The secret to Ryan Tedder’s extraordinary success -- as an in-demand hit songwriter, as a gifted record producer and, first and foremost, as the charismatic front man of the Grammy-nominated group OneRepublic-- is really no secret at all.
Rather, Tedder’s impressive recent track record of triumph on multiple fronts during an extremely tough time in the industry is the direct and result of one young man’s longstanding, unapologetic passion for spending his life making music, by any means necessary.
“From the beginning when I was in college, people would ask me what I wanted to do,” recalls Tedder during a rare break from the studio. “I would tell everybody who’d listen that all I wanted was to go into the music industry and become an artist, a writer and a producer, all these different things. Most people in life feel that they have to pick just one thing, and I’ve never been any good at that. I could never pick just one thing in anything. Seriously, I couldn’t pick one thing to order for dinner at a restaurant, so how on earth could I ever pick just one way to make music for my whole life?”
“Since I was three, music was more than the soundtrack to my life -- it was everything to me,” says Tedder who grew up in Oklahoma and later Colorado in a family of missionaries and musicians. “Music was like the brother I didn’t have. I’d walk around with a headset and earphones on at all times because I thought music added so much to life, like in a great movie where the perfect song meant so much at the right moment. For me, music always has -- and always will -- make everything else in life so much more interesting.”
Fortunately, for Tedder and for music fans everywhere, he has never had to choose simply one path. And while still in his twenties, Tedder’s dream is already coming true in a very big way. Beyond the tremendous and heartening success of his beloved OneRepublic, Tedder has simultaneously established himself as a musical force with which to reckoned in his own right. Already outside of his work with the group, Tedder has co-written one of the biggest hits in recent memory, “Bleeding Love,” (nominated for a Grammy as Record of the Year) became an international smash for Leona Lewis reaching 1 in over 30 countries. “Bleeding Love” broke the all time record as The Most Played Song in the history of the Top-40 radio format. Tedder now holds the 1 and 2 (OneRepublic’s “Apologize”) spots for the most played songs ever at Top-40 radio. “Bleeding Love” broke a record in the U.S. and the U.K. when the single entered the charts at 1 simultaneously in each country, a feat that was the first time ever for a female British artist. The song held the 1 position in the U.K. for 7 straight weeks and set the all time record for the fastest selling song in U.K. history reaching over 9 million copies worldwide.
Ryan also wrote and co-produced the 1 international hit “Halo” for Beyonce and the smash “Love Like This” for Natasha Bedingfield featuring Sean Kingston. Tedder’s wrote and/or producing numerous other tracks for the likes of Jennifer Lopez (“Do It Well”), Kelly Clarkson (five collaborations on her 1 All I Ever Wanted album), and tracks for everyone from Chris Cornell to Ashley Tisdale to t.A.T.u to Paul Oakenfold (for which Tedder received a Grammy nomination) and James Morrison. Indeed, as the Sunday Times of London noted, “Tedder has become the go-to writer/producer for that elusive but essential radio hit.”
Tedder simultaneously had three 1 hits worldwide, with “Bleeding Love” (Leona Lewis) in the UK, “Apologize” (OneRepublic/Timbaland) in the U.S. and “Do It Well (featuring Ludacris)” (Jennifer Lopez) in Japan.
Ryan’s considerable musical range is a reflection of his many musical interests, and the inspiration of his early musical heroes that range from the Beatles to Peter Gabriel and U2, to hit tunesmith Diane Warren and the best songwriters of Nashville, where he made one important step in his early career. “I wouldn’t be here without all the greats who inspired me,” says Tedder. “They all taught me by example about the art of making music and the craft too. To me, writing for other people is more the craft of songwriting, and the songwriters in Nashville are among the most impressive in the world because they write so well for other voices. All I’m doing is applying some of that sense of real craft I learned in Nashville to the non-country world -- of really understanding what a hit song and why is it a hit song?” As Tedder explains, “I’m always trying to write a great song, and I’m obsessed with that marriage of a great song with a great artist. When that marriage happens, it is fantastic. And if I can help a great artist have another great moment in their career, what an amazing thrill and honor.”
Yet Tedder confesses he takes even greater pride --and even more chances -- as the lead singer, multi-instrumentalist and main writer with his own group One Republic, and he is currently happily recording the band’s second album along with bandmates Zack Filkins, Drew Brown, Brent Kutzle and Eddie Fisher, and once again exploring the group’s approach of constantly switching instruments and exploring their own impressive musicality.
“My work with OneRepublic is more meaningful to me than anything, and I’m dedicated to doing whatever it takes to making us one of the biggest or most relevant bands in the world,” says Tedder. “We’re not there yet, but make no mistake that is my goal. I’m a competitive guy by nature, and my M.O. for anything I do is ..Go big or go home.’ Growing up, my dad always said that good is the enemy of great. I believe that. I have said it so many times to my band that they are now sick of it. But the truth is that deep down, I have no interest in good. I only have interest in great.”
With such drive, it’s perhaps little surprise that OneRepublic has become a unique success story in its own right -- a young band that had a massive global smash before they even had an album, thanks in part to the power of a great song, My Space and Timbaland too. “Apologize” – written, produced and performed by Tedder with OneRepublic -- first became a left-field hit when a remix of the song appeared on Timbaland Presents: Shock Value, a popular collection by the group’s slightly unlikely mentor who signed the group up after they were dropped by Sony before ever releasing a track.
Soon, “Apologize” would appear in its original version on Dreaming Out Loud, OneRepublic’s 2007 debut album released on Timbaland’s Mosley Music Group imprint that became a major hit and yielded another substantial hit in “Stop And Stare.” . Nominated for a Grammy Award, Best Pop Performance by a Duo of Group with Vocals, the 1 hit “Apologize” has also become the most downloaded track for the digital age selling over 10 million copies.
But when it comes to exploring his freedom to make music however he sees fit, Tedder is hardly one to apologize or stop and stare. “I couldn’t be more excited about what we’re doing in OneRepublic,” he says. “At the same time, it never even occurred to me that artists didn’t always write their own songs growing up. Then at 15, I found out that sometimes other people wrote for singers, and I immediately thought, what a great job that would be and I started exploring that too. I immediately started studying who were the greatest songwriters alive and what songs did they write. That opened a whole other world up to me. So now I’m the luckiest guy in the world, because I get to spend all my time doing the two best jobs in the entire world.”
Make no mistake, for Tedder, these are jobs he’s now doing not for money, but for the love of music. “At the risk of sounding ridiculous, money has never been the point for me, “ he explains. “It’s not meaningless, but it’s so low on the totem poll that it doesn’t really motivate what I do in terms of writing and producing. That allows me to write from a true place where it’s really all about the song. Other people like to play video games, or skydive; I love to write songs. On a Friday night, other than hanging out with my wife or maybe skiing, I’d rather be in the studio with a bunch of keyboards and a guitar writing a new song.”
With that, Ryan Tedder get right back to work to the studio, and back to where he belongs -- making music.
CURRENT WRITING/PRODUCTION PROJECTS: Adam Lambert, Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Leona Lewis, Natasha Bedingfield, Estelle, Tamar, Nikki Flores, OneRepublic, Westlife, Patriot Records.
Great profile. Peace and progress. Many thanks for adding me and looking forward to your comment.. Any suggestion is welcome. Hope you enjoy and dance to my Music. All the best wishes. Farid
I hid my love when young while I Couldn't bear the buzzing of a fly I hid my love to my despite Till I could not bear to look at light I dare not gaze upon her face But left her memory in each place Where ere I saw a wild flower lie I kissed and bade my love goodbye
I met her in the greenest dells Where dew drops pearl the wood bluebells The lost breeze kissed her bright blue eye The bee kissed and went singing by A sunbeam found a passage there A gold chain round her neck so fair As secret as the wild bee's song She lay there all the summer long
I hid my love in field and town Till e'en the breeze would knock me down The bees seemed singing ballads l'er The fly's buss turned a Lion's roar And even silence found a tongue To haunt me all the summer long The riddle nature could not prove Was nothing else but secret love
Just stopping by to say welcome back to the UK and to wish you and the guys good luck with the start of the James Morrison tour. Have a great time and I'll see you on Friday at Wembley. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to it. This will be the 4th time and I get more excited with each show. If you get time afterwards to come out that would be great! There will be lots of us from twitter waiting for you.
bonjour ryan .i spend just wishing you a beautiful day . hope that you have an great show in uk ,and above hope you come soon in france . je vous embrasse ,prener soin de onerepublic .gros bisous
Thanks for accepting our request! It means alot, check out our tunes
and let us know what you think. Let us know if you like it, we can hook
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bonjour ryan. je suis tellement heureuse je vais vous voir a londres le 18 janvier .meme si je suis morte de peur a l idee de prendre l avion lol .je vous embrasse prener soin de onerepublic .gros bisous!!!
Yo Ryan, what up kidd? Been a minute dawg, check the record Radio and I did for Cartel...their first single entitled "Let's Go" Let me know what you think sir...hope all is fabulous, let's make some hits together! Holla...
Hi Check out my new and improved site and let me know what you think. Do not forget to also check out my latest songs. You will not be disappointed. Much Luv
Welcome in Europe!!! I hope that you have a great time here. Wishing you an amazing week! Tomorrow I'm off to London and I'm not sure if I'll be have an access to the Internet out there, so I wanna already wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving Day! I heard that your family will join to you in UK. Awesome!!! Let this very special day bring you a calm, happiness, love and all those wonderful things that you deserve. Enjoy your mashed potatoes and have a marvellous time with your wife, family and friends!!!
See you on Friday! Think about singing Passenger at Wembley, please...
![Eclyptic [New Photos from the CD Release Show!]](http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/68/s_a941cab1d3704b889959e030bd727f38.jpg)
Warm Wishes for your Holiday!..Be safe!
I hope that you have a great time here. 
and have a marvellous time with your wife, family and friends!!!
