Pop is a form of modern music that has enjoyed great success over the decades. Early pop music started in the 1950s with a new generation that became known as the teenager. Teenagers wanted to listen to different music than their parents and grew to love the emerging blues and rockabilly music that was starting to dominate the airwaves. This music had a certain excitement about it, which resonated with a younger audience.
Driving beats and catchy melodies wowed young audiences around the world. From Elvis to the Beatles and subsequently, to more modern artists such as Taylor Swift and the emerging K-Pop Genre, pop music has enjoyed a following of billions. Pop music can encompass a wide range of styles, but its success lies in resonating with a large audience. However, one provocative question commonly posed is what makes a great pop song? In this article, advice on this subject will be of significant benefit to any aspiring pop musician.
Skilled musicians
Firstly, it is important to recognize that pop music is not always simplistic and repetitive. While many modern forms of pop music rely on repetition and little in the way of actual content, skilled musicians will make a truly timeless pop song. Consider “The A Team” by Ed Sheeran. This was a standout track on his first album that helped to transport his music to a global audience. The song tells the story of a young girl who has fallen into a cycle of drug abuse and prostitution, albeit in an extremely poetic and memorable way with its lyrics. Such storytelling craft in lyrics is complemented by excellence in acoustic guitar playing. In short, a truly skilled musician must make a pop song that will stand the test of time.
All musicians must learn and master every element of their craft. For example, if you are a singer-songwriter on piano, you may find that you start to hone your craft by learning easy piano songs via sheet music from existing pop artists. This will help you develop core skills on this instrument before you advance to make your own music. Ideally, you will take key ideas from each song you learn and apply these concepts to your works to create captivating and catchy music.
A catchy hook
Almost every great pop song relies on a “hook” to make it memorable and catchy in the ears of the listener. This hook can take the form of a repeating beat pattern, a guitar riff that plays at memorable points in the song, or even a specific repetitive verse that becomes lodged in the brain of the listener.
Consider a song such as “The Dog Days are Over” by Florence and the Machine. This track uses a variety of memorable hooks, from the infectious driving drumbeats of the chorus section to the slow vocal part that perfectly counter the intensity of the main lyrics. In short, if you can produce pop songs that draw the listener in with instantly memorable sections, regardless of which instrument (including the voice) they are played on, you will be taking a big step towards creating a genuinely great pop song.
