What Makes a Song a Hit

kenposurf · Post by **kenposurf** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 8:31 am

Timing is everything! Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Elvis, The Beatles...right music at the right time...big part of the mix hitwise...

wayang · Post by **wayang** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 8:14 am

"...I don't buy the argument about what men like vs what women like."

Well, Lyle, I dunno...are you saying that those feminine deodorant sprays that sponsor Soap Operas and jock itch medicines that sponsor Professional Sports are barking up the wrong trees?

Remember when 10,000 guys and 12 girls used to show up at Van Halen shows? (I gotta admit though, I'm with the girls on that one...and on a lot of other things, too, come to think of it...just not them dang Soap Operas...)

sowhat · Post by **sowhat** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 8:27 am

What's a soap opera?.. is it an opera about soap?!..

j_gary · Post by **j_gary** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 9:03 am

Daytime television in the U.S.A. Daily programs about the love life of the young and beautiful. Can be addictive if you do not have a love life of your own.

Soap companies were the early sponsors, hence the soap opera.

I'm scaring myself knowing this information.

sowhat · Post by **sowhat** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 11:22 am

Ah, series... naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

lyle_from_minneapolis · Mon Apr 02, 2007 4:54 am

Well, okay Dane...

It's just that I really like chick flicks.

There. I said it.

geddeeee · Post by **geddeeee** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 5:12 am

I don't really think there is a formula that makes a song a hit. A song either strikes a chord with the public or it doesn't. I mean I can't understand why Madonna or U2 are big stars. Their music sets my teeth on edge. Drone, whine......

jimk · Post by **jimk** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 6:33 pm

Yeah, I guess some sort of definition of a "hit" needs to be agreed upon. F'rinstance, there's a song I gotta sing when I go to a songwriter's circle. I guess that could be considered a hit, but the chances of anyone hearing it outside of that small circle are perhaps slim, at best. But they like it in Kansas City, which suits me fine.

JimK

charlyg · Post by **charlyg** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 6:41 pm

I heard a wonderful song in OK back in 78 . It was called Sweet Alice Chalmers, and as some can maybe guess it was a double entendre thing about his girl/ tractor . It shoulda/coulda been a hit; I still hum it after all these years.

I got a Sweet Alice Chalmers and a 4 bottom plow.

That's about all I remember after darn near 30 years.

lyle_from_minneapolis · Mon Apr 02, 2007 6:56 pm

Here comes 40+ year old talk, but...

I would love to hear a new song that really blows me away. Hasn't happened for awhile. I miss hearing a well crafted song that doesn't sound like its trying too hard to be something or other, but just ain't quite it.

Remember the first time you heard "Revolution"?

Times they have a-chang-ed.

charlyg · Post by **charlyg** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 7:01 pm

Listen to Dylan's last three albums. Start with Love and Theft and work your way to the present. I think it is some of his best work.

jimk · Post by **jimk** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 4:44 am

Might be a good idea Charly to listen to those recordings and mine 'em for more jingle-jangle hits, eh?

JimK

lionheart · Post by **lionheart** » Tue May 29, 2007 9:41 am

I've often given this issue a lot of thought - about what makes a song a hit.

The only conclusion I ever came to was that "certain notes" at "certain times" create something memorable - I think it's all about how melodies "click" in the brain. I think in order for a song to be a hit, it either needs to be written in a way that clicks, and only of a certain time frame nowadays - in other words, one of the things that Paul McCartney, Todd Rundgren, Brian Wilson and other masters of melody have figured out is the amount of time "allowed" (for lack of a better word) that melodies become effective and when they don't - this is something that is pretty much dictated by the time signature of the song, and the overall length of the song. I could go on for hours about this, but in my mind, a well constructed melody is what (or should) make a song a hit. After the melody is in place, the rest of it can be embellished, within a standard "pop format".

Of course, the other way to make a song a hit, is to just keep playing it over and over on the radio and/or MTV. However, there is no musical integrity when using this type of delivery. Vanilla Ice had hits, but so did the Beatles. The Beatles will be remembered for the music, Vanilla Ice will be remembered for "repetition".