aldean
“Tryin'” – Little Big Town, Pam Tillis
“Turn It Up” – Josh Gracin
“Twisted” – Carrie Underwood
“Up All Night” – Kip Moore
“Wake Up and Smell the Whiskey” – Brett James – 1995
“Wal-Mart Parking Lot” – Chris Cagle
“The Way That You Love” – Brett James – 1995
“We Can’t Do It Alone” – Van Zant
“What Do You Got?” – Bon Jovi
“What the World Needs” – Wynonna Judd
“Wheels” – Josh Gracin
“When the Sun Goes Down” – Kenny Chesney and Uncle Kracker
“When You Dance with Me” – Rushlow
“When You Love Me” – Jessica Andrews
“When You Think of Me” – Mark Wills
“Who I Am” – Jessica Andrews
“Wife and Kids” – Kenny Chesney
“With Me” – Lonestar
“Women Rule the World” – Lonestar
“Worth the Fall” – Brett James – 1995
“You Break Me” – 3 of Hearts
“You Get to Me” – Mindy McCready
“You Might Want to Think About It” – Chris Cagle
“You Save Me” – Kenny Chesney
“You Still Take Me There” – Collin Raye
“You Were Just Here” – Jo Dee Messina
“You Won’t Be Lonely Now” – Billy Ray Cyrus
“Your Blues” – Little Texas
“You” – Meredith Edwards

Solo Album

Brett James (1995): 11 songs

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