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What is a "hit" Song? That's easy right? A hit song is the one everybody loves and the radio plays without ceasing. A hit song sells a lot of records and brings a lot of fame to the performer that records it, right? Those are definitely things that happen with a hit song, but how do we know if a song is going to be a hit? What exactly makes a song a hit, is the question songwriters have asked since the beginning of the craft, and unfortunately there are no easy answers. Many people agree that a hit song is the song people hear and than later, find themselves, singing in the shower or humming to themselves. It might be as simple as, every time the song comes on the radio we sing along, I know I'm guilty of that. So what causes us to remember or sing or hum along? Could it be the melody? If you categorize the billboard top ten, hits over the last thirty years, you would find the large majority of them have simple, very catchy melodies. Melody is definitely part of the puzzle but not all of it. How many pop songs have you heard that are "instrumental only" yet you found yourself humming them in the shower? Okay, maybe a few, but the greater majority of them have another element, lyrics! Yes, lyrics! Regardless what people say, they listen to lyrics. Good lyrics delivered by a talented singer and sung around a catchy melody could be a recipe for success right there. Lyrics have many variations and they usually relate in some way to the rest of the song. Lyrics may rhyme but they don't have to. The one important thing about lyrics is a thing called meter. Meter refers to even rhythms, the same number of syllables in each matching line or pattern. When lyrics have a specific meter, verses and choruses can be identified, which also allows the song to flow more smoothly. A more complex study of song meter can be found in many books on lyric writing but suffice it to say, meter is important to understand for a quality song. Song structure is also very important. Although you will find many songs deviate from the norm, there are some basic structure-ideas that can be observed in a large majority of hit songs. The most basic elements are verses and choruses. If you were to compare a song to a novel, verses are typically where the body of the story occurs, like the chapters. A chorus is more like a synopsis or a summing up of each chapter or verse. A chorus could also serve the purpose of the climax or resolution in a book which means it might be the last thing that people remember. Sometimes a chorus simply says the same thing over and over and sometimes it changes, but one very important thing is that it has something the listener will remember in it. This "something they will remember", is sometimes called a "hook" in music circles. A hook is a musical tool that catches the listener, just like a hook on the end of a fishing pole. With the hook in place the song can than "reel" the listener in. A hook is very important and I dare say that all hit songs have a hook in them. It could be a specific lyric, or melody that is typically what you find yourself singing. The hook is usually repeated. That is one reason why it is often found in the chorus.