Matthew Wilder

Matthew Wilder is an American singer, songwriter, composer and record producer whose career spans performing, film scoring and production work behind the scenes. He first reached wide audiences as a solo artist in the early 1980s, scoring a Top 5 hit with «Break My Stride», a buoyant pop-rock single whose sunny hook and reggae-tinged rhythm made it a fixture of the era and a song that has endured through commercials, films and countless placements in the decades since. His debut album also produced further singles such as «I Don’t Speak the Language», and «Break My Stride» later appeared in various re-recordings, including an instrumental version and a 2003 re-cut.

Beyond his own recordings, Wilder built a substantial career as a producer and songwriter for other artists, most notably steering No Doubt’s breakthrough album Tragic Kingdom, a project that helped define 1990s alternative pop-rock. He also contributed to the music of Disney’s 1998 animated feature Mulan, extending his reach into film composition. This dual identity, as both a chart-topping performer and an in-demand studio craftsman, places him at an interesting crossroads of pop and rock history.

Wilder’s own catalogue, including songs like «Open Up (Let Me In)», «Love Above the Ground Floor», «Dreams Keep Bringing You Back» and «World of the Rich and Famous», reflects the polished, hook-driven pop-rock sound typical of early-1980s American radio, blending new-wave energy with soulful vocal delivery.