(450) HIT RECORDS : THE MYSTERY OF WHAT MAKES A HIT?

It's a bit of a mystery really, what makes a song, a recording of a song, a particular version  or cover tune of a song, a hit, a chart topper. 

So many factors to consider.  The song itself - the lyrics, the melody, the music production - which can reimagine a song, the singer - their popularity or break through, also the promotion - very important.   Some great songs you never heard of died before they were launched because there was little to no money for promo.

Sometimes everything comes together in a magical moment in time and somehow out of thousands of songs recorded at that time, one recording appeals to so many people that they go out and buy it, request it be played on a radio station, and go see the singer or band in concert. 

But for every example of how one song became a hit, there is some other song that became a hit a whole other way.  Musical stars get tired of concerts and retreat to a studio.   Very rarely someone breaks out using YouTube.

Today with so much independent music making, we have stars shining that relied on television talent contests, social networking on smart cell phones and computers, or making the rounds of local clubs performing live with CDs made in local studios in hand. 

It may be even more difficult to explain the mystery than it always was now, but you could say that a songwriter, a singer, someone has to BELIEVE IN THE SONG.

One of the ways a hit record is considered a hit is that it made it onto a chart.

Let's put it this way.  There are songs that didn't make the TOP 100 / 1000 that were still very successful for the songwriters because they were used for a movie or television series, or a number of artists recorded the song or performed it live.  Still, it's a temptation to look at charts.

Consider this.  Charts vary.  There are hit charts that proclaim the greatest hits of All Time (often opinion), Charts by record sales, charts by requests of radio play and actual radio play (which may have been dictated by a station manager or a DJ), charts that count by CITY, BY REGION, BY COUNTRY!  There are charts by category, by genre - easy listening, rockabilly, classical. 


Charts look back but don't predict the future!