What Makes a good song? | Drummerworld Forum

What Makes a good song?

SkullDrummer

SkullDrummer

Active Member
Our small band wants to make some original music. i have experience with music making, but only in edm music. what makes a song become popular? is it catchyness? or is there a trick to it?
 
Your greatest chance of success is to record under the name "Taylor Swift," but it won't last long once she sends her lawyers after you.

Secondly, you need a catchy song with an unexpected lyrical twist:

Good luck with it.
 
SkullDrummer said:
or is there a trick to it?
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same as drumming. learn the rules. practice practice practice. You see Desmond Child's name in the spawn of vistalite black's post. he has said that he has written over 4000 songs to get the hits he's had. many of the biggest hit writers in the past would treat writing like a job. they would go do it for 8 hours a day. look at hit songs today and you will find lots of the same names as co writers. practice practice practice. if you are serious I'd suggest looking up Ralph Murphy (rip) on YouTube. he gives the basics (tricks) pretty well. and like drumming there are no short cuts and it can be a life long learning (or so the successful writers say.)
 
A catchy tune then add some lyrics that make it deeper if you can-or a bunch of gibberish that people turn into whatever their imagination can ponder for a deeper meaning.
 
tris66 said:
same as drumming. learn the rules. practice practice practice. You see Desmond Child's name in the spawn of vistalite black's post. he has said that he has written over 4000 songs to get the hits he's had. many of the biggest hit writers in the past would treat writing like a job. they would go do it for 8 hours a day. look at hit songs today and you will find lots of the same names as co writers. practice practice practice. if you are serious I'd suggest looking up Ralph Murphy (rip) on YouTube. he gives the basics (tricks) pretty well. and like drumming there are no short cuts and it can be a life long learning (or so the successful writers say.)
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I remember "Desmond Child and Rouge" that's how far back he goes
 
Son of Vistalite Black said:
Your greatest chance of success is to record under the name "Taylor Swift," but it won't last long once she sends her lawyers after you.

Secondly, you need a catchy song with an unexpected lyrical twist:

Good luck with it.
Click to expand...
He could use the name Sailor Twift...subliminally sell songs to the little mush heads. I think legally he'd be in the clear.
 
SkullDrummer said:
Our small band wants to make some original music. i have experience with music making, but only in edm music. what makes a song become popular? is it catchyness? or is there a trick to it?
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I think a lot of things do. Timing for one thing. Certain novelty songs were huge hits because of timing. Also, they don't call it a "hook" for nothing and a song with a good one can break through. And actually I feel simpler songs sell better than complicated ones for the most part. But perseverance is probably number one. Hang in there.👍
 
You might consider analyzing popular songs in the following ways and then start making songs that follow the different structures you identify. Once you get proficient you can start playing with different structures and mix them up in various ways.

For example:

Intro: how many measures
Verse 1: how many lines or measures
Verse 2: how many lines or measures
1st chorus: how many lines or measures
Verse 3: how many lines or measures
Bridge: how many lines or measures
2nd chorus: how many lines or measures
Outro: how many measures

For example, Social Distortion's Ring of Fire consists of 165 measures structured this way:
Intro: 4
Guitar solo portion: 16
Verse 1: 16
Chorus: 15
Verse 2: 16
Chorus: 15
Guitar solo portion: 16
Chorus: 15
Verse 2 (repeat): 16
Chorus: 15
Chorus: 15
Outro: 6, and fade out

Try making your own song using this exact structure and see how it goes. Then do it with another song. Then another song. And so on.
 
as opposed to Static (stationary)

Harmonic movement
Melodic movement
Rhythmic movement

has to have at least One of those three
elements
to at least be
momentarily memorable (that's the goal -memorable even briefly
to the listener (the definition of catchy)
why you hear the term Hook
 
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catchy. Hooks...

Achy Breaky heart?
well popular, good and longevity might be two different things
 
I've been thinking about this myself. It helps to have samples of songs that don't really work. I've been going into Bandcamp and listening to many of the new releases. It's kind of surprising there are so many songs and mixes that have all the elements, but don't do it for me. Like you I am a fan of EDM, but it seems like it really easy to put out songs that are merely approximations to goodness. I think marketing and advertising have at least a little to do with songs getting picked up and ingraining themselves in popular culture.
 
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