Regardless of what they actually say their reasons for making music are for, All aspiring musicians want to be stars. The dream of stardom has been the fuel for many a music career for hundreds of years; Mozart and Michael Jackson are in that respect not as different as one would think, issues of respective talent and taste aside. All current and past pop music stars have one thing in common, though: a hit song that propelled them into pop stardom. The question that has haunted many songwriters and musicians since the dawn of popular music is: what makes a song a hit?

I’ve had the privilege of working with many artists, producers and songwriters over the years who have created million-selling albums and singles, as well as hugely successful commercial jingles, and the one thing that always fascinated me was how they were able to make their songs such that people would pay enough attention to want them. I’ve learned that it’s not magic, nor is it rocket science to create a hit song. I’m not talking about the obvious marketing strategies and constant media bombardment that play a major role in making a song a hit (or in the case of the Internet, the effect of viral marketing), nor the incredible amount of luck, good timing and a generous dose of star power that also play vital roles. My fascination lies with the structure of a hit song; how must a song sound in order to be considered a hit by the media and the public?

An example of hit song making is one of the biggest hits of 2007: “Apologize” from the band One Republic. There are two versions of the song; the original version which appears on their album “Dreaming out Loud”, and the remix version, produced by (now) legendary super-producer Tim “Timbaland” Mosley which appeared on his “Shock Value” album. The interesting thing for me is that the Timbaland version ended up being the “hit”, since the original version of the song is musically far superior to the remix version. here’s my analysis of why Timbaland’s version is more “hit worthy” compared to the original:

1. It’s simple.

In listening to the album version of “Apologize”, there are lots of little things (the cello opening in the beginning, the spacious nature of the arrangement, the interaction of the different instruments, the overall mix of the song) that make the song musically pleasing to my ear. By comparison, the Timbaland version is reduced to it’s “core” sound elements: Bass, beat (including human beatbox-enhanced rhythm effects), piano, vocals, and some synth effects. By stripping out the musically pleasing but superfluous elements of the song, the remix version is more accessible to a wider listening audience.

2. It’s complexly monotonous.

As mentioned in example one, the original version of “Apologize” contains very subtle interactions between particular instruments: the cellos play harmoniously with the piano, the beat is very sparsely programmed, giving the other instruments and vocals more space, allowing for more musical movement. In Timbaland’s version, the dominant theme in the track is the drum groove which, while complex in structure (again, the human beatbox effects combined with the main beat is a Timbaland signature production technique), is extremely monotonous, almost hypnotic in nature. A hit song always has a mesmerizing effect on the listener.

3. It’s short.

The original version of Apologize clocks in at 3:28 minutes. The remix version is 3:04. The vast majority of today’s hit music clocks in at under 3:30, mainly in order to be radio friendly (by allowing radio stations to have more time for commercials), but psychologically to create a sense of wanting more in the listener.

4. It has a chorus AND a “hook”.

One of the questions aspiring songwriters have asked since the beginning of pop music is “what’s the difference between a ‘chorus’ and a ‘hook’ in a pop song?” The simple explanation is this: the chorus is the part of the song that gives the song it’s lyrical / melody recognition; in other words, it’s the repetitive part of the song everyone eventually will sing, hum, or whistle along to. The hook is the part of the song that immediately grabs the listeners attention (it “hooks” the listener into the song). The hook can be a sung melody, an instrumental line, or a musical effect; it’s the thing the makes a listener go, “Aaah, I know that song!” In the case of Timbaland’s “Apologize” there are multiple hooks; the piano intro, Timbaland’s signature “ehh – eh – eh” vocal riff, and the chorus itself. A true hit song has both a strong chorus and one or more hooks, and in many cases the chorus is the hook. Both concepts are designed to grab attention and hold onto it.

5. It has one or more gimmicks.

This aspect of hit songwriting relates directly to the previous point; all hit songs have a gimmick or “ear worm”, an element that makes it stand out from the rest of the pop music pack. The gimmick in Timbaland’s version is his signature vocal riff, which doesn’t appear in the album version of “Apologize”. A gimmick can be anything, from the sublte to the obvious; a guitar riff (“Walk This Way” by Aerosmith or “My Girl” by the Temptations), a drum groove (“Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson), a synth melody (“SexyBack” by Justin Timberlake or “Clocks” by Coldplay) or the song itself (belgian pop star Milow’s version of “Ayo Technology” by 50 Cent, performed with acoustic guitar). The next time you catch yourself whistling a song you just heard on the radio that you swear that you hate (we’ve all done this at one time or another), ask yourself; why is this song in my head? More than likely due to the song’s use of gimmicks.

Sadly, we live in a culture of disposable media, as evidenced by the incredibly short life span of a hit pop song, blockbuster movie, or popular video game. there’s lots of fierce competition for consumer’s money, so songwriters and other creative types must pull out all the stops to grab the most attention for their wares. A little understanding of how the formula of making hit music works goes a long way towards helping aspiring artists further realize their dream of superstardom.

Thursday night at the King Kamehameha Club. We just finished our first set, and I was surfing the Net on my iPhone, reading my favorite news blog, the Huffington Post. The first headline in the Breaking News caption: Michael Jackson Suffers Cardiac Arrest. The news was shocking, but I was hopeful that he would eventually be OK. I went to the bar to get a drink, then I returned to my seat to continue reading. I hit the refresh button, and in an instant, my heart dropped into my stomach; Michael Jackson had died.

Feeling quite numb, I spread the word to the people around me that the King of Pop has died. The most common reaction was, “are you kidding me?” People couldn’t believe it. My colleagues Tiffany and Worthy, two singers who like me are known for their interpretations of Michael Jackson hits, were just as shocked as I was at the news of his death. At the time, the reports were still unconfirmed, and as the word spread through the club, many people were pulling out their cell phones, trying to get any info that they could. Even as we took to the stage to perform our second set, I constantly checked my phone while on stage to get confirmation. When the news was confirmed, a feeling of sadness and shock came over all of us on the stage: Michael Jackson, the superstar whose music and stage performance influenced an entire generation of musicians, was gone.

Most Europeans love affair with Michael Jackson began with “Thriller” and the albums that came after that; the American fascination with Jackson began much, much earlier, in the late ‘60s, as he was a child. I grew up on the music of the Jackson 5 (later called just “the Jacksons”), but I was always amazed by Michael; his voice, his moves, his charisma were all things that would influence me in my own pursuit of a musical career. As I was discovering my own voice, I did so singing Michael Jackson songs; one of my goals as a 12 year old was to hit the low notes in the line of the song “Billy Jean” that goes:

“…so take my strong advice / just remember to always think twice.”

As a teenager, where I realized that I wanted to be a musician, my inspirations were Prince and Michael Jackson; Prince because of his skills as a musician, and Michael for his talent as a singer, dancer and performer. I had the red leather “Beat It” jacket, the white studded glove, and the Jheri curl, just like every other kid in my neighborhood did. I was hooked to MTV whenever they showed MJ’s videos, and I drew portraits of him for my friends. “Billy Jean” is, without a doubt, one of my top 5 favorite songs ever. Even into my 30s, his music would influence my approach to performing and songwriting, even as I recently became a “rocker”, his presence can be felt. Michael Jackson is a text-book example of how to win over an audience and connect to fans unmatched in today’s show business atmosphere.

Given the troubles he’s had in recent years, it’s very easy for people to forget just how influential MJ was in the world of entertainment. He was the first child star to win a Grammy, for his first solo single “Ben”. He was the first black artist to be played on MTV. Though he didn’t actually invent the moonwalk, he made it famous. He has given millions to charity. He is to this day the biggest selling artist of all time, with over 700 million records sold over the course of his career. There will never be another like him, and he will be missed by not only millions of adoring fans, but musicians of all genres mourn his passing. A new generation is also discovering his genius, through artists like Usher, Justin Timberlake, Neyo, etc., who openly admit to owing their success to Michael Jackson’s influence. Michael Jackson was bigger than Elvis, the Beatles, and Madonna, and his influence and legacy will be felt for generations to come.

As the night went on, and the loss of such a great entertainer and musical ambassador started to sink in, I broke the news to the audience in the club. Many were shocked and visibly shaken. I then asked the audience to join me in a celebration of his life and his music, at which point we played “Thriller” in his honor. The crowd loved it; they danced and sang along, just as Michael probably would have wanted it to be.

The King is dead; long live the King!