The official "I can write a hit but don`t want to" thread!

[Ernest Buckley]

[rasputin1963]

This is actually a very good question, Ernest.... I wonder if I could write a hit now. I wonder, because what constitutes a three-minute song has changed a great deal over the last two decades... It's Rap, effectively, that killed Tin Pan Alley.

 

Bob Dylan used to say (circa 1964) that it was he who killed Tin Pan Alley... Oh, I dunno about that... What he DID do was bring back an interest in the AAA-strophic song... but the AAA-strophic song ran very comfortably alongside the AABA, AABC, Verse/Chorus/Bridge formats well into the mid-1980's.

 

Country is keeping alive all the old structural traditions, but I can hardly bear to listen to it now, what with all the macho, jingoistic posing, and the overkill usage of near- and oblique- rhymes, and witless, self-indulgent sensory images and non-sequiturs being called up. You know, there's "rustic" and "homespun".... and then there's "hamfisted" and "witless".

 

As someone recently pointed out, Alan Mencken is writing old-school songs of great integrity.

 

I would never dream of writing and album full of those 3-chord guitar strummy songs where I simply regurgitate what has, or hasn't, been happening to my dick in the past month, or write those "I-was-so-drunk" songs, or "I-feel-pain-and-I-want-you-to-as-well" songs.

[Guitzilla]

I have no idea how to write a hit song. The music that flows out doesn't sound like top 40 radio.

[Heckxx]

and I can out swim Phelps, but I don't want to

[Jeff da Weasel]

I'd love to write a hit, if what constituted a "hit" was in line with the music that I like to write. But I'm not going to change the music I write so it would be a hit. Not a hard concept.

[Billster]

"Hit" music is so random anyway. Who would have thought Bobby McFerrin would have become famous with that song? Trying to make a hit is chasing your tail, probably counter-productive, and if you do get a hit out of it, there's probably a bigger chance that people will hate you for trying too hard to be ingratiating.

[bbach]

I could get a hit. I've been hit. I've taken a hit. I've never written a hit. Well, I have written the word hit. Does that count?

[oldnewbie]

I have no idea how to write a hit song. The music that flows out doesn't sound like top 40 radio.

 

Same here.

 

For one, my songs are too long. I can't seem to get what I want to say out in less than 4 minutes. Granted I have done so, but 90% of my tunes are 5+ minutes long

 

Also, I don't really like lyrical hooks. I can't stand it when I listen to a song and the whole thing contains 2 verses and the chorus is repeated 8 times ...no substance. Once again, 90% of my songs don't even have a chorus.

 

I must say that I don't do it for the money. I do it mainly for self-satisfaction and therapy. Not that I could write a hit if I wanted to

[kurdy]

I believe I could write a potential hit song. In fact, that's always in the back of my mind when writing. Not necessarily writing a song that'll make it to #1 and sell a million, but writing something memorable that people can sing along with. It's a personal challenge I enjoy.

 

But I think there's more to getting a hit than simply the writing of it. You really have to know how to sell yourself, and be kind of fearless, sometimes even shameless. You need to schmooze, you need to network and get in with the right people. It takes a person of a certain disposition to do that, I think. And on top of all that, you need luck.

 

For someone like me who is rather shy, and not good very good at putting myself out there, it would be a uphill battle.

 

So it isn't that I couldn't write a hit song. I could write one. It's that I'm not sure how great I am at taking the necessary steps to make the song an actual hit.

[DavidJones529]

I can write a flop, but I don't want to...

[jimmy ivory]

I believe I could write a potential hit song. In fact, that's always in the back of my mind when writing. Not necessarily writing a song that'll make it to #1 and sell a million, but writing something memorable that people can sing along with. It's a personal challenge I enjoy. But I think there's more to getting a hit than simply the writing of it. You really have to know how to sell yourself, and be kind of fearless, sometimes even shameless. You need to schmooze, you need to network and get in with the right people. It takes a person of a certain disposition to do that, I think. And on top of all that, you need luck.

 

agreed - "shameless." living in austin, you hear dozens of bands that sound just the same, the current typical radio sound. for god's sake, even band names are trendy. first time i noticed was the blink 182, maroon 5, someword somenumber trend, now everyone is The s. self-promotion is so utterly important, and most of the true artists I know aren't willing to do it.

 

i've written electronic music i thought was decent but not great, then heard a relatively famous group Plaid and heard them using all the lame tricks i did, and being pros at it.

 

something that bugs me so much is when i hear, even from good friends, about some show where the band got naked, spewed stuff on the crowd, did some stupid non-musical crap that got them talked about. my guitarist would say if people go to your shows for your antics, you're probably a better jackass than musician.

 

i'm not a true artist, so i do think i could write a hit. i'm a drummer who just knows enough guitar to fake it. if i was a better guitarist, i'd play the fun complex stuff i like playing on drums, and nobody would listen. i've thought (very briefly) about putting together a band just to try to sell out to become pro, then make the music i really cared about, but the chances of actually making it are infinitesimal, and putting that amount of work into it makes it clearly a bad idea.

 

you want a luck story? check out this band my old band played with, suddenly they're playing big festivals. i thought they kind of sucked, but i hate the 80s.

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=18285814&blogID=412664934

 

sorry for the rant

[Heckxx]

Well, I think I can write a hit song AND I want to, lol. Honestly, I think alot of you underestimate the sort of thought and "skill" that goes into making most hit music. Because of the nature of pop music, and the fact that most music listeners are NOT musicians, there will be an occasional song that un-rightfully reaches the top of the charts. But I find, for the most part, that pop music is bearable and if looked at in the right light, it is not shallow crap, but rather well crafted songs that are make to appeal to the masses.

[rasputin1963]

i've written electronic music i thought was decent but not great, then heard a relatively famous group Plaid and heard them using all the lame tricks i did, and being pros at it.

 

I hear ya, Jim: I listen to the music on my current fave online radio, CLIQHOP, and I hear some incredible textures and concepts. Stuff that I don't think I could think up if I wanted to. Case-in-point: some of these cuts feature a scritchy-scratchy lo-fi vinyl loop. Now consider me, who lived through all those years of vinyl playback: Why on EARTH would I want to include a vinyl-noise loop in my digital arrangement?? (Yet it does sound kewl 'n' trendy, I must admit.)

 

Do you wanna know whom I envy? People who can do hallucinogenic drugs... AND THEN TURN THAT EXPERIENCE INTO SOME BEAUTIFUL ART.

 

Me? I merely take a puff of a dooB or drink a couple cocktails, and I turn into instant idiot or instant arsehole.

 

No way could I get high and then have the mental clarity needed to manipulate all the knobs on a synth or sampler or DAW....

[rasputin1963]

you want a luck story? check out this band my old band played with, suddenly they're playing big festivals. i thought they kind of sucked, but i hate the 80s. http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=18285814&blogID=412664934 sorry for the rant

 

 

Gotta love their Three Dog Night moustaches and Lovin' Spoonful haircuts. And they're actually SMILING! Unheard of nowadays in group band promo shots.

 

Having a "Look" may be 80% of success nowadays....

[Guitzilla]

 

Honestly, I think alot of you underestimate the sort of thought and "skill" that goes into making most hit music. Because of the nature of pop music, and the fact that most music listeners are NOT musicians, there will be an occasional song that un-rightfully reaches the top of the charts. But I find, for the most part, that pop music is bearable and if looked at in the right light, it is not shallow crap, but rather well crafted songs that are make to appeal to the masses.

 

 

 

I agree that popular music is generally well crafted. I'm just to out of touch to understand how to write it. I would have had better luck writing it back in the pop metal years...but even then, my ability to write great lyrics (trite or not) is not there.

Brian

[Jimbroni]

The easy response for me would be, I primarily write instrumental music. So therefore I choose not to write hits. But thats not true, I would love nothing more than to write a hit, and I would like it to be instrumental. I don't because I suck and/or just haven't found it yet.

 

Some would argue that I'm barking up the wrong tree trying to write a hit instrumental. To me however, writing a hit could mean a lot of things. It doesn't necessarily have to be on the billboard top 40. Hell If could get my song in a movie or TV show, that everyone remembers and associates my music with. That would be a hit in my book. James bond, Pink Panther, Sanford & Son, man to write a song like that, would be the ultimate.

[jimmy ivory]

Do you wanna know whom I envy? People who can do hallucinogenic drugs... AND THEN TURN THAT EXPERIENCE INTO SOME BEAUTIFUL ART. Me? I merely take a puff of a dooB or drink a couple cocktails, and I turn into instant idiot or instant arsehole. No way could I get high and then have the mental clarity needed to manipulate all the knobs on a synth or sampler or DAW....

 

i'm kind of uptight, so having about 2 beers in my system is optimal so that i'm loose but not (too) sloppy . for some reason i can't use a computer (which i do sober every day for at least 6 hours) at all high. makes me feel like i'm walking in knee-deep molasses. i think it's kind of lame though when people "have" to get high to make cool music (which i've probably done at some point). i'd take more pride in making music while retaining mental clarity. it just seems to take more talent for some reason.

 

if you want to give it a shot, just set all the recording gear up first and then get high : )

 

as for people bashing pop, i'm very guilty of this. the main beef i have with it is that (here comes a blanket generalization) so much of it is SO formulaic.

of course it's in 4/4. 3-4 chords (with a couple dry string scratches if you're playing electric) for the verse

3-4 chords for the chorus

3-4 chords for the bridge (possibly same chords as verse or chorus but in different pattern)

structure: intro (slightly modified verse or chorus), v, c, v, c, bridge with optional breakdown to just guitar/vox, v, c, c, c, c (repeat chorus ad nauseum with optional key change and optional new lyrics on last couple repetitions), optional outro.

 

i'm so jaded. i bet this is about the 10,000th "recipe for a hit" post on internet forums.

[Ernest Buckley]

 

i'm so jaded. i bet this is about the 10,000th "recipe for a hit" post on internet forums.

 

 

OK, cool. you know the formula. Lets hear your radio hit!:poke:

[Heckxx]

 

as for people bashing pop, i'm very guilty of this. the main beef i have with it is that (here comes a blanket generalization) so much of it is SO formulaic. of course it's in 4/4. 3-4 chords (with a couple dry string scratches if you're playing electric) for the verse 3-4 chords for the chorus 3-4 chords for the bridge (possibly same chords as verse or chorus but in different pattern) structure: intro (slightly modified verse or chorus), v, c, v, c, bridge with optional breakdown to just guitar/vox, v, c, c, c, c (repeat chorus ad nauseum with optional key change and optional new lyrics on last couple repetitions), optional outro.

 

 

So yeah, maybe you have the chord structure of a pop song down, but what about all the other elements? What about:

-What instruments to use? should there be guitar? piano? synths?

-Which instruments are playing in the chorus, which are playing in the verse?

-Are the chord being enforced by the bass, or guitar, or some other instrument?

-What about transitions between different sections? Should there be a chord change to accompany that? should there be a drum variation? should there be a instrument variation?

-What about leads/melodies with the instruments? What sort of rhythms should they use?

 

I could go on and on, lol. I didn't even talk about vocals, which is by far the most important element in pop music.

[FireWithin]

If it was the 90's and I got lucky hookups, I could have wrote a radio friendly song....hit? donno...