KEY ELEMENTS OF A GREAT SONG

We have readers here that are all over the spectrum. Some of you just want to write songs for your own pleasure. Others are hoping for staff writing deals and to make a living getting songs recorded. This post is for all of you. Whether you are writing for yourself or for the masses, you want to write a great song. Here are my views on what makes a song great.
People often ask me what makes a song a “hit” song. The answer to that question is long and complicated. But, based on my experience, here’s what you have to have in order to have a hit song:

​Great songs cause a strong reaction. It makes me laugh, cry, dance – something! I FEEL something when I hear it.
 
I can relate. Usually I feel something because it touches on some emotional memory of mine.

It doesn’t feel forced. The rhymes feel natural. The language is believable. It seems simple. Those can be the hardest to write.
 
It is crafted with integrity.Whether the topic is serious or funny, there is integrity in the craft that went into the song. It’s well put together, it’s catchy. It sticks in my head.
 
It comes from a real place. I BELIEVE that the writer or the singer KNOWS what they are talking about. The opposite would be seeing a guy dressed very preppy singing about being a rough, tough biker. I don’t buy that. I want to buy in when I listen.
 
It’s the same old thing said in a fresh way. There is really not much new to write about in the human experience. Great songs say the same old thing in a fresh way.
 
A few more things to remember:
 

• A melody that causes people to sing along and that gets stuck in your head.
• A lyric that communicates clearly a message that touches people in some way.
• A connection to the greater human experience. Hit songs go beyond the singer’s experience and connect to humanity in a global way.
• The perfect blend of artist and song. Having a hit depends on finding an artist that can truly “sell” the song.
• A radio promotion team that has the ability to get the song played a LOT.
• Luck. If you get stuck behind a 9-week #1 song of the year type song, you may not make it to the top. Having a #1 song depends in part of what other songs/artists are doing on the charts.

 
As a writer, you can only control the first three. So, spend your time working at that catchy melody, a clear lyric that moves people and connecting to the greater human experience. Doing those three things increases your chances exponentially.
 
If you succeed in all of those areas, you probably have a pretty good song. Maybe a great song. Set the bar high!

Author

Hangi Tavakoli is our in-house established and professional music producer with more than 18 years of experience in songwriting, music production, mix and mastering. He has produced more than 3000 and written more than 4800 published songs to-date, including some major hits in international scale.