A topic often discussed among musicians who have not yet made the big time is what are the ingredients of hit songs? The are many ideas. One idea, for sure, is that a lot of people must like the tune. Liking a tune requires hearing the tune often, so that it becomes as familiar as brushing your teeth.

Since hit singles became the goal of recording companies in the 1950's, frequent  radio play was the route to popularity. The competition for radio play led to big business control of the airways, shady deals and criminal involvement. Often song writers and musicians remained relatively poor and recording companies grew richer, bigger and more autocratic. Song marketing has grown more complex with increasing emphasis on music videos and internet downloads. The days of going to the local record store to buy a hit single are over.

Song structures and styles became standardized and most hit tunes followed a predictable form. Even today, a song writer should stay with the standard form and introduce only small innovations. A standard song is 3 to 4 minutes in length. A good range of tempos is 80 to 120 BPM.  A piece in 4/4 time at 120 BPM with 12X 8 bar sections or 96 measures will last 3.2 minutes. A healthy heartbeat at rest is 60 BPM. Bass and kick drums playing half notes simulate the heart rhythm. If you listen to the heart with a stethoscope, you will hear two sounds per beat. Heart sounds occur when heart valves close; the rhythm is asynchronous... lub dub pause, lub dub pause... You often hear this rhythm in popular songs. The kick (bass) drum leads. With excitement and exertion the heart beats more rapidly and the pause between the heart sounds becomes shorter.

Here is an example of song structure: An introduction is followed by a verse, a chorus, another verse, another chorus, an instrumental bridge, last verse, chorus and ending. Often song sections are labeled A, B, and C. I prefer V,C,B  as more descriptive labels for songs that remind you what the content of the section should be. The verse is the narrative statement that can be compared to a stanza of a poem. Some songs tell a meaningful story. Others only have a few catchy phrases in the verse and words with little meaning in the chorus. 

There are many examples of verse/chorus dialogues in theatre and music of all kinds. In a meaningful song story, the chorus is an emotional comment on the narrative. Usually the verses repeat with little or no modification to the melody but the story progresses. The words in the chorus may remain the same, but choruses may swell to a crescendo  just before the ending.  When hit tunes are played, the audience will listen to the verse and then join in, singing the chorus. A chorus that is easy to remember and sing is a key ingredient of popular songs. Of course, there are songs that bend the rules and still succeed.  My opinion is that some of the best music never appears on the hit lists. 

The hook is the real magic of a hit song. Hooks are metaphysical creatures that defy definition. Some say the hook is a catchy riff or a distinct sound that occurs early in the introduction. Others realize that a properly constructed chorus is the best hook. The essence of a hook is that the audience likes it and wants to hear it again. Hooks are often an invention of the song arranger or a studio musician invited to fill in the missing pieces as a song recording nears completion.

An alternative song structure is a Blues 12 bar phrase with three lines of lyrics. There is room for the verse and chorus in the 12 bars or the chorus and bridges occupy their own 12 bar phrases. Blues are simple songs  that tell unhappy stories. Verse lines are often repeated. The chord progressions are simple such as E-A-B7, A-D-E7, C-F-G7, and G-C-D7.

Instrumental arrangements can follow a verse/chorus structure with modifications. A singer may repeat many verses to complete the song narrative, but in the instrumental version, too many repetitions may be boring, even annoying. One solution is to replace some verses with improvised instrumental solos. Another solution is to pass the melody of the verses from one instrument to another. A dialogue can be established between two instruments that resembles a duet between two singers, for example a soprano and and tenor. The instrumental chorus is often louder and more exciting than the verse; but too loud or too long becomes annoying rather than exciting.

Inspiration is the magic ingredient of good songs. When a song writer is inspired by a poignant experience, melody and lyrics may come together spontaneously. Usually, however one or the other emerges first and its hard work to arrive at a match. A singer who plays the guitar and writes lyrics can play and sing until lyrics and music match.

Sometimes the music and the lyrics are written by different people. Both words and music have meter and intonation... one or the other must be adjusted until a match is achieved.  See Prosody and Intonation

Groove and Style

Popular songs have a groove created by a drummer, a bass player and a rhythm guitar or keyboard.  Song styles proliferated in the 20th century. The grove is the essential determinant of style, followed by instrumentation, and song structure.  Rock and Roll, for exmple, features electric guitars and  standard drumming . In live performances, the rock groove dominates and keeps large audiences pulsing with the rhythm, synched to strobe lights.

Chords

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