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Transcript of MAJOR PROJECT RESEARCH edited
ANALYSING AND IDENTIFYING THE CONTINUOUS SUCCESS OF
EVERLASTING MUSIC HITS AND HITMAKERS BEHIND THEM:
IS HIT MAKING AN UNEXPLAINED
PHENOMENA OR A FORMULATED
PROCESS?
by Tatjana Tasic
II
“The world don’t need any more songs. They’ve got enough.
They’vegotwaytoomany.Asamatteroffact, ifnobodywrote
any songs from this day on, theworld ain’t gonna suffer for it.
For everyman,woman and child on earth, they could be sent,
probably each of them, a hundred records, and never be
repeated.There’senoughsongs.
Unlesssomeone’sgonnacomealongwithapureheartandhas
somethingtosay.That’sadifferentstory.”
-BobDylan
(Zollo,2003)
III
ABSTRACT
This project analyses what makes a music hit stand the test of time and still sell
recordsandremainrememberedbyavastnumberofpeople.Itlooksintothepowers
behindmakingasuccessfulhitandwhetheritisabusinessmechanismortrueworkof
art.Thereisareviewofover20hitsongswhicharealldifferentonefromanotherin
their genre, background or reason for success. I have broken down a song into
different elements aswell as looked into the sciencebehindhumanpsychology and
neurology to understand process behindmusic choices and preferences. Interviews
(primary and secondary)with artists in the industry have been collected to present
theirviewsintothesecretbehindmakinghits.
Finally Ihavestudiedthemusic industryand itseffectandcontrolbehindsongsthat
havemadechartsandtoppedsales.Itisimportanttomentionthesongandindustry
analysedisfromtheperiodof1950’suntil1990’s.
Myconclusiondoesnotgiveadefiniteanswertothehypothesisasitisaveryblurred
line when it comes to art, how it is created and then experienced. However, this
researchhascorrectedsomeofmypreviousopinionsandhasopenedupmyeyesto
howcomplexthewholematteris.
IV
PREFACE
Firstly,IrememberwhenIwasveryyoung,certainsongsusedtomovemesostrongly.
Thesadchordprogressionof thestringsection in“Nights InWhiteSatin”byMoody
Bluesmademeexperience feelingswhich in reality Ihadno reason forknowing.To
thisdayIfinditstrange,andslightlycomical,how“TheFinalCountdown”by80’sglam
rockbandEuropeusedtomakemefallapartintearswhenIwasalittlechild,justby
hearingtheprominentmelodyinthechorus.Itwasverydramatic.
Secondly, I love Prince. And I loveHeart. I am addicted to someof their songs. But
neitherofmyparentsorrelativeslistenedtoitwhileIwasgrowingup.Infactnoone
aroundmedid.AndIlovethesongsthatwerewrittenalongtimebeforeIwasborn.
Sothequestiontoboth factors iswhy?Whydowe lovehitswhichareveryoldand
whydothesesongsmoveussoprofoundly?
Theproblem is, this isagiganticquestion.Therearebillionsof songsandbillionsof
peoplefromallwalksoflife.Itwasdifficulttonarrowdownthetopicforthisproject.
ThemoreIgatheredinformation,readbooks, interviewsandengagingconversations
withfriends,musiciansandnonmusicians,themoreIwasawarethatthiscouldbean
endlessdebateandaprojectwithoutapossibleframe.Ihaveheldontothequestion
athand;isitaformulaoranunexplainedphenomena,andsimplifiedtheresearchby
goingthroughanexcruciatingprocessofselectingalistofhitsongs,bynotfollowing
chartsandsales,asitisproventonotbeatruereflectionofpopularity,readingdozens
ofinterviewsfromthehitmakersthemselves,andlearningabouttherecordindustry.
The researchwas done in amusic periodof 1950’s upuntil 1990’s so it is between
whenphysicalrecordsweresellingandpublishinghouseswereinfullthrottleupuntil
V
the era that has past long enough time to be able to look back and determine if it
remainedahit.followingthisoverallanalysisIhaveaddedmybriefforecastofwhich
songsIpredictwillremainhits.
Thehypothesis remainsandendlessdebatewithmanypeople swaying towardsone
belieforanother.EventhoughIstartedtheprojectcertainallgreatestsongscanonly
comefromaplaceoftruegeniusandtruthwiththeartist,myopinionhasbeenstirred
andIwillremaincuriousforaslongasmusictendstomoveme.
VI
TableofContents
INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................1
DEFININGA“HIT”.....................................................................................................2
HISTORYOFPOPULARMUSIC...................................................................................3
21HITSLIST..............................................................................................................6
1950’s................................................................................................................................71960’s..............................................................................................................................101970’s..............................................................................................................................131980’s..............................................................................................................................16
EVERLASTINGHITFORECAST...................................................................................22
ANALYSINGASONG................................................................................................23
STRUCTURE.....................................................................................................................24LYRICS.............................................................................................................................25MELODY..........................................................................................................................26
HOWWEHEARMUSIC............................................................................................28
INFANCY..........................................................................................................................28EARLYCHILDHOODANDADOLESCENCE...........................................................................29ADULTLIFE......................................................................................................................30
WORDSFROMTHECREATORS;WHEREDOES“IT”COMEFROM..............................31
VIEWSONTHOUGHTCONTROL.......................................................................................31VIEWSONHIGHERPOWERS............................................................................................32VIEWSONDISCIPLINEVERSUSINSPIRATION....................................................................33
INTERVIEWSWITHPRODUCERSCHRISECKMANANDDARIODENDI........................34
POWERSOFTHEMUSICINDUSTRY.........................................................................37
CONCLUSION:UNEXPLAINEDPHENOMENAORAFORMULATEDPROCESS..............40
APPENDIXA-InterviewWithChrisEckman...........................................................42
APPENDIXB–InterviewWithDarioDendi..............................................................42
REFERENCES............................................................................................................43
BIBLIOGRAPHY........................................................................................................45
1
INTRODUCTION
Whatmakesacertainhitsongasurvivinghit?Whydosomanypeopleacrosstheglobe
like it? Why does its popularity refuse to diminish with age? Who is behind the hit
making? Why do certain producers, artists or music business entrepreneurs have a
continuoussuccesswithmakinghitsanddotheyallhavesomethingincommon?These
areallquestionsthatdonothaveastraightforwardanswer.
Thereissciencebehindhowweperceivesoundonaneurologicalandculturallevel.Our
music preferences develop and grow with us and. On the other hand there is the
phenomenaofsourceofcreativityandprocessfromthehitmakers.
Thegiftofcertainproducersandmusicartiststhatmakememorablehitsongs,adored
by millions across the globe over decades is fascinating and not easy to unravel.
VisionariessuchasOtisBlackwell,StevieWonder,Prince,ButchVigorNileRodgersand
soonhavemademusichistory.
Andwherewoulditallbebehindthegiantmachinethatmakesitallcometolife,orto
ourmusicdevices?Musicindustry.Doesitrecognisetruetalentordoesitdeceiveusfor
profit?
Theobjective is togatheragreatamountof informationandperspectivesand thusa
conclusion whether these everlasting hits, or at least some of them, are really
unexplained phenomena that lie within the souls of the creators or if it is all just a
matterofgreatcraftsmanship,avesselofexcellentknowledgeandapproachtomusic
business.
Thisisa100%writtencontributionsubmittedtoobtainaBachelorsofArts
2
DEFININGA“HIT”“Asongthatsellsaverylargenumberofcopies”
“Someoneorsomethingthatpeoplelikeverymuch”
“Performancethatisverysuccessfulandpopular”(MacmillanDictionary)“Asuccessfulventure,especiallyafilm,poprecord,orsong”(Oxforddictionaries)“Asuccessfulorpopularventure”(http://www.thefreedictionary.com)“Somethingthatisverysuccessful”(http://www.merriam-webster.com)Therearemanydefinitionsofahitsong.Somearguethatthedefinitionliesintheprofit
ofeveryoneinvolvedincreatingthesong,inotherwordstherecordcompanyandthe
production team, and others say it comes down to how widespread the audience it
reaches.Isomesense,neitherofthesetheoriesarewrong.
Itwouldbe clear to say that if a song is rememberedwell by vast numberof people
worldwideaftertwoormoredecadespast,thiscouldclassifyasahit.
3
HISTORYOFPOPULARMUSICPopular music evolved in the US from various worldwide backgrounds and cultural
inspirations that amalgamated and spread out into the entire western world and
beyond.
Severalmusical and cultural developments happened in theUnited States in the 19th
century, which brought on the rise of popularmusic that spread across the western
worldandeventuallycametobeaswhatweknowittoday,onaglobal level.Popular
music,i.e.musicenjoyedbyalargenumberofpeople,developedintheUS,progressing
songfromtheatresontoamusicalstage.Firstformofmusicalentertainmentenjoyed
bylargemassesofpeople,thatreallytookoverAmericawasminstrelshowinmid19th
century, known as Minstrelsy. The subject of the show were white performers
caricaturingblackpeoplebycoveringtheir faces inblackpaintand imitatingtheblack
population, which happened to be ex slaves from the North and slaves from South
America. Theentertainerswouldaccurately imitate their speech, singinganddancing
styles. Eventually the black performers took on this role so were in fact imitating
themselves. After the civil rightsmovement in 1865, which aimed to eliminate racial
discrimination and followed by abolishment of slavery, Minstrelsy started losing
popularity.
Simultaneously,avarietyshowknownasVaudevillebecameadominantentertainment
movement.ItcameafterMinstrelsy,butnowfeaturingmainlyCaucasianartists,singers,
jugglers,dancers,acrobatsfromallovertheUSaswellas,again,blackperformers.Now
theywere integrated. This is relevant as it depicts the strong impactblackmusic and
culturehadonAmerica.Therewassadness,andtherewasjoy.
“Despiteof(orperhapsbecauseof)theseverehandicapofslavery, itwasthemusicof
theslavesthatmadethefirstofmanyprofoundly importantblackcontributionstothe
Americanmainstream”(Clarke,D.2013,p.21)
Byendof1880’s,NewYorkwasfullofvaudeville,orvariety,theatres.Whatbecamea
priority in vaudeville were attractive female performers such as Norah Bayes, Eva
TanguayandLillianRussellthatdidnothesitatetoshowaleg,whilesingingprovocative
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songs. As radio culture boomed and became popular in most households, so did
VaudevillediminishfromlivestageontotheTVscreen.
“Songwritersandmusicpublisherskeptaneyeonup-and-comingtalentinvaudeville.It
wasapparentthatthebestwaytomakeasongahitwastogetsomeonegoodtosing
it”(Clarke,D.2013,p.46)
By1900,all thebestsongwriters,bookingagentsandpublisherswere located inNew
York’s famous Tin Pan Alley, between 6th Avenue and Broadway, surrounded by
theatres.Itwasthefirstpublishinghouseassuch(laterevenbecameanameforamusic
genre in it’sownright),printing largevolumesofsheetmusicforperformers, lyricists,
songwritersandevenhomeuse.Asthecopyrightlawswerequiterelaxed,bookersand
publisherswouldmakenoteofsongsthatprovedpopularand indemandandprinted
theirownversionsformassexposure.TinPanAlleybecameknownasthebirthcentre
ofpopularmusic.Eventhoughit’sphysicallocationchanged,theindustryassuchkept
thename.Vaudeville,dancehallmusicandballadswerethecommercialmusicmaterial
generatedfromtheTinPanAlleyonhighdemand.“Soonitwasalmostimpossiblefora
songtobecomeahitunlessitwaspublishedinNewYorkfirst.”(Clarke,D.2013,p.52)
A lotof the songs thatwere successful contained subjectsaboutwhat the songwriter
sawhappeningaroundhimoneventshereadaboutorheardaboutineverydaylife.For
exampleCharlesK.Harriswrotehit songs“After theball”and“HelloCentral,giveme
heaven”basedonrealeventsheobserved.Mostofthepopularsongswereballads.
Anotherimportantsongwriter,whostronglyinfluencedthecourseofpopularmusicand
filled this era of early 20th century with game changing songs, was Irving Berlin. His
contentwasquitejournalistic,capturingthelifeofNewYorkcitizensandtheireveryday
livesandinterconnectivity.
BerlinwasoneofmanyJewishrefugees,whichcameovertotheUStofleetheTsarist
Russia.Apartfromasearchforanewhomeandanewbeginning,theseJewsbrought
withthemtheirmusic.
Much progress has happened during the 1800’s in America and its separated views
betweennorth and south regarding the slavery abolishment and the impact on black
performersintheentertainingindustry.Inthefollowingcenturycomesanewwaveof
socialandculturalchange,whichhasshapedpopularmusic,asweknowittoday.
5
Newinfluencecameaboutintheearly20thcenturybymergingofEuropeanfolkmusic
withAfrican-American,thendeemed“black”musicthathadfounditsownnewsenseof
directionintheAmerica.
ThereisaclearconnectionbetweentheJewishcommunitythatescapeditshomeand
theblackpeopleofAmerica.Bothoftheseminoritieswereostracised,sufferedpeople
withnorightstoworkandsubjectedtoracistlaws.
Beginninganewlifeonanewland,theJewsbroughtwiththemsomethingthatwould
changethecourseofmusicandhowweexperienceittoday,forever;theirsongs.These
songswouldremindthemoftheirhomelandandgivethemthesenseofcommunityand
togethernessonceagain,aswellasthefeelingtheybelongsomewhere.
Anotherculture that sufferedsimilar fatewasAfrican-Americans.Even thoughslavery
wasofficially over in 1865, the integrationofAfricanpeoplewith thewhite racewas
veryslow.
By thebeginningof20th century therewere still segregationof social groups.Besides
African-American, it was Jewish, Italian and so on. However, what African-American
people had is what made that country very rich. They brought their music and
performance to American culture. And just like the Jews, their songs were jolly and
entertaininginmelodyandrhythm,whilecontextuallyveryfocusedonsocialreflection.
Asmentionedbefore,inthe19thcentury,popularmusicwasmostlyballads.
Parallel to these events, the white man of America brought folk music from the
countryside(nowknownascountrymusic)tothebigcities.CountryfromMidwestUS
andgospelfromSouthwereverymuchresponsibleforwhatwastobecomethebirthof
Rock‘n’Rollin1950’s.
Artists such as Bing Crosby collaborating with jazz legend Louis Armstrong was just
another exampleof themergenceof all this “genres” and cultures creatingAmerican
citiessuchasNewYorkthemeltingpotofwhat istobecomeinthenewage,popular
music.
Popularmusiccultureevolvedfromthedesiretoentertainandconnecttoculturalroots
andpeopleofallbackgrounds.
6
21HITSLIST
One could endlessly argue as to which songs are truly best remembered, and the
journeytofindthemostaccurateandtruthfulrepresentationofthislistisacomplicated
one.
Therearevarious“Bestsongsofalltime”listscompiledbymusicmagazines,datafrom
music streaming platforms such as Spotify, digital purchases, sales of 45inch singles
sincethe1950sorsheetmusic,jukebox,etc.
AsBillboard’s own columnist Trust (2013) explainedhimself, “Aswewrote in January
whenYouTubedatawasaddedtotheHot100'sequation:"Generallyspeaking,ourHot
100formulatargetsaratioofsales(35-45%),airplay(30-40%)andstreaming(20-30%)."
Trust(2013)explainsfurtheronthat“that'sanoveralltargetfor100songseachweek.
Thatmark can change. This week, though, the Hot 100 breaks down in linewith the
formula'sintent:sales,39%;airplay,34%;and,streaming,27%.
And, week-to-week, some songs show largely along those percentages, while others
skewnoticeablytowardanyofthechart'sthreemetrics.”
Salesfiguresofsinglesarenotanaccuratereflectionofasong’spopularity,simplydue
tothefactthatnotmanypeoplepurchasedsinglesexclusively.Samegoeswithcharts,
asitisashort-termstatistic,oftenbasedonpredictabilityandinteresttowardsthesong
inaveryshort spaceof time.Needless tosay that forexampleChristmashits,orhits
made for social or political support such as “WeAre TheWorld” and “Candle In The
Wind”arenot true reflectionof interest towards the songasmuchas supporting the
causeormarkinganannualcelebration.
Consideringtheanalysisisfocusedonsongsthathaveremainedhitsoveralongperiod
of time isanother reasonas towhychartsarenot reflective informationofwhathas
necessarily sustained in success. The Grammy Hall of Fame is a useful and more
accurate guidance as it awards songs for their "qualitative or historical significance",
after they have been released for at least 25years. Hencemy list goes up to 1990’s,
followedbymypersonalforecastofwhatcouldberememberedafterthat.
As far as equal opportunity goes, any genres, labels or bands are not supported very
muchbybroadcastmediasuchasTVmusicchannelsorradiostations,which isnotto
7
saythesebandsorartistsdonothaveavastandconsiderablefollowing,evenyearsand
decadessincetheirhitswerereleased.
It is relevant to mention, since this project is based on longevity of hits and not
necessarilychartdata,thatsomesongshavegainedmorepopularitywithtime.Thiscan
be noticed in recent polls and statistics drawn from digital downloads and user-
generatedplatforms.
Ihavecompiledalistofsongssincethe1950’swhichfeatureeitherinweeklychartsas
number1,orhavetoppedsalesasthebestsellingsingleattheyeaitwasrelease,and
finally if it isonthelistoftopsongsofalltimeissuedbymusicmagazinessuchasthe
infamousNME,QMagazine,ortheloyalandintegralBillboardUS.
Mychoicesarecarefullyselectedinordertocovervariousgenresaswellashits,which
wereeitherperformedbyacharttoppingband/artistoronehitwondersofthesame
impact.
The list is inchronologicalorder.Muchattentionhasbeengiventopicksongs,which,
through my analysis, appear to have different reasons for everlasting success. Some
songsareuniqueintheirway,somearegamechangersintermsofleadingthewayto
new style of musical or cultural expression. Some songs are follow ups of a very
successfulsongwritingpatternwhileotherscomefromdeepestemotionalsinceritythat
isimpossibletoeverforgethowmuchitmovesus.
1950’s
• “RockAroundTheClock”‘55
Performedby:BillHaley&HisComet
Writtenby:MaxC.FreedmanandJamesE.Myers
Producedby:MiltGabler
GrammyHallOfFame
EventhoughitisnotthefirstRock‘n’Rollsongevermade,itwasthefirstRock‘n’Roll
songtotoptheUSchartsandtheonethatpushedthegenreintotheglobalmainstream
and.AsthesoundtrackfortheculturallysignificantandcontroversialmovieBlackboard
Jungle, it revolutionised rock and roll through the theatre screens captivating young
8
masses. It’s a very energetic song, with thumping rhythm section that drove the
youngsterswild.Asfarasrelevanceinproductionandrecordinggoes,everyinstrument
wasmiked,thusbeingrichandfulfillingsoundtotheear.Withhipattitudeandyouthful
rockabillystageperformance,playingatdozensofhighschooldancesacrossUS,young
teenagerswereHaley’smainaudience.Itmaybetheeasiestargumentthatwinningthe
heartsofateenageaudienceisapowerfulrecipeforinternationalsuccess.Itheldhigh
positionsonbothBillboardandUKcharts.
REASON FOR ONGOING SUCCESS: remembered as the first rock and roll song which
markedthebeginningofaneweraformusicandyouthculture
• AllShookUp‘57
Performedby:ElvisPresley
Writtenby:OtisBlackwellandElvisPresley
Producedby:SteveSholes
Elvis isarock ‘n’ roll icon.Withthis fact, it isneedlesstomentionthattheprocessof
selectingoneofhishitsforthislistwasadiligentone.Althoughhissixthnumberonehit
onUSBillboardchart,thereasonforthischoiceissimplyforthefactsthatithadstayed
on top of the chart for impressive eight weeks in US, is certified 2X Platinum by
theRIAA,becamePresley’s firstnumber1 in theUKandentered“TheRollingStone’s
500GreatestSongsOfAllTime”list.Apartfromthecredentials,thischoicealsobrings
outthemagicbehindPresley’ssuccess.WhatPresleygavetoAmericawasafreedomof
self-expression and self-discovery, which the youth of America felt suppressed from.
Presleywasa sexual revolution,manifested throughhiship swayingperformance,his
seductivesingingandletlooseenergy.JustlikeJerryLeeLewis,whoisalsoonthelist,
heplayedandperformedinstyleofblackmusicandinawaythatwasonlywitnessedin
churchgospel.Nowonderhis radio identityand racewereambiguousuntil seen live.
Thisabsolutelyshookupthenation.SongwaswrittenbytheprolificOtisBlackwell,an
African-AmericancharttoppingsongwriterandperformerfromBrooklynwhoprovided
numeroussongsforPresley,aswellasforJ.L.Lewisandthenotorious“Fever”,made
successfulbyPeggyLee.
9
REASONFORONGOINGSUCCESS:Seductivesingingwithromanticlyricsandasteadyup
beat rhythm made the a few heads spin. Elvis’ stage presence and provocative
performanceplayedamajorfactorinthisrememberednumber.
• GreatBallsOfFire‘57
Performedby:J.L.Lewis
Writtenby:OtisBlackwellandJackHammer
Producedby:SamPhillips
GrammyHallOfFame
This song was the peak of Lewis’ fame craze. Written again by Otis Blackwell, this
famousrock‘n’rollnumberwaspossiblypredisposedforsuccessbyit’spredecessorhit
“Whole Lotta Shakin’” (banned due to insinuating sexual lyrics), which shook the
listeners,andnowTVaudience, likea sudden rhythm-pounding, lascivious insinuating
earthquake. Great Balls of Fire has the well-known recognisable to-the-point
introductionthatgrabsimmediateattention.Thesongisaclassicrock‘n’rollsound,but
withaverycatchymelodywithselftitledhookandateasingbridge:
“You’refine,
Sokind,
I’lltellthisworldthatyou’re
Mine,mine,mine,mine!”
Lewis’ superb execution of the song’s lyrics, which is performed and phrased with
passion and seduction, is accompanied by his provocative, temperamental and
dangerously electrifying piano-whacking performance. As The Rolling StoneMagazine
(2011)expressed,“’GreatBallsOfFire’ is fullofSouthernBaptisthellfire turned intoa
near-blasphemousodetopurelust”.
Originallywrittenas“GreatGodAlmighty”,theGodfearingsingerchangedthewordsto
“Goodnessgracious…greatballsoffire!”whichleavesamemorablestamp.
Ononefamousperformanceoccasion,whilsttouringUSwithChuckBerryin’57,Lewis
waswitnessedbyhundredsofscreamingfanstosetthepianoonfirewhilstperforming
the songon stage.Perhaps this “fiery” connectionandgod-provoking title left “Great
BallsofFire”tobeLewis’mostmemorablehitwhichhelpeddefinethe1950s.
TherecordenteredtheUSNationalRecordingRegistry.
10
REASONFORONGOINGSUCCESS:Dynamicsanddramatics.Thisclassichitstandsoutfor
all the great reason: Catchy aggressive melody, snappy lyrics, theatrical and slightly
eccentricinterpretationandvocaldelivery.Backedbyphenomenalpianoplaying.Lewis
broughtdramaandscandal intorock ‘n’roll,withhisperformanceaswellaspersonal
lifechoices.Hisrebellionandattitudemadefameandhisperformanceshitanerveona
conservative,morallyunprovokedAmerica.
• Fever‘58
Performedby:PeggyLee
Writtenby:PeggyLeeandOtisBlackwell
Producedby:DaveCavanaugh
GrammyHallOfFame
OriginallywrittenbyOtisBlackwell, andperformedbyR&Bsinger LittleWillie John in
1956,“Fever"gainedmemorablesuccessonbothsidesofAtlantic,thankstoPeggyLee’s
arrangementanddelivery.Unlikemanycoversofsongs,whichtendtoaddtextureand
layers to the existing composition, Peggy followed her instinct for subdued power in
musicandpassion for rhythmsectionandstrippedbacktosongto itsbareminimum,
onlytomakeit’ssimplicitymostpowerful.Withjustdrums(playedbyhands),bassand
fingerclicksat thebackground,Lee’svocaldeliveryof thesongmade itadefinitehit.
UnliketheoriginalperformancebyWillieJohn,whichwasmorerough,Lee’ssingingis
sultry,seductiveandslightlyenigmatic.Leehasalsochangedpartsofthesong’slyrics,
butunfortunatelydidnotcopyright.
REASONFORONGOINGSUCCESS:Sometimeslessismore.Theaccentonthegrooveand
PeggyLee’smysteriousvoicemakethesongunique.
1960’s
• SheLovesYou‘63
Performedby:TheBeatles
Writtenby:JohnLennonandPaulMcCartney
Producedby:GeorgeMartin
11
Method behind selecting a famous Beatles songwas similar to Elvis’ decision-making
process.The fact that it is theirbestsellingsingle todateandwith it, thebestselling
single of the whole decade, made it easy to decide. Beatles made success with
exceptional songwriting ideas, and by keeping the AABA song format (in the early
Beatlesyears)whichprovedsuccessful.However,thissinglehadafewnewinteresting
concepts. Sometimes The Beatles keep songwriting fresh by starting a song with a
bridge,butthistimetheyopenthesongwithahookfromthechorus. Assimpleas it
sounds“SheLovesYou,Yeah,Yeah,Yeah”hookworks.Theysinginapeculiarharmony
andendthesonginthemajor6thchord,whichsoundsunusual,yetinteresting.
REASONFORONGOINGSUCCESS:Thissong,asotherBeatles’masterworks,survivesthe
musical time lapse due to their interesting and innovative arrangements and clever
attentiongrabbinghookpositions.
• YouReallyGotMe‘64
Performedby:TheKinks
Writtenby:RayDavies
Producedby:ShelTalmy
GrammyHallOfFame
Song written by the band’s guitarist Ray Davies propelled the Kinks into history of
influential bands. After failing to break throughwith two of their previous hits, “You
ReallyGotMe” retrospectivelygavenuancesofpunkand rough,distortedheavy rock
andinspiredbandssuchasTheWho,JohnLydonandJimiHendrix.
REASONFORONGOINGSUCCESS:Distortedrecordingtechniqueanddirtybluesriffgave
anewsoundtorock.Gamechanger.Secretliesintherecordingtechnique.
• TheSoundofSilence‘64
Performedby:Simon&Garfunkel
Writtenby:PaulSimon
Producedby:TomWilson
GrammyHallOfFame
12
Even against the hurricane of Beatlemania, Sound of Silence managed to get heard,
althoughonlyinit’ssecondattempt,whenjustafterPaulSimonandArtGarfunkelgave
up on the flop of their album, the song got re-releasedwith drum parts. The power
seemstomostlylieinthelyrics,whichareunshadowedbydelicatemelodyandsubtle
sound.
Simonexplains(Mastropolo,2015)“Thekeyto‘TheSoundofSilence’isthesimplicityof
themelody and the words, which are youthful alienation. It’s a young lyric…it was a
post-adolescentangst,butithadsomeleveloftruthtoitanditresonatedwithmillions
ofpeople”.
“‘TheSoundofSilence’hasmoremelodic,genius,simplepowerthanIeverrealised.As
theyearsgoby,there’ssomethingextraordinarilyhookyaboutthatsimplemelody”says
Garfunkel(Mastropolo,2015).
ThealbumenteredtheUSNationalRecordingRegistry.
REASON FOR ONGOING SUCCESS: Simplicity in sincerity. Powerful lyrics supported by
simplebeautifulmelody.
• ICan’tGetNo(Satisfaction)‘65
Performedby:TheRollingStones
Writtenby:MickJagger,KeithRichards
Producedby:AndrewLoogOldham
GrammyHallOfFame
Perhaps it isagoodthing,butthere isnotmuchtosayaboutthisclassicrocksong. It
containsthegenuineexpressionoffeelingsandfrustrationsinJagger’svoiceaswellas
powerful Richards’ guitar riff, which does not age with time. It has all the sincerity,
rawness and energy a solid rock song should have and it is timeless. Formid 60’s, it
definitelygavetherock‘n’rollgenremoreattitude.EvenStevenVanZandtclaims,“It
was,afterall,themostimportantrockrecordever"(Lynch,2015)
REASON FOR ONGOING SUCCESS: raw energy and pure rock ‘n’ roll attitude in the
songwritingandperformance.Hookylyrics.Timeless.
• Respect‘67
13
Performedby:ArethaFranklin
Writtenby:OtisRedding
Producedby:JerryWexler
GrammyHallOfFame
Although originally written and performed by Otis Redding, Franklin’s version made
historyandeverlastingsuccessasanodetofemalepowerandwoman’sconfidenceand
self-respect (as the song suggests)aswell asbecominga symbolism to feminism.The
lyricsareslightalteredonherversiontofitthismessage,aswellastheaddedfamousR-
E-S-P-E-C-T citingbridge. Itwas recordedwith theMuscle Shoals rhythm sectionwho
then started their own famous Muscle Shoals Sound Studios in Alabama (important
recordingcentreresponsiblefortheproductionofsomeofworldstophits).
This version even convinced the Grammy Awards in 1968 to create a whole new
categoryinordertogiveitanaward;BestFemaleR&BVocalPerformance.
REASON FOR ONGOING SUCCESS: Lyrics about celebration of female empowerment,
carriedmajesticallywithAretha’ssoulfulandpowerfulperformance.
1970’s
• SmokeOnTheWater‘72
Performedby:DeepPurple
Writtenby:IanGillan,RitchieBlackmore,RogerGlover,JonLorde,IanPaice
Producedby:DeepPurple
DeepPurpleareaprolificheavyrockbandwhohavehelpeddefineboththedecadeand
genresofclassichardrockandheavymetal.It isofabsolutenecessityandimportance
tolisttheminthisselection.SmokeOnTheWaterisaclassichit.Thewonderfulthing
aboutitisthatitisahitamongstpeoplewhodonotlistentorockorheavymetal,nor
necessarily knowwho Deep Purple are. But theywould know the opening guitar riff
played by Ritchie Blackmore, which has put a stamp on the record and made it an
instantlyrecognisablehit.Agreatexampleofhowagood,well-thoughtriffgoesalong
way.(Importanttomention,assimpleistheriffsound,itisquitecomplextoplay).The
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lyricsareanautobiographicalstoryfromoneoftheirgigs,however,itdoesnotseemto
holdthebearingofitssuccess.
REASON FOR ONGOING SUCCESS: Powerful, memorable riff that is instantly
recognisable.
• Superstition‘72
Performedby:StevieWonder
Writtenby:StevieWonder
Producedby:StevieWonder
GrammyHallOfFame
This legendary hit was 22-year-old Wonder’s second US number one. Known for its
fantastic funk groove and that specific Hohner clavinet sound, Superstition is a hit
recordthatreallystandsout.Thesongiswritten,arranged,producedandperformedby
Wonder himself, therefore it is solely his creation and it shows his sheer talent and
wizardrywhenitcomestosongwritingandarrangement.
ThealbumenteredtheUSNationalRecordingRegistry.
REASONFORONGOINGSUCCESS:talentedsongwritingwithskilfularrangement.Catchy
groove.
• BohemianRhapsody‘75
Performedby:Queen
Writtenby:FreddyMercury
Producedby:RoyThomasBaker
GrammyHallOfFame
Still3rdbestsellingsingle,thisshockinglyunusuallystructuredsongthatcontainsopera,
aballad,hardrocksegment,andaguitarsoloseemslikeanodetopopularmusicforms
with which everyone is familiar with. Enriched with challenging vocal parts and
harmonies and complex music arrangement, it is possible the success lies precisely
behindtheunpredictabledirectionanddiversityofmusicstyles.Itishighlyentertaining.
This anthemic hit shakes the notion that success behind a hit on a global level is
subjectedtoanyparticularsongform.Averyriskyandcourageousmovebythebandto
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go into such a creative production journey, yet it proved incredibly successful,
considering it is “a song that has no chorus, that eschews conventional love-based
narratives fornightmaresofmurderandnihilism,andwhichhasat least sixdisparate
kindsofmusicinitssixminutes”(Service,2009)
REASON FORONGOING SUCCESS:brave avant-garde composition and production, like
nothingeverdonebefore.Anthem.
• DancingQueen‘76
Performedby:Abba
Writtenby:BennyAndersson,BjörnUlvaeus,StigAnderson
Producedby::BennyAndersson,BjörnUlvaeus
GrammyHallOfFame
DancingQueen is the epitome of all things kitsch, glittery and glossy in theworld of
American disco. The reason for this is because that is exactly what the writers and
produceraimedfor."OuraimwastomakeAmericanrecords…becausetheysoundedthe
best”recallstheirengineeratthetime,MichaelTretow.(SuperSeventies,2000)
Itgainedrelevantsuccessinthirteencountriesworldwide,aswellasacrossEuropeand
reaching number 1 in the US. Dancing Queen is definitely a “floor filler” song and
thereforekeptaliveonanycelebratoryoccasionwhichinvolvesaliveband,ajukebox
orkaraoke.
REASONFORONGOINGSUCCESS:“Thetrackhasallthecomponentsnecessaryforpop
immortality: cheerfully defiant upper-range piano chords, sprightly disco strings, and
sweetlyblendedvocalsfromLyngstadandFältskog”
• Stayin’Alive‘77
Performedby:TheBeeGees
Writtenby:BarryGibb,MauriceGibbandRobinGibb
Producedby:TheBeeGees,AlbhyGaluten,KarlRichardson
GrammyHallOfFame(Album,OST)
Thesongwaswrittenatthesametimeas“HowDeepIsYourLove”and“MoreThanA
Woman”with thebrothers’aimtomakea rhythmandblues record.ThesongStayin’
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Alive propelled them to stardom not only by appearing in the opening credits of
Blockbuster smash hit “Saturday Night Fever” featuring John Travolta’s sexy swagger
walk,sharplydressedinleatherandflaresthatcapturesthemomentofexciting,excess
fuelled times in 70’s America, but also because of its addictive tempo and groove,
originally recorded by a drum machine. According to their engineer and assistant
producerKarlRichardson,theywerenotawareofdiscoormakingadiscorecord.They
weregoingforanR&Brecord.Richardsonadded,“Itwasallaboutfeelatthattime;that
was the key to the music”. (Buskin, 2012, pg.164) According to Barry Gibbs and
Richardson, the band was very aware they had a massive hit on their hands. They
outsourcedthebestperformerstooverdubthestringsanddidnothesitatesplittingthe
tapeandre-doingthewholeprocessagainuntilitsoundedjustright.
ThealbumenteredtheUSNationalRecordingRegistry.
REASON FOR ONGOING SUCCESS: Recognising a hit song, followed by meticulous
production.Thesonghadsuccessbecauseitencapsulatesthateraperfectly.Thisisthe
caseofasongbeingattherightplaceattherighttime.Itisatimetravellingpostcard
from70’sdiscodancefloor.
1980’s
• Don’tYouWantMe‘81
Performedby:TheHumanLeague
Writtenby:PhillipOakey,JoCallis,PhilipAdrianWright
Producedby:MartinRushent
Manysongslike“Don’tYouWantMeBaby”hittheradiosandnowthevideostoo.This
was the new wave music period, a fresh new entry into the new decade, with an
abundance of new arrangement ideas, songs taking influences from wherever they
pleasedandmakingitwork.Synthesisersmixedwithpunkrockmixedwithdiscomixed
with dark gothic. It was all there. And it all made some level of reception. On the
popular level (as opposed to arty, underground and obscure newwavemusic of the
early 80’s) there were tons of great songs. This one is chosen because it peaked at
numberoneacrossEurope,USand Japanandstill today it represents1980’s,evento
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thenewest generations, born in the00’s. It containsdramatic synths, a solid rhythm,
andacatchyhappychorus.Itisalsoalovestorysanginaverysimplifiedmanner,easy
to learnandsingalong. It followsan interestingstory inwhich thesinger,PhilOakey,
quickly hired his friend Ian Burden on synth, and two random teenagers from a
nightclubinSheffieldtosingasbackingvocals,inordertomakeamorepoporientated
catchy song and effective tour ahead and save himself from being sued by Virgin
Records.Hishastyplanworked.Somemightsaytheirdebutmulti-platinumalbumDare,
which contained “Don’t YouWantMe”was ablueprint for thenew synthpopgenre,
which took both sides of theAtlantic.Martin Rushentwhoproduced and engineered
thealbumwasveryinvestedinthesynthsoundandappreciatedhowbigofajobitwas
tomakeelectronicmusic.Thisqualityofproductionofsuchanewsoundforthattime
absolutelymade an impression and helped the record be seen in its binaurally shiny
glory.
REASONS FOR SUCCESS: A catchy pop melody, easy to remember. The memorable
moody synthmelody at the beginning (which repeats in themiddle of the song, and
closesthesongattheend)signifiesthenewsoundofthe80’s.Superbexecutionofthe
newsynthpopsoundintheproductionprocess.
• BillieJean‘82
Performedby:MichaelJackson
Writtenby:MichaelJackson
Producedby:MichaelJacksonandQuincyJones
GrammyHallOfFame(Album)
As we enter the era of MTV and video, audience can now also get attached to the
artist’s visual appearance, performance, and artistic direction of great video making
(Duran Duran are a great example). By this time Jackson has won they ears of his
audience,andnoweyesbyanyonewhoownedaTVset.Butaside fromhismagnetic
charisma,mysteriouspersonalityandmindblowingdancemoves,hissongsweregreat.
Billie Jean has a personal story in the lyrics. It had passion in the vocals, like most
Jacksonsongs,andithasafantasticarrangement,moresotheinfamousbasslinewhich
isthesong’shook,andwhichgetstuckinpeople’sminds.Jacksonsaidheworkedonit
for threeweeks It is incredibly distinctive, one can recognise it within first two bars,
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along with the specific drums, which took dozens of takes, and specific drum setup
accordingtothemixengineerBruceSwedien,untilitwasadrumsoundthathasnever
beendonebefore.Jacksoncameupwiththewholearrangement,fromthelyricstothe
rhythm section, in his mind. The production wizard Quincy Jones helped sculpt this
everlastingartpieceandSwediendeliveredaccuratelytheenvisionedsound.
REASON FOR ONGOING SUCCESS: The sound and the rhythm. The production is so
impressiveandthegroovesoaddictive,itpleasestheearswhenlisteningtosuchcrafted
sound.Oneofthebestproducedrecords.
• TheTrooper‘82
Performedby:IronMaiden
Writtenby:SteveHarris
Producedby:MartinBirch
It is a puzzle when it comes to music giants such as Iron Maiden. A band that has
branded heavy metal, and has most dedicated followers across the globe, since
beginning of 80’s does not seem to hold the brightest torchwhen it comes tomusic
charts.ThisispreciselyoneofthereasonsIhavenotreliedonchartstorepresenton-
goingpopularityofcertainsongs.Andbecauseoflackofhighpositioningincharts,even
thoughtheyhavereleased14albums,itwasnoteasytochooseasongforthislist.The
Trooper is added as it is a clear Maidenesque production and arrangement.
Unpretentious melody and catchy, it is considered an “all-time genre classic that
boastsMurrayandSmith'smostmemorable harmonized lead riff, plus that trademark
galloping(bass)rhythm”.(Huey,nodate)
Dickinson’s dramatic and powerful vocal delivery is phenomenal. It is a clear Iron
Maiden song, with their signature writing and composition skills. The Harris-Birch
combinationhasproventoberecipeforsuccess.
REASONFORONGOINGSUCCESS: IronMaidenhascreateda longlistofalltimeheavy
metal classics. This is one of them. A representation of the British heavy metal era.
Catchy chorus and signature galloping rhythm. Their melodies, rich arrangement and
historical story-telling lyricshavebeenunrivalled in the last3decades. Theydefinitely
owntheword‘epic’whenitcomestosongproductions.
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• Let’sDance‘83
Performedby:DavidBowie
Writtenby:DavidBowie
Producedby:DavidBowie,NileRodgers
Choosing this songcreates theopportunity towriteabouta few facts simultaneously.
DavidBowieisaniconandpossiblycouldbesaidamusicalgenreinitsownright.Bowie
isthemusic,thevision,theart,theuniquenesswhichtrueartistspossess.Behindthis
Bowiehitstandstheall timehitmakerNileRodgers.BythistimeBowiehasmadehis
impactonthemusicworld,butnotinsuchbroadmannerthatwouldclassifyhimaspart
ofpopularmusicculture.Thealbumandsong“Let’sDance”changedthat.Itchangedin
asensethatnowBowiewasheardeverywherebyeveryone.Bowiewantedtogetoutof
the niche department of obscure music and persona and become more widely
accessibletotheworldwithvariedmusicalpalette.“Hetoldmethathewantedmeto
dowhat Ididbest–makehits”confirmsRodgers(Law,J.2013,p.522)NileRodgers is
theproducerwho,sameinotherartists’records,managestotapintothecreativityof
the artists, pull out a hit record yetwithout disturbing the essence of the artist. This
recordisdefinitelyaBowiesongbutRodgersgiveshisinputthattransformsitintoahit.
Ithastheattentiongrabbingintrointothesong,whichistypicalRodgersstyle,asheard
onmostChicrecordswhichdefinedthediscoera.
REASON FOR ONGOING SUCCESS: Bowie – Rodgers collaboration. Unique songwriting
andsingingmatchedwithtastefullylayeredpoparrangementandsoundbigenoughto
nudgeBowie’stalentupanotchwithoutoverdoingit.
• PurpleRain‘84
Performedby:Prince
Writtenby:Prince
Producedby:Prince
GrammyHallOfFame(Album)
PrinceRogerNelson,alsoknownasThePurpleOne, isoneof themostaccomplished
and prolific musician/songwriter on the planet. With literally hundreds or records
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written, arrangedandperformed (forhimself aswell asother artists) it is nowonder
Princehasmadea fare shareof all timehits.Amongst “Kiss”, “WhenDovesCry” and
“DiamondsandPearls”isthealltimeclassic,PurpleRain,mainscoreforthesametitled
movie,alsoproducedbyPrincehimself.Abeautifulsemi-autobiographicalballadwitha
largeguitarsound,echoingdrums,empoweringbackingvocalsandmainvocalsnearly
cryingwithsincerity,thissongreallystandsoutfrommanyballadsalike.Ithasaneasy
sing-a-longchorusanda slowtempo, soslowthesong isnearly still,whichentrances
the listener. The guitar solo is emotional, made even more vulnerable with Prince’s
falsettopassageaccompanying it.Thesynths,whichalsocreate rain likeeffect,adda
healthydoseofthat80’smagic,makingasongabitmoredramatic.
ThealbumenteredtheUSNationalRecordingRegistry.
REASONFORONGOINGSUCCESS:Beautifuluniquemelody.Repetitionofguitarmelody
attheendofsong.Sincerityinperformance.Big,dramaticproduction.
• SweetChildO’Mine‘87
Performedby:Guns‘N’Roses
Writtenby:AxlRose,Slash,IzzyStradlin
Producedby:MikeClink
Howdoesavolatile,badbehaving,explicitcontentbandclimbtothetopofthepopular
musicladder?AppetiteforDestructionistothisdaynumber1bestsellingdebutalbum
intheUS.Soitseems,regardlessofmoralpreferences,agreatrecordisagreatrecord
andpeopleenjoylisteningtoit.Whenthealbumwasreleased,however,itdidnotgain
massattentionuntil the label strategically released“SweetChildO’Mine” tosave the
LP.Tothisday,itisrecognisedastheGuns‘n’Rosessong.Evenbynewgenerations.Itis
still played on radios (rock stations as well as ballad stations, 80’s music station,
romanticstations)onjukeboxes,inclubsandbars.Itpleasestherockfansaswellasany
fansofagreatlovesongthatisdeliberatelyrougharoundtheedges.Slash’snotorious
guitar riff has echoed over decades and not many guitar riffs (especially as a song
opener)areasgreatlyacclaimedastheonein“SweetChildO’Mine”.
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REASON FOR ONGOING SUCCESS: Great melody, catchy love song lyrics, powerful
recognisableguitarriff.Guitarsoloandbuildingchordprogressionstowardstheendof
thesongholdstrongemotionalresonance.
• LikeAPrayer‘88
Performedby:Madonna
Writtenby:Madonna,PatrickLeonard
Producedby:Madonna,PatrickLeonard
A great video goes a long way in the 80’s. And so does controversy, in any decade.
Madonna is awise businesswoman aswell as an honest songwriter and an assertive
performer.Aftertheenormoussuccessof“LikeAVirgin”albumfollowedby“TrueBlue”,
Madonnadecidedtotakethingsintoherowncreativehandsandwriteanalbumwhich
wasmoremature,andmorecathartic.Thissongfromthealbumofthesametitledeals
withracism,rape,religion, love,sexandconfession.Thatisahandful.Themessageof
the song is made clear with a very powerful video, which incorporates all of these
withoutanyambiguity.
Madonna’slyricsarehonestandsincere;“Ididn’ttrytocandy-coatanythingormakeit
more palatable for mass consumption, I guess. I wrote what I felt.” (Zollo, P. 2003,
p.616)Themelody isgreataswellasthesongstructure. It fluctuatesfromquiet,self-
reflecting tone to joyous gospel-like beat. It builds up towards the end into a strong
crescendo climax backed up by a rich choir performance, and resolves into gospel
church-like rejoicing and rhythmic clapping. The song fades out in a haunting minor
chord progression and choir follows. All these parts of the song contribute to its
magnetismandsuccess.Thesongisanalltimeclassic,notboundbyera.
REASONFORONGOINGSUCCESS:tabootopicsbeingchallenged,writtenfromtheheart,
exuberatespassioninitsdelivery.
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EVERLASTINGHITFORECAST
• SmellsLikeTeenSpirit‘91
Performedby:Nirvana
Writtenby:Nirvana
Producedby:ButchVig
This song is a perfect example how a song canmark the beginning of a new time in
music.Afterallthe80’swhichglamourisedmusic,anewgenerationofmusiciansfeltit
wasenoughofmaterialising imageofmusicand time tostrip thingsback to rawrock
andtshirtandjeans.Grungewasborn.“AndSmellsLikeTeenSpirit”wastheopening
scene.Ithasalltherawnessandslightlymaddeningenergyaboutitsupportedbyvideo
in which the group very clearly show theywere all about playingmusic and nothing
more.
ThealbumenteredtheUSNationalRecordingRegistry.
REASON FOR ONGOING SUCCESS: represents the zeitgeist of the music world. It will
alwaysberememberedas“thatsong”whichintroducedusintothe90’s.
• BackToBlack‘06
Performedby:AmyWinehouse
Writtenby:AmyWInehouse
Producedby:MarkRonson,SalaamRemi
Itisdifficulttoselectwhichoneofhersongswillstandthetestoftime,perhapsmostof
the ones that are currently known well. With nearly 100 million views on YouTube,
“Back To Black” seems promising. Amy was a compelling singer with heavy, brutally
honestlyrics.ThissonghastheMotownsoundwhichwouldautomaticallycreateappeal
to older generations as well as the youth who adored her. This is a sad ballad with
emotionsbeingheightenedwiththesoundofchurchbells,strings,sombrechorus.Yet,
themostpowerfulaspectisAmy’svoiceandherfeelingsthatpourout.
REASONS FORONGOING SUCCESS:Amywill remain an icon, as an exceptional singer,
much in the similar footsteps of Aretha Franklin or Etta James. This song has the
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strongestinterestonstreamingplatformsandisasolidtrackthatspeaksdirectlytothe
heart,whichAmyclearlywearsonhersleeve.
• GetLucky‘13
Performedby:DaftPunk,PharrellWilliams,NileRodgers
Writtenby:ThomasBangalter,G.M.deHomem-Christo,NileRodgers,PharrellWilliams
Producedby:ThomasBangalter,Guy-ManueldeHomem-Christo
As one of the best selling songs of all time which sold over 9.3 million copies and
number1inover20countriesandreceivedan(atleast2X)platinumin13countries,it
issafetosayalotofpeoplelikeit.Whenitcameoutitwasplayedoneverystation,in
everyclub,oneverymusicchannelonheavyrotation.Ithasarichanalogueproduction
andafunkydiscogrooveandverytastefularrangement.Itdoesnothaveafashionable
sound,asinitcouldhavebeenmadeinthe70’sor80’sor90’s.Itisthereforetimeless.
REASONFORONGOINGSUCCESS:Thesongisfantasticallyproduced(ittook18months
tomake) andhasanaesthetically pleasing, lush sound.Discogroovehasprovenover
timetoalwaysgetpeopledancing.Pharrell’swarmvocalsandrhythmicchorussinging
createahook.ItalsohasNileRodgers’inputandhisgroovyguitarriff.Itcannotfail.
ANALYSINGASONG
A song in western popular music usually consists of three basic elements. Structure,
lyrics(notalways,butinthiscaseitwillbeanalysedasareasonforeverlastingsuccess)
andmelody. The question regarding which aspect of the song is more relevant, is a
reoccurringone.Creativetouchessuchasproductiontechnique,choiceofinstruments
andarrangementaswellasvocalexpressionoftentendtoholdthesecrettosuccessfor
makingsonganeverlastinghit,asitisseeninthesonganalysis.Buttheydonottendto
exist as a general rule, rather as an exception. An example of this being “In the air
tonight” by Phil Collins, most remembered by the phenomenal tom fill before the
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second verse, which only happened due to talkback mic with compression being
accidentally left “on” in the recording room, returning into a channel with a
compression gate. Whilst a groove will be the secret ingredient of one hit, such as
Wonder’s“Superstition”,anothersongwillhavethatunmissableguitarriffasheardin
“SweetChildO’Mine”byGuns‘N’Roses.
STRUCTURE
“ I liketobeunpredictable.Thereisn’tonesong(onalbumCityStreets)that’sAABAor
ABAB.Theyallturnleftsomewhere…there’sabeginningtoasong,andthereshouldbe
an end of a song, and of course there’s the middle. And I like to take that middle
anywhereitwantstogo…Thesongformislimitless.Youcandoanythingyouwant.”–
CaroleKing(Zollo,P.2003,p.144)
Thefirstthingthatbecomesapparentaboutasongisitstempoandrhythm,thenlength
of the song and finally the pattern (verse, chorus, verse, bridge, chorus). Tempo and
rhythm are schematic patterns, which we develop in our brain at a young age. This
cognitivepredispositiontofamiliarityandpreferencewillbeexplainedinmoredetailin
thenextchapter.Structure is importantbecause it isonewayofcontrolling listeners’
expectations.Ifasonghasprovensuccessfulandsatisfyingtoalargeaudiencebybeing
3minuteslongwithtwoverses,twochorusesandashortbridgeinthemiddle,thenitis
alogicalsteptousethisasanequationthatworkswhenwritingasong.Anexampleof
suchsuccessonagrandscaleisseeninthe60swiththeBeatlesandthenpopularAABA
form (verse 1, verse 2, chorus/middle 8, verse3). A band that has written dozens of
songs with a very vast spectrum of moods and song structure patterns, had success
sustainability fromthebeginning followingtheir firsthit“Frommetoyou”.Likemany
bands, they secured their fame by following this song form,whichworked until they
wontheheartsofanaudiencesolarge,theycouldaffordtothenexperimentcreatively
andstillbeheard.
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“SheLovesYou” followedsoonafter,goingstraight tonumberoneagainaswellas“I
wanttoholdyourhand”,“Can’tbuymeLove”and14more,whichthentookdifferent
shapes.
Completely contrary to this is Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”; an amalgamation of
differentpopularmusicgenresinapeculiararrangement.
By observing two ends of the complexity spectrum regarding the song structure, the
theorythatsuccessismorelikelyfollowingacertainformpatternisquestioned.
LYRICS
“Nowadays I pay much more attention to lyrics than I used to. I used to think that
nobodyreallywhistledalyric.Ithoughtthethingpeoplerememberedwasthemelody.
And I think that’s still true, but I think a bad lyric is going to down a song.” – Burt
Bacharach(Zollo,P.2003,g.202)
Lyricsappeartobeeithercompletelyobsoletetothesuccessofasong,ortheessence
of magnetic pull towards it. Songs that are stripped back in the melodic and
instrumentalcomplexity,bywriterssuchasBobDylan,TomWaits,CaroleKingorJoni
Mitchell,carrytheirvalueinpoetry.Wetendtoconnecttotheconfessionsordeepest
innerthoughtsandobservationsthatthesongwriterhasofferedtosharewithus.Thisis
whatconnectsus.
“One of the reasons that we’re willing tomake ourselves vulnerable to our favourite
musiciansisthattheyoftenmakethemselvesvulnerabletous…Thepowerofartisthat
itcanconnectustooneanother.”(Levitin,D.2006,g.244)Ofcourse,thisistruetomany
formsofart,notjustverbal,lyricaltype.
Asaforementioned,“SoundofSilence”writtenbyaprolificsongwriterPaulSimonholds
the power in its lyrics and the truth of it, which listeners invest their connection to.
However, likemanycomposersandsongwriters,Simonswaysbetweenthebalanceof
lyrical andmelodic importance. There is no rule or connection necessarily between a
songwriter and prioritised element of the song. As Burt Bacharach’s quote above
suggests, perhaps with age and/or experience, the artist’s focus shifts. As Bacharach
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feels that bad lyrics could have a negative impact on a powerful melody, reversely
Simonsuggeststhatweakmelodywoulddrowngreatlyrics:“Mythinkingisthatifyou
don’thavetherightmelody,itreallydoesn’tmatterwhatyouhavetosay.Theyonlyare
available to hearwhen the sound entrances andmakes people open to the thought”.
(Antlitz,nodate)
Withthisinseparableintertwiningrelationshipbetweenthetwoelements,thenextand
finalelementtoexaminethereforeismelody.
MELODY
“Melody is one of the primary ways that our expectations are controlled by
composers…Thesettingupandmanipulatingofexpectationsistheheartofmusic,andit
isaccomplishedincountlessways.”(Levitin,D.2008,p.112)
Several things definemelody in a song.Mainly it is an order and pattern ofmusical
notes.Butitisalsoshapedbytimesignatures(rhythmicpatterns),tempoandcoloured
byinstrumentswhichgiveitacertaintimbreandpitch.Italsohasthestrongesteffect
onusemotionally.Thesimplefactthathumanbodyreactstomusic inageneralway,
meaning,weall reactnearlythesametoamajorandminorscale,modes,ortotonal
andatonalmusic,consonanceordissonanceinharmony.Someexciteus,whilstothers
make us feel sad or melancholy. Pitch and chords (combination of notes played
together)haveapowerfuleffectonouremotionalresponse.“Mood,excitement,calm,
romanceanddangeraresignalledbyanumberoffactors,butpitchisthemostdecisive.
Asinglehighnotecanconveyexcitement,asinglelownotesadness.”(Levitin,D.2008,
26)
Thenextchapter“HowWeHearMusic”elaboratesonthesequestionsastowhycertain
melodiesandpitchesmoveusonaneurologicallevel.
Amelodyisusuallymadeupofvariouschordsinacertainorderorflow,knownaschord
progressions. These chord progressions carry the movement of the melody and
therefore the mood. Chords have a music theory behind it that is somewhat
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mathematicalbutthechordprogressionscanhaveinfinitepatterns,withalogicallinkto
a certain extent, but not necessarily a rule. This is composer’s creative freedom to
design.Theseprogressionshavedefinedgenressuchasrock‘n’roll,Motown,rhythm&
bluesandpunk.Theycanbedefinedaspatterns.
Ifasonghasarhythmsection,thiswouldbeit’sbackbone.Thepercussionandthebass
tendtoprovideagrooveforasong.Somecomposersaremastersof findingtheright
groove that a vast number of people get hookedon.Oneof themost known groove
masters is the hit maker Nile Rodgers. Apart from being the guitarist and composer
(alongsidethebassplayerBernardEdwards)fordiscobandChic,Rodgershasbeenthe
magicianproducerbehindsomeoftheworldstophitsandalbumsfromvarietyofartists
suchasDavidBowie,DavidLeeRoth,BryanFerry,DuranDuran,Madonna,JeffBeckand
manyothers.
His band Chic had a worldwide success in defining the Disco genre and by having
continuous hit success. They all contain his signature groove and the way the songs
breakdownafterchorusintosimpleinstrumentalmelodiesandthenrebuildthemselves
back again. This has proven (on the club dancefloors in the 70’s) to be something
audiencesgocrazyfor.
Thedebatewhetherwritinga successfulhit comesdown towordsor the soundsand
beatsseemsanendlessone.Whilesomesaytheremustbeabalance,andothersthatit
dependsonthesong,someyetclaimoneisclearlymoreeffectiveonusovertheother.
(Zollo,2008)
Andfinally,thereareartiststhatcomeupwiththewholearrangementformusicand
lyrics and rhythm and pattern simultaneously, such asMichael Jackson. Most of the
world’spopulationhavebeen familiarwithandquite fondof theworksofhisgenius.
Jackson possessed a unique and remarkable talent of hearing complete songs in his
head, even without any musical or songwriting training. “The lyrics, the strings, the
chords,everythingcomesatthemomentlikeagiftthatisputrightintoyourheadand
that'showIhearit”.(Jones,L.2014)Thelistedsong“BillyJean”wasjustoneofmany
songswhichhehad a complete visionof in hismind, that came from somewhereup
aboveandjustlikeRodgers,Jacksonsongsarepopularfortheirdominantgroove.
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HOWWEHEARMUSIC
InthissectionIlookmoredeeplyintohowwereacttomusicashumans.Howourbrain
behaves and responds to it, what music triggers off emotionally and how we are
predisposedtocertainmusicpreferences.
Whatisitthatmakesusattachedtoacertainsong?Whydosomesongsfeelasthough
theyknowexactlyhowwefeel,andwerelatetothemsostrongly?Andwhydoesthis
feelingaboutthemnotfadeevenafterhearingthemhundredsoftimes?
In our lifetimedifferent subjects influenceourmusic preferences. Biology, neurology,
self-identification(IDdevelopment),socialgroupsandbiggerviewoftheworldandour
place in it, often reflected throughnostalgia. Tomake things simpler, I haveanalysed
theseinfluencesinalinear,order,from(pre)birthtoadulthood,becauseourcognitive
andemotionalpreferencescanonlybedevelopedinachronologicalorder,oneunable
tobeindependentofthepreviousone(evenifweliketoarguethistonotbetrue,and
thatourdecisionsaremadesolemnlybyourcurrentobservationsandthought)
INFANCY
Alexandra Lemont’s of Keele University conducted an experiment with mothers and
their babies in both prenatal and infant phase, as part of her study about musical
preferences in infants the study shows that babies at 1 year of age already have a
preferencetomusicwhichtheyhavebeenexposedtowhilstinthewombafter20orso
weeks,atwhichtimetheirauditorysystemisfullydeveloped.
Other studies by Trainor of McMaster University and Sarah Trehub, University of
Toronto,haveshownthatinfantshavetheabilitytorecognisepitchandmusicalshapes
and patterns as well as timbre and tempo. This also includes recognition between a
patternandtimetransposition. This isrelevantbecauseadults’cognitivebehaviour is
no different. These studies suggest we have a predisposed familiarity to music
29
surroundingourenvironment,inotherwordsculture.Asfarasmelodyandpitchgoes,
somestudieshaveshownthatWesternmusicseemstobepreferredchoiceforinfants,
regardless of their culture or race. Even though there are still more evidence being
collected to support these reports, perhaps this is related to infants’ preference of
consonancerather thandissonance inwesternmusic.According toTrehub (Levitin,D.
2006,p.229)“infantsaremoreabletoencodeconsonantintervalssuchasperfectfourth
and perfect fifth than dissonant ones, like the triton.” These are all elements of the
westernmajorandminorscale.Sohowisthisrelevanttoinfants’responseandhowwe
arehearingmusicasadults?
Lets say that babies are open to interpretationwhen it comes to equal and unequal
stepsofourmajorscale, inotherwordswholetonesandsemitones.Theydonotfind
onemoreconfusingthanothers,andforthisreason“ourbrainsandmusicalscaleshave
coevolved”(Levitin,D.2006,p.229).
EARLYCHILDHOODANDADOLESCENCEBy the age of two, children begin to showassociationwithmusic of their culture. As
they age, they begin to get bored of the simple songs with predictable chord
resolutions.Bytheageof5,childrenwouldhaveformedparametersofsongrecognition
andwould“have learnt torecognizechordprogressions in themusicof theirculture–
they are forming schemas. We develop schemas for particular musical genres and
styles”.(Levitin,2006,p.117)Music played in their environment by their family or radio will begin to have an
influenceonachild’smusictaste.
However, the most important phase seem to be the teenager period. According to
Levitin (2006, p.231) “researchers point to the teen years as the turning point for
musicalpreferences.”Adolescentyearsareastagewherewegothroughself-discovery,
which includeshowweconnectourselvestoourworld,raisingquestionssuchaswho
amI?WhatdoIlike?Whatismyattitude?WhatdoIthink/feelabouttheworld?What
doesmysocialgrouplike?Who/whatdoIidentifywith?
30
With these questions we shift from prenatal and infant predispositions to music
preferences to external influences, which we associate with and to which we start
havinganemotionalresponseto.Emotionsplayagiantroleatthisstageasteensare
emotionallychargedthroughoutthisself-discoveryperiod.
Many music labels and witty songwriters are well aware of this powerful influential
phaseof youngadults and thereforepurposelywrite songswithwhich teenagers can
relateto,whetherit isangstorlookingforneedtobeunderstoodandheard,inthese
lonely teenager heads that nobody else seems to understand!Music genres such as
punk,newwaveorheavymetal,whichareverymuchsoanattitudedefinitionaswellas
musictype,havejust likefootballclubsorcertainlifestylepreferences,givenpeoplea
socialgroupwhere they feel theybelong, they feelapartof something that isunited
and supported in numbers andmost of all, related and understood by one another,
whentherestoftheworlddoesnot(orsotheyfeel).AsLevitinpointsoutinhisbook,
“welistentothemusicthatour friends listento…weformbondsorsocialgroupswith
peoplewhowewant to be like, orwhomwebelievewe have something in common.
Music…avehicleforsocialbondingandsocialcohesion.Musicandmusicalpreferences
becomeamarkofpersonalandgroupidentityandofdistinction.”(2006,p.232)
ADULTLIFEAswemove fromadolescenceand themusic thathelpeddefine theperson,we shift
towards adulthood. From here on people will, naturally, always remain open to
influences to newmusic however, themusic which has shaped them and which has
provided them company and definition of their identity and possibly given lifelong
friendshipsandmost importantmemories,wouldhavemadethestrongest imprinton
their preference. As Dylan shares his thought; “The melodies in my mind are
simple…they’rejustbasedonmusicwe’veallheardgrowingup.”(Zollo,P.2003,p.73)
Hereiswheretheaspectofnostalgiabeginstoplaythelargestpart.Also,aswegrow
older,themorewelookbackintoouryoungadultlife.Aspopularmusichasexistedas
suchforonly justover60years,therearen’tmanygenerationsandvariablesofmusic
agessincethen.Thisisrelevantassomedecadesandperiodsofmusichavehadmoreof
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animpactcapturingthezeitgeistofthoseeras.ForexampleJohnLennon’s“Imagine”or
Marvin Gaye’s “Whats’s going on” encapsulating the times and troubles of society
duringtherepercussionsofVietnamWarorpunkrockasanantigovernmentrevoltand
response to Thatcher Britain. It must be noted however, that many of these socio-
political “souvenirs”of certaineranevermade top-charting successworldwide simply
becausethepowerisinthelyrics,andnoteveryoneunderstandsEnglish.
But if the popularity of songs isweighed in the nostalgic aspect of a generation, this
wouldmeanafterthesegenerationshavepassed,sowilltheinterestinthesongs.Yes
this isnot thecase.Somesongs remainhitsnomatterwhenandbywhatgeneration
theyareheard.Sowhatisitthatmakesthempopularacrosstheboard?
InthenextchapterIhavelistedresponsesofsomesongwritersandproducerstothebig
questions, such as what makes a song an everlasting success and where does the
creationcomefrom?
WORDSFROMTHECREATORS;WHEREDOES“IT”COMEFROM
VIEWSONTHOUGHTCONTROL
JohnLennon:“It'slikeabstractartreally.It'sjustthesamereally.It'sjustthatwhenyou
have to thinkabout it towrite it, it justmeans that you labouredat it.Butwhenyou
justsayit,man, you know you're saying it, it's a continuous flow. The same aswhen
you'rerecordingorjustplaying,youcomeoutofathingandyouknow"I'vebeenthere"
and it was nothing, it was just pure, and that's what we're looking for all the time,
really.”
(Cott,J.1968)
Paul Simon: “I don’t consciously think about what a song should say. In fact, I
consciously try not to think about what a song should say. You want your mind to
32
wander.As soonas yourmind knows… it’s supposed toproduce some lines, either it
doesn’t or it produces things that are very predictable. And that’s why I say I’m not
interested in writing something that I thought about. I’m interesting in discovering
wheremymindwantstogo,orwhatobject itwantstopickup. Italwayspicksupon
somethingtrue.”(Zollo,P.2003,p.95)
Bob Dylan: “Throwing yourself into a situation thatwould demand a response is like
using bait. People who write about stuff that hasn’t really happened to them are
inclinedtodothat…motivationissomethingyouneverknowbehindanysong,really.
Itsnicetobeabletoputyourselfinanenvironmentwhereyoucancompletelyaccept
alltheunconsciousstuffthatcomestoyoufromyourinnerworkingsofyourmind.You
havetobeabletogetthethoughtsoutofyourmind….andyouhavetobeabletosort
themout,ifyouwanttobeasongwriter.Youmustgetridofallthatbaggage.”(Zollo,P.
2003,p.72)
VIEWSONHIGHERPOWERS
Carole King: “That song wrote itself. It was written by something outside of myself
though me…that song is one of the examples of that process where it was almost
completelywrittenbyinspirationandverylittleofanyperspiration”
Zollo:Doesthatgiveyouthefeelingthatthesesongscomefrombeyondyou?
CaroleKing:“Absolutely.”(Zollo,P.2003,p.143)
Michael Jackson: “"The songwriting process is something very difficult to explain,
becauseit'sveryspiritual.Youreallyhaveit inthehandsofGod,andit'sasif itsbeen
writtenalready-that'stherealtruth.As if itsbeenwrittenin itsentiretybeforewere
born and you're just really the source throughwhich the song come. Really. Because
theyjustfallrightintoyourlapinit'sentirety.Youdon'thavetodomuchthinkingabout
it.AndIfeelguiltyhavingtoputmyname,sometimes,onthesongsthatI-Idowrite
them-Icomposethem,Iwritethem,Idothescoring,Idothelyrics,Idothemelodies
butstill,it'sa...it'saworkofGod."(Kory,A.2013,p.98)
33
DavidByrne:Itendtobelievethatitcomesfromsomethingwithinmyself.ButIcomes
fromthecollectiveunconscious, fromapartofmyselfthat’salsoverysimilartoother
people, so it becomes a part of myself that’s no longer me. It’s not I any longer. It
doesn’t reflectmy petty concerns or desires or problems. Its tapping into something
universal.”(Zollo,P.2003,p.496)
LeonardCohen:“IfIknewwherethegoodssongscamefrom,I’dgotheremoreoften.
It’samysteriouscondition.It’smuchlikethelifeofaCatholicnun.You’remarriedtoa
mystery.”(Zollo,P.2003,p.335)
Madonna:“Idon’trememberthenameofmyfirstsongbutIdorememberthefeeling
that I hadwhen Iwrote it.And it just cameoutofme. I don’t knowhow. Itwas like
somebodypossessedme.Andthenafterthat,theyjustkindofgushedoutofme.”
“Iwaitforinspiration”.(Zollo,P.2003,p.616)
VIEWSONDISCIPLINEVERSUSINSPIRATION
Leonard Cohen: “To be able to find that song that I can be interested in takesmany
versionsandittakesalotofuncovering.Myimmediaterealmofthoughtisbureaucratic
andlikeatrafficjam.Sotofindthatsong,thaturgentsong,takesalotofversionsanda
lotofworkandalotofsweat.Oneisdistractedbythisnotionthatthereissuchathing
asinspiration,thatitcomesfastandeasy.Andsomepeoplearegracedbythatstyle.I’m
not.”(Zollo,P.2003,p.332)
Zollo:Areyouawriterwhowillworkonsongsonadailybasis, regardlessofwhether
you’refeelinginspired?
David Byrne: Yes. I still think you have to wait for the inspiration, but unless you’re
there,waitingatthebusstop,youain’tgonnagetonthebus.Ifindthatyouhavetoget
into the mode and hope that something comes. It doesn’t always.” (Zollo, P. 2003,
p.501)
34
Madonna:“Iwillsingittohim(co-writerPatLeonard).Orhumthemelodylinetohim,
andhewillput it intoa chordprogressionandwe’ll comeupwitha song thatway. I
startsinging(melodies)justfrommyhead.OrifIthinkofalyric,likeahookoraline,I’ll
justputittoamelodyandhe’llbangitoutonthepianoforme.”
(Zollo,P.2003,p.617)
Fromthesestatementsitisevidentthatthemostcommonfactoristhatittakesalotof
worktobeabletochannelthesourceofcreativity.Alsothereisthesharedmysteryof
notquiteknowingwherethesongscomefrom.Nevertheless,italsoshowsthatthereis
notonerule.Differentartistshavedifferentapproachandviewsonmusicandartand
workethic.
INTERVIEWSWITHPRODUCERSCHRISECKMANANDDARIODENDI
Ihavehad theprivilegeand joydiscussingmy researchhypothesiswithChrisEckman
(The Walkabouts, producer, musician, film score composer, and co-founder of
Glitterbeat records) and Dario Dendi (producer, engineer, worked on albums by
Stereophonics,Killers,KaiserChiefs,Sugababes).
Herearetheirinsightsonthetopic.
T.T:Howwouldyoudefineahit?
C.E:There isnoobjectivewaytodefine it. It’son thechartssellsacertainamountof
copies or (these days) it is played a certain amount of times on Spotify or other
streamingplatforms.Forme,Idon’tcarehowmanycopiesithassoldif itthenleaves
35
our consciousness. Instead, it is something that stays, enters an ongoing musical
conversation.Somethingthatisreferstooveragainandhasaculturalcurrencytoit.
D.D: Itshardtodefineit,becausetherearesomehitswith4chords,somehitswith8
chords,thatdon’treallyhaveahookychorusbuthaveahookyriff,butthereisalways
something -oneelement,acertainsomethingthat juststicks inyourhead,andgrabs
you straight away. That is the common denominator, but that can come in various
forms.Thatcanbeavocalhook,aninstrumentalhook.Iwouldsay,moreoftenthatnot,
it’saverygoodmelody.
T.T:Isthereadifferencebetweenalistener’sandproducerspointofviewwhenitcomes
todefiningthemeaningoftheword“HIT”?
C.E: In somecases yes, in somecasesno. someproducers are verymoneydriven. So
theirdefinitionofahitwoulddependondiditbringapaycheck.Somearemoredriven
by other things. Some can afford it; have had previous success and are not worried
aboutit.Forothers,itfeelsveryaccidentalwhentheyendupwithahit.
D.D:actuallyIdon’tthinkthereisadifferencebecausegoodproducersshouldbegood
listeners,andinactualfact,thosetwothingsarethesame.Thewayproducerscreatea
trackshouldbefromalistener’spointofview.Sothetwothingsgohandinhand.
T.T:Whataboutinfluenceoflabelsandmarketing?
C.E: There’s plenty of great sounds out there that I’m sure nobody has ever heard. I
meanthey’rereissuingsoulstufffromthe60’sand70’sconstantly.It’slikeabottomless
wellofamazingsongs.Whyweren’t thesehitsandotherswere? It’scertainlynot the
qualityofsongwriting. It’scertainlynotthequalityofproduction. It’scertainlynotthe
qualityof the vocal track. There’sotherelementshear that reallyhavenothing todo
withthechemistryinthestudioorthesong.
T.T:Relevanceonsongstructure:lyrics,melody,arrangements.Wouldyousaythatone
ofthesethingsismoreimportantthananother(whenitcomestosuccessofahit)?
36
C.E:WellIthinkoverallin(popularmusic)lyricsaretheleastimportant.Forsure.Ifyou
lookatpopmusic, it (lyrics) hasneverbeenabigpartof it, it’s neverbeen themost
importantelement.
T.T:Whatwouldyousayismostimportantelement?
C.E:Melody,really.Wesingalongtosongswedon’tevenknoworunderstand.Thefirst
thingyou’re focusingon is theprogression, thechordchange. I thinkmoreandmore
thesedayseventherhythmicaspectofit.Again,thereareexceptions.
D.D:Ithinkmelodyisprobablythemostdefiningelementforahit.Itiswhatmakesthe
songmorememorable andmakes it stick,makes it catchy, communicatesmore, in a
morebasiclevel.
I remember, listening to English songs as a child - not having a cluewhat theywere
singingabout,butlovingthesongsbecauseofthemelody,soIthinkmelodyplaysavery
important role,but itsnotalways just themelody - it canbe somethingelse. It’s just
thatsomethingthatgetsyou!
T.T:Andyoucan’tputyourfingeronit.
D.D:Youcant!
T.T:Doyouthinkmaybethat’swherethemagicis?
D.D:Yeah.
TT:Doyouthinkweperceivemusicdifferentlyifweknowwhotheartistis?
CE:Absolutely,wecan’thelpit.
37
POWERSOFTHEMUSICINDUSTRY
Thebeginningof20thcenturycreatedawholenewindustryinmusicbasedonmaking
records thatwill sell.TinPanAlley inNewYorkwas thecentrepointof that industry,
sincethelate1800’s.Thebusinessmenandentrepreneurssawmoneyinnumbersand
went forward to followschemesof successfulhits. Sameas inVaudevilleandTinPan
Alley.Asmentionedinthehistoryofpopularmusic,TinPanAlleywasinawayaclubof
songwriters and publishers. First it was songs written for live performances and
theatres,thenitbecameapparentthatballadswerepopular.Eventuallycamerock‘n’
rollin1950’swhichsawasuddenemergenceofproducersalloverMidwestUSaswell
asSouthernUS,setouttomakethenextbigrock‘n’rollrecord.Anditwaseasierback
then.Nothing like it ever existedbefore, and therewas ahandful of songwriters and
producerswhomadehitafterhit.
Rock ‘n’ roll songswere focusedon teens andAldonMusicPublishing, at the famous
BrillBuildinginManhattanwasfocusingonexactlythat.Youthdictatewhatispopular.
Youthiswherethemoneyisandmusicbusinessorientatedthesongsforteenagerlife.
BrillBuildingwastheTinPanAlleyofrock‘n’roll,whichcontainedanastronomical165
music businesses. From songwriters and arrangers, to publishers, promoters and
performers, including studio facilities. “A classic model of vertical integration.”
(http://www.history-of-rock.com/brill_building.htm)
TheBrillbuildingwasaproductionlineofpopularmusic.Interestinglyenoughandnot
allthatsurprising,manysongwriterssuchasBurtBacharach,LauraNyroandCaroleKing
eventuallybecameperformersof theirown,morepersonalwork, lookingfor freedom
ofcreativeexpression.
ThestoryofTinPanAlleyandtheBrillBuildingareexamplesofmusicbusinessseeing
the profitable future. There were creative hot spots for different music waves. 50’s
MotowninDetroit,60’ssoulatMuscleShoals,70’sDiscoinNewYork,andpunkrockin
London, 80’s electro-synth-pop in Germany etc. and all this locations catered for
production of the same music. Where there is demand, there is opportunity for
productionandprofit.
Thedownfallisthatstylesofanyartformtendtopass.Andwiththerecordlabelsnow
havingthelastword,especiallyafter1970’s,therehadtobeawaytokeepconsumers
interestedinthemuchinvestedproduct.Firstly,therewasthepressuretocreateahit
38
single. This means, hits did not happen by chance, but by plan. As the successful
songwriter/publisherPhilThornalleyrecallsfromhisearlydaysinthelate70’s,“Itdidn't
matterwhotheartistswere,theycouldbelikeapopbandoracredibleband…allthat
matteredwasthattheyhadahitsingle,because if theydidn'thaveahitsingle, there
wouldn'tbeanotheralbum.ThesedaysIthinkeveryoneconsidersthatnormal,butback
thenitwasconsideredabitbrutal.”(Flinner,A.2015)
Thehardfacttobearisthatmuchofthemusicindustryfactswhicharegiventous,and
whichhavepaintedapictureofpopularmusicdemandis,forthemajorpartofit,rather
false.
A few eye openers have emerged in recent years, depicting the real face of music
businessandhowstatisticsandfactsarehandled.Anawardwinningrecordproducer,
whohas,under thepennameMosesAvalon,writtenthe important“Confessionsofa
recordproducer”book,isoneoffewwhoshedalightonthishiddentreasure.
Radio plays, record sales and song charts are as reliable as a word of mouth. And
although, thanks to companies such as SoundScan, it has been more transparent to
follow record sales, it is fascinating the loopholes cleverly created to keep certain
recordsontop.
These days we have streaming sites and user-generated content platforms such as
Youtube, which could be dubbed “label-generated content”, as little as we know. If
numberofclicksorchartpositionwillsparkupinterestandgeneratesales,theywillbe
involved.AsMoseswritesinhisbook,“Ithinkitwouldshocktheaveragepersontolearn
thatuntil 1991 theBillboard charthadnothing todowithactual record salesoreven
airplay!”(Moses,A.1998,p.92)
So, looking back into these times before 90’s (as my 21 Hit List) in this example,
Billboardwere not able to track record sales by actual sales, but instead by shipping
invoicesofrecordcompanies.However,themanyrecordswerereturned,andtherefore
thisisnowayanaccuratenumber.Italsodoesnothelpthatthepersonnelhandlingthe
goodsandwritinginvoiceswerealsocorrupt.
Apartfromcontrollingthenumbers,musicindustryisveryawareonhowtoplaymind
games.Orat leasttry.Oneofexamplesofthis iscontrollingairplay.Thewayarecord
company gets to have a song on the radio is by nothing less than legal corruption.
Airplay isadvertising.Promotion.Theywouldpaya lotofmoneytogetasongonthe
radioonrepeatbutasmallpercentagethengoestothesongwriter,andeventuallyback
39
into the record companies’ pocket. And, of course, the advertising (airplay) does the
rest.
Labelwouldhirepromoterswhowereexcellent salesmenwithgreatpersuasion skills
and…money. There is a story of promotermaking sure the stationmanager played a
recordwhichwouldensuretobeabighit.“Ifheheardanenvelopeslidingaroundthe
sleeveofanalbum,hewouldreply,“Thissoundslikeagreatrecord””.(Moses,A.1998,
p.96)Thesoundofmoney.
There is an aggressive philosophy behind this, suggesting that a song will we played
enoughtimesuntilthelisteners learntolikeit,sameas“ifthesongisonthecharts it
mightpersuadepeopletobuytherecord”.(Moses,A.1998,p.93)
40
SO…UNEXPLAINEDPHENOMENAORAFORMULATEDPROCESS?
“Theultimate illusion inmusic is the illusionofstructureand form.There isnothing in
thesequenceofnotes themselves thatcreates the richemotionalassociationwehave
withthemusic.Ourabilitytomakesenseofmusicdependsonourexperience.
Justhowthisstructureleadsustoexperienceemotionalreactionsispartofthemystery
ofmusic”(Levitin,D.2006,p.109)
Therearestillunansweredquestionsonascientific,neurologicallevelastowhycertain
songs move us, regardless of our age, era or geographical location. Perhaps some
songwriters have figured out the formula, and how itworks on a simple biochemical
level to which we respond sensually and emotionally. Perhaps it is precisely the not
knowing,evenfromtheartiststhemselves,wherethecreationofthesongcomesfrom,
whichmakes itmagical.Andperhaps it comesdown touniquechemistrybetweenall
peoplethathavecrossedpathsandworkedonarecord.Ormaybetherecordindustryis
verysuccessfulinbrainwashingourjudgementbyforce-feedingourearscertainsongs.
Theanswerissubjectivetotherecord.Wemustbetruetoourselvesandquestionwhy
wefeelaboutacertainsongthewaywefeel.Shouldwedislikeitifwediscoveritwas
contrivedtobeahit,orshouldwepaymoreattentiontoalesslikedsongbecausewe
havelearntthebeautifulsincerityofitsroots.
When I first started this research, and throughout themajority of it, Iwas convinced
that whatmakes a hit an unforgettable one is precisely the sincerity, the truth, if it
speaks from the heart. People somehow have a way of connecting to art of others,
whichissincere.Wehaveabuilt-inantennaforempathy.However,themoreIstudied,I
havelearnttoacceptthataswellasgettingaddictedtoasongbecauseitmovesmeon
apersonallevelandIcanfeelasifIamhavinganintimateconversationwiththeartist,I
canalsobemovedbygreatsoundingproduction,exquisitelyarrangedrhythms,timbres,
depthandwidthofsound inspace it ismixed in,onaneurological levelwhichwould
takemetoaeuphoricstate,overandover,nomatterhowmanytimesIheardit.One
can trick you into the other. Music can manipulate us into emotions triggered from
differentdirectionsthanwethink.“Mostcontemporaryrecordingsarefilledwithtypeof
auditory illusion. Our brains use cues about the spectrum of the sound and type of
41
echoestotellusabouttheauditoryworldaroundus…Recordingengineershavelearnt
tomimic those cues to imbue recordingswith a real-world, lifelike quality. Recording
engineers andmusicians have learned to create special effects that tickle our brains."
(Levitin,2006)
It is important who we are as individuals. Some people are more inclined towards
poetry and thereforewould have a stronger response for songwriters with profound
story telling and poetic skills. Others, like myself, are mostly moved by chord
progressions,harmoniesandmostofallthekeythesongiswrittenin,aswellastempo
andgrooveofarhythmsection.
Neuroscientistssayskilledcomposersknowhowtokeepusengagedwithasamesong
over years and years just by “setting up and manipulating our expectations” with a
composition.And itdoesnotmatterhowmanytimeswehaveheardthepiece, itwill
stillholdourcuriosityandattention.
Whetheramassnumberoftheworld’spopulationgocrazyoveracertainsongdecades
laterwhichwasformulated,orcametobebyanunexplainedphenomenamightnotbe
asfascinatingasthefactthatwhicheveritis,weaspeople,acrosstheglobe,mostreact
tomusicinthesameway.Thefactthatacertainsongcanbecomeandremainahitby
havingmillionsoffans,tellssomethingaboutthephenomenaofhumanbehaviourand
emotionalconnection.
42
APPENDIXA-InterviewWithChrisEckman
The interview was semi – structured, conducted over Skype and recorded via Skype
recording feature. Itwas over one hour long, however I have transcribed and edited
segments,whicharerelevanttomythesis,excludingofftopicconversations.
APPENDIXB–InterviewWithDarioDendi
ThisinterviewwasconductedinLondoninacasualmanner.Ithasbeenrecordedonmy
mobile device and transcribed. As above, much of the conversation drifted off top,
henceIeditedandselectedpartsoftheinterviewrelevanttomytop.
Althoughthe interviewsweredoneseparately, they followedthesamequestion flow,
thereforethissectionintheprojectiswritteninsuchnature.
43
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