Is there a certain formula for a hit good radio single?

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jndietz

The Way It Moves
It seems like every radio single has the same qualities. A usually energetic intro that piles into the verse. From the verse, it goes into the chorus, then another verse, then a chorus again. Then some minor chords are seemingly thrown in and its the bridge. Out of the bridge comes a chorus and then the outro.

It seems like this formula is common in rock songs. Has anyone else noticed this?
 
jndietz said:
It seems like every radio single has the same qualities. A usually energetic intro that piles into the verse. From the verse, it goes into the chorus, then another verse, then a chorus again. Then some minor chords are seemingly thrown in and its the bridge. Out of the bridge comes a chorus and then the outro.

It seems like this formula is common in rock songs. Has anyone else noticed this?
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yeah, a whole lot of people, including myself, have noticed it. it's why so many of us (avid music fans at large) refer to modern radio singles as "formulaic," and why we're so disgruntled with the state of popular music.

i'm not suggesting that's it's necessarily easy to mix the formula effectively--there is a certain contemptible "talent" for executing it properly.

but that doesn't make it any less annoying.

see also: nickelback, all the nickelback clones (3 doors down, five for fighting, etc), and every single frigging r&b song recorded in the last 15 years.
 
There are two well-known formulas for a hit song:

D A Bm G (see: every single U2 song ever)
and
G C D C (see: all those songs that sound like "Louie Louie")

:D
 
A well crafted song is, always has been and always will be...... a well crafted song. To a certain extent, most songs that get "commercial airplay" do follow some type of fairly well established song structure or "formula". I don't see that as a bad thing.

I find every song has something that I find interesting - within the song structure there is always melody, harmony, rhythem (and often lyrics), and within that - there is art (regardless of the song structure it may be wrapped in).
 
I will say that even some of those forumulaic songs do manage to sound different.
 
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