Wow, now that’s the most clickbaity headline I’ve ever written in my short writing career. I apologise for this, but at the same time, I do believe in what I wrote in this title. Let me explain.
What makes a hit song? There’s many a theory about that. Years ago, some lads even developed an algorithm to find out if your song was going to be big or not.
It was called hitsongscience.com, and it’s not online anymore. The program considered parameters such as key, bpm, chord changes… Then it would compare it to a database of hit tunes. Weird, right? But if it worked one time, there’s a good chance it will work a second, and a third time. Just like that shuffle “latin” beat that everyone has been using for the last decade. You know the one. I’ve developed a physical reaction to it. I don’t think there’s a scientific name for it yet, but they should work on it. Symptoms may vary. I get a head rush, followed by a strong urge to throw up. Preferably in the mouth of the beat-maker who used it.
But I digress.
This article is not about projectile vomiting. It’s about creating hit songs. Right. So, the key and bpm and chord change and beat and whatever can help, sure. Oh, the science.
I don’t believe in all that, though. If you’ve been reading my words for some time, you’ve guessed it. If you’re new, hi and welcome! Take a seat, join the cool weird kids under the stairs, and let’s go for a ride.
The only secret to hit songs is connecting with people. That’s it. Your song could be in A or in Dbm (my favourite key), it doesn’t make a damned difference. It’s only about the connection. Can you make someone feel something? And even better, can you make them start to associate the tune with a specific period of their lives?
If you can do that, you’ve won the game. They will come back for more. They will want to experience these feelings and memories again. The past always looks better from a distance. Time blurs the bad moments and softens the corners.
I hear some of you arguing in the back, so let’s address this. Yes, many hit songs, now more than ever even, are just based on a beat. The lyrics are as empty as my coffee mug when I write these lines. Should I pause? No, let’s forge ahead. This is more important.
No matter how big a song gets, if it’s only destined to make you dance, it won’t stand the test of time. Of course it might be huge for a while, and reach millions and millions of plays, billions even. But as soon as the next best thing comes around, it will disappear into the abyss. Lost forever in the depths of the algorithms.
If it is good, it will pop back up when there’s a revival trend of that period. Or on the “let’s party!” or “running music mix” playlists of a nostalgic forty-something woman.
I don’t know about you, but I’m not here for a quick buck, an “overnight success”, a viral trend. I’m in this for the long run, I’ve dedicated my life to music. Does it sound intense? Well, I hope it fucking does. Does that make me any better than people writing these kind of songs? Not at all. It only means that we’re doing different things, hence we shouldn’t compare them.
It’s about the big picture. I want to write honest music that stands the test of time. Does that make me against pop music? Not in the least. Quite the opposite. I love pop music and always have. I just don’t see why it should be fake.
The best pop records out there are honest ones. And they stand the test of time. Think MJ’s Thriller. The Beatles’ Abbey Road. Johnny Cash’s Hurt. How big did that song get? Who doesn’t know it?
More recently, during the pandemic, Taylor Swift did a wonderful job with Folklore. Say what you will, it pays to be brutally honest.
But then again, what do I know…
*****
Like what you read? Buy me a coffee!