What are some of the element of a hit song?

By | Published April 20, 2018

The song chosen to be a “hit” will 99% comply with a radio friendly format. There are several elements of a radio friendly format. These are some of criteria you can use to discover the best hit song.

Structural

  • The song length needs to be 3-4 minutes.
  • The intro should only be 4 bars maximum.
  • The song’s chorus should arrive before 60 seconds pass.
  • A familiar song structure like: Intro-Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Bridge-Chorus-Chorus

Message

  • The words need to connect with the audience
  • The topic of the song needs to be relevant to the listener
  • Lyrics should be universal in order to appeal to a larger audience.

Production

  • The production of the song needs to be high caliber
  • The performance needs to be spot on
  • Music needs to be play excellently with no mistakes

Music

  • The melody needs to be simple and memorable.
  • The melody needs to “hook” itself into the listeners mind
  • Make certain that the chorus stand out from the verse by using creative contrast.

Hook

  • The hook in 95% of the time will be the title.
  • Make sure the song has a title that will hook the listener
  • The hook title needs a great melody behind it.
  • Repeat the hook as much as you can get away with doing.

Lyrics

  • Make sure the lyrics tell a story.
  • Watch for grammar mistakes. i.e. verb tense, pronoun usage.

Intuition

  • Most people can tell when a song is great. Tap into that feeling.
Posted in . Bookmark the permalink. RSS feed for this post. Both comments and trackbacks are currently closed.

Comments are closed.

  • Products

  • Mastering Melodies Online Course

    Mastering Melodies - Online Course for Music Composer

  • Free Special Report

    Inspire Your Songwriting Fun and Practical Tips
    Get this free special report with information that will help inspire your songwriting.

    By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: Mediatunes, 445 N Cuyamaca St, El Cajon, CA, 92020, http://learnhowtowritesongs.com. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact

    • Songwriter Tip:

    Many of us songwriters will provide a form to our songs automatically. This is usually the result of having listened to the radio all of your life. Or, you just feel where there ought to be a change without really making a conscious evaluation of the reasons. In either case, the point here is a) you need some kind of form in order to write a song, and B) you don’t have to stick to the form you choose when you started to write the song.