How To Write A Hit Record

Don't you wish there was a formula for writing a "hit" record?  There kind of is.  Of course, a getting a "hit" record is a little bit like capturing lightening in a bottle, but if you haven't had any previous instruction, I can seriously help you get started.

People (and their brains) love patterns. They are easier to digest. Comedians will tell you always to do jokes in sets of three, so no even if it wasn't true initially, you've been conditioned to the "three and out" formula of comedy.  Tens of thousands of songs have come across my desk and 90% of them can be dissected into the following formula (with only small variations).  Very few vary widely from the format.  Yes, there are always exceptions, but we are talking about songwriting basics here.  If you write in the following basic form your stuff will "go over" much more easily and you'll even find writing easier.

Here you go:

Intro (usually less than 20 seconds)

Verse 1

Verse 2

Chorus

Verse 3

Chorus

Bridge

Chorus

(end)

Yeah...that's all there is to it.  Now lets expand it a little further.

The verses are usually four lines.  The choruses are usually two to four lines, the bridge is usually two lines.  And there is quite often a quitar or some other solo after the bridge before the final chorus.  Starting with the chorus is a quite popular variation in pop, as is substituting a "rap" for a solo or even a bridge.

This formula applies to rock, rap, country, blues, pop, top 40...pretty much any genre. Hells yes you should do variations of this, but it's best if they are subtle.  Now that you have the formula, just make it catchy, get a cool haircut and go out and be a star.