How to make a successfull pop song?

[emdot_ambient]

Send a PM to LadyJ, I'm sure she'll be glad to fill you in on all the details

I actually did try to engage in such a conversation with her but it kind of went in the wrong direction.

**sigh** At least she's consistent

[peejunk]

I was also hoping for some really entertaining, some entertainingly insulting and some surprisingly informative answers. So far I can't say the thread met my expectations

Changing your name to something other than the mildly nauseating 'peejunk' might help?

It doesen't mean what you think and I've used in on too many forums.

Maybe I should have changed it to something like waerzjunk and talk about wanting tips for succesfull pop music so a certain girl would give me sweet lovin'?

[duncanparsons]

first off, have a good song.

Oh wait, 'The Birdy Song' (a mate of mine did the A&R for that..)..

OK, at least have a song.

Do a really good, well produced version of it.

Hang on, 'Mull of Kintyre'.

OK, well at least try and get a video done.

(I'm surprised anyone before 1975 had any hits at all)

Err..

I'm stuck now..

How about get any song, produced at any quality, with or without promo vid, and just rig the charts.. humm, yes that should do it..


DSP

[aldred]

I was also hoping for some really entertaining, some entertainingly insulting and some surprisingly informative answers. So far I can't say the thread met my expectations

Changing your name to something other than the mildly nauseating 'peejunk' might help?

It doesen't mean what you think and I've used in on too many forums.

Maybe I should have changed it to something like waerzjunk and talk about wanting tips for succesfull pop music so a certain girl would give me sweet lovin'?

How about just changing the terms - 'pee' to 'piss' and 'junk' to 'rubbish'? 'PISSRUBBISH'! Great!
Erm ... you never know. It may catch on

[The Chase]

take 3 pop songs and combine the melodies. Get a shallow idiot that can rhyme to get you lyrics about how one can get a girl, or get over a girl, etc. Make sure this is a nonconformist that writes it at starbucks to give the lyrics that homely feeling to your target audience.

buy all clothes at a thrift store, or make your own. This is key to your "image". Make sure all the band-members hold elements to the band. Make the leader "super hot" with a stupid ass haircut. Then make lead guitarist the intellectual one by giving him nerd glasses. Then make the drummer shout out random stupid shit during important conversations. Make the bass player a whiney bitch.

Then you need a hook that makes you 'different' but not really. Try adding a harp player or beat a drum with your dick throughout all your songs.

Then you have to do something "crazy" enough to make you famous. This is the grand anecdote that popular bands have to tell after they make it. It is usually a story about doing something (usually out of stupidity) desperate to be famous, like breaking into record labels or tricking A&R folk to meet them.

Funny thing is, this works. In middleschool i was in a DnB band that was not even half serious, and we got approached by label folk all the time.

[No name]

I'n currently in need of some money and success and I wondered could you lot help me out since you seem to know answer to almost any question. Any advice would help, really, from songwriting through mixdown/mastering to styling and networking.

Thanks

Try to play a piano, and sing out of tune.

Or

If your going into rap, use 808's and go YYYEAAAHHH! very annoyingly.

OR

Trim your eyebrows, get a manicure, and sing songs about being in love. Make sure you have a cheesy orchestral hit sound in there somewhere also.

[Yagushi]

take 3 pop songs and combine the melodies. Get a shallow idiot that can rhyme to get you lyrics about how one can get a girl, or get over a girl, etc. Make sure this is a nonconformist that writes it at starbucks to give the lyrics that homely feeling to your target audience.

buy all clothes at a thrift store, or make your own. This is key to your "image". Make sure all the band-members hold elements to the band. Make the leader "super hot" with a stupid ass haircut. Then make lead guitarist the intellectual one by giving him nerd glasses. Then make the drummer shout out random stupid shit during important conversations. Make the bass player a whiney bitch.

Then you need a hook that makes you 'different' but not really. Try adding a harp player or beat a drum with your dick throughout all your songs.

Then you have to do something "crazy" enough to make you famous. This is the grand anecdote that popular bands have to tell after they make it. It is usually a story about doing something (usually out of stupidity) desperate to be famous, like breaking into record labels or tricking A&R folk to meet them.

Funny thing is, this works. In middleschool i was in a DnB band that was not even half serious, and we got approached by label folk all the time.

Whoa! Amazing advice!

Obviously you must do this for a living...



Chase is the man!

[No name]

take 3 pop songs and combine the melodies. Get a shallow idiot that can rhyme to get you lyrics about how one can get a girl, or get over a girl, etc. Make sure this is a nonconformist that writes it at starbucks to give the lyrics that homely feeling to your target audience.

buy all clothes at a thrift store, or make your own. This is key to your "image". Make sure all the band-members hold elements to the band. Make the leader "super hot" with a stupid ass haircut. Then make lead guitarist the intellectual one by giving him nerd glasses. Then make the drummer shout out random stupid shit during important conversations. Make the bass player a whiney bitch.

Then you need a hook that makes you 'different' but not really. Try adding a harp player or beat a drum with your dick throughout all your songs.

Then you have to do something "crazy" enough to make you famous. This is the grand anecdote that popular bands have to tell after they make it. It is usually a story about doing something (usually out of stupidity) desperate to be famous, like breaking into record labels or tricking A&R folk to meet them.

Funny thing is, this works. In middleschool i was in a DnB band that was not even half serious, and we got approached by label folk all the time.

Of course, this is the more comprehensive guide.

[advaya]

Forget the song approach... First thing to do is to get the FOX network to have you and your 'significant other' star in your own reality TV show... Bob your head back and forth like a bimbo whilst speaking to the camera. Joe-public seems to admire those half-witted bimbos and their partners...

People will then rush out to buy your pop-CD, because hey, you've been on TV!

[Ildon]

Write the most unimaginative, generic music you can. Voila, pop song.

[SuitcaseOfLizards]

I think Chase has it down pat, but I'll add in an alternative option:

Become a novelty act. You'll only get 1 hit, but you can probably retire on the revenue. Do something like dance naked whilst setting fire to your instrument chanting Dr. Seuss-like lyrics that are easily memorized by the brain-dead public. Talent, skill, everything else other than being too weird for belief optional.

This only works ONCE, so make it good!

[Landphil]

From here:

"Due to its increasing commercialization and the lip-synching issue, pop music is often criticized for being entertaining while lacking serious musical value and artistic significance. This is believed to be primarily due to record companies' financial considerations being placed above any artistic considerations, whereby the record companies hand-pick the artists and songs that they think will make them the most money. In a sense, young and fashionable teens who might have no prior knowledge of the music industry are marketed into something that can sell fun and danceable music to a preteen audience. Companies often figure that their profits will be maximized by selling music that has the broadest possible appeal. This is often the case, as some works of popular music have sold tens of millions of copies. This is also at least partially why genres that manage to attain a certain level of credibility as styles in their own right are often no longer considered "pop"; as several of the more serious musicians, as well as their fans, strive to separate themselves from the commercialism-over-creativity aspect of current pop music."

Not exactly the pop I grew up with, but times change.

I remember when Hendrix was classified as pop.

-

[seamoss]

play the lottery


you chances are probably better there

[davor]

I'n currently in need of some money and success and I wondered could you lot help me out since you seem to know answer to almost any question. Any advice would help, really, from songwriting through mixdown/mastering to styling and networking.

Thanks

Move to L.A.

[Ildon]

In all seriousness, though, pop music isn't all bad. The melodic style is neat and fun to listen to sometimes, and pop music never tried to be art music. It's just fun. I used to write popular music for video games, but I moved on to what I've always wanted to do - minimalism, and people say my minimalist tracks are better.

So maybe it's not your style of music that's making you unsuccessful.