[New release] Drop a recipe for pop hits to win an IGNITION KEYS 50 EUR/USD voucher

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  • tribepop
    tribepop Member Posts: 160 Advisor

    Well since we’re specifically talking about writing good “pop” songs as opposed to good songs in general then it’s probably much more objective to do.

    Melody or the “hook” is probably the most important part of a pop song. You want something that is catchy and memorable not necessarily something that’s going to push the boundaries and may ruffle people’s feathers. However, you can get some of that edginess back by sampling an older song or incorporating elements from older music such as drum rhythms, processing techniques (e.g. analog tape, gated drums, etc.), or singing styles. I think Bruno Mars did this a while back with all of his hits that had drums reminiscent of some old school salt n pepa track.

    You want something that’s got good dynamics (although a lot of popular trap music is compressed to hell), cadence, and is overall simple but interesting. Most importantly, if it sounds good then use it, it doesn’t matter how it’s made or for what genre, if it works then go for it.

    And lastly, the being in the right time and the right place is everything. Do you think the Beatles would be huge hit if they came out during any other time? Probably not. Being aware of music history, trends, human behavior, and being good at just recognizing talent when you see it, goes a long way in terms of success.

  • brucemc
    brucemc Member Posts: 2 Member

    25% passion / feeling

    25% simplicity

    25% catchy / memorable

    25% hard work

    25% luck / who you know

    Bruce

    (yes, I know this adds up to more than 100%…)

  • __DREW__
    __DREW__ Member Posts: 3 Member

    Da hooook!

  • cgm6066
    cgm6066 Member Posts: 14 Member

    Auditory voodoo and earworms. Sonic fly-fishing. The hook gets me every time.

  • Robert13
    Robert13 Member Posts: 19 Member

    4 chords, al lot of La la at the end, so people can sing along.

  • Nic
    Nic Member Posts: 1 Member

    a great performer

  • Wba
    Wba Member Posts: 1 Member

    You need a melody that easy will stay in your head

  • cazco
    cazco Member Posts: 46 Member

    There is without a doubt a wining formula for a great pop song! A catchy top-line with riffs and hooks that are easy to remember, major and minor switches to provide interest, lyrics that people can relate to and versus that ask questions that are answered in the chorus as well as tempo and tones that match the sentiment. However every now and again there comes a song that breaks all the rules and that is the magic of music! <3

  • D@rcy
    D@rcy Member Posts: 4 Member

    Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Middle Eight, Chorus. Done

  • keys4sure
    keys4sure Member Posts: 1 Member

    Verse, Chorus, Verse, Solo, Verse, Chorus, Out! Say it all in three minutes or less, or figure the average time to take a ****** with a Readers Digest.

  • Jay8654
    Jay8654 Member Posts: 1 Member

    if you take a close look at the most prolific hit writers, there seems to be a formula to it. Simple chord construction (variations of the I, vi, IV and V chords), catchy melody (something that works even with acoustic guitar or piano), lots of interesting sound design... I am sure there is more, but since I haven't written the "perfect pop song" (YET!!) it eludes me.

  • Brother Greg
    Brother Greg Member Posts: 1 Member

    No Pop Formula

    There is no formula for pop song success that has lasted through the ages of pop since the 1950s. But there have been attempts at setting up formulas during different eras that has worked for awhile—and then been broken. In the 1950s came the rise of blues chord progressions for pop hits like those of Elvis Presley. The 1960s, especially once the Beatles got under way, opened up to a greater variety of chord progressions and instruments used. Funk offered a danceable bass-heavy beat (Hi, Sly!). Bob Dylan helped pushed pop songs toward broader poetic expression than just romance themes. The 1970s brought punk—the resurgence of simple song structures with basic rock instruments and simple but harsh lyrics (thank the Sex Pistols). The late 1970s brought disco, with its highly danceable beat (thank the Bee Gees), with heavy bass and keyboards, along with New Wave, with its often rapid patter of beats (Hi there, Go-Gos!). And rap got under way (Hi Grandmaster Flash!). The 1980s mixed rock (Springsteen) with a kind of continuation of New Wave sensibilities slowed down a bit. And rap grew with its immediately identifiable rhythm and harsh street lyrics. The 1990s continued all this with the addition of house music and other forms of electronica for dancing in clubs. And since then, pop music has fragmented into a variety of forms appealing to different subcultures of musical tastes, leaning increasingly on the growing capabilities of music software (thank you NI!) on more powerful personal computers. Productions values rose with newly available equipment developments throughout all this progression. Any attempt at creating a formula during any of these eras may have worked for a few years, only to be shattered years later. 

  • eandrew
    eandrew Member Posts: 14 Member
    edited September 2022

    An infectious melody/hook, along with a memorable element (dope rhythm, key change, a sample, a reference to another classic hit, rhythm change)

    Helps to have the right person doing the record and the timing of its release is key

  • eandrew
    eandrew Member Posts: 14 Member

    ☝️ frfr

    you can argue there are many pop hits with just 2-3 chords.. some with 1 chord with an evolving bass line under it

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