Joe Anselm of the band Zero to Ninety is a singer, songwriter, actor, and model. He has returned to his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri to focus on, and release new music. In the following article, Joe discusses the art of song and lyric writing, and what makes a song a hit on today’s radio stations.
There have been many songs, beloved by millions, that are popular enough to gain the elusive, sought-after label of a “hit.” If a songwriter is looking to make this sort of cultural impact, then the question is: what makes a song a hit?
A hit song is widely played and profitable because it contains elements such as relatable or insightful content and a pleasing melody delivered with passion explains Joe Anselm. Collaborating with other artists to produce genuine ideas in a way that others can understand them is a helpful route toward creating a hit song.
In this article, Joe Anselm of Zero to Ninety discusses the elements of a great song, as well as covering how songwriters find their ideas, and why collaborations can make a great song.
Elements of a Great Song
A great song, such as “How Do I Live,” by Leann Rimes, or even “Uptown Funk” like Bruno Mars, can seem like lightning: it appears once or twice in a long while, but is unpredictable Joe Anselm of Zero to Ninety. However, there are some elements that all great songs have, as listed below:
- Understanding of Genre
2. Melody
3. Lyrics
4. Passion
Joe Anselm of Zero to Ninety examines each of these song elements and determines not only what they are, but how they contribute to the audience response and launch a song into becoming a hit.
Understanding of Genre
According to songwriter and former director of Production for Rhino Records, Robin Fredrick, not every song’s characteristics will appeal to all listeners. Taking a bite of food with one set of expectations and then experiencing a flavor that is totally unexpected can be as off-putting as listening to a song which doesn’t appeal to the listener’s specific preference of musical style says Joe Anselm.
Because of their understanding of this, many record labels and the publishers of songs are very familiar of what song characteristics appeal to the highest number of people. This range of popular characteristics is called a radio genre or radio format explains Joe Anselm.
For example, a country radio station will expect a certain set of characteristics in songs submitted to their genre, while a punk rock station won’t be likely to accept a song that fits better in the classical rock genre.
A great song typically stays within the parameters of what people love about their favorite genre, then maximizes those characteristics. Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk” is lauded as a great song, and fits into the pop genre, which is known for encouraging audiences to dance, by featuring several funky baselines instead of a traditional chorus.
Melody
According to the Berklee College of Music, a melody is the element of any song that sticks in the listener’s memory. This, at its most basic level, is important because if a listener doesn’t remember the song, it is not likely to be replayed enough to reach hit-song-status explains Joe Anselm.
A melody is the combination of pitch and rhythm. In most hit songs, the lyrics have one phrase, often repeated and sometimes becoming the name of the song itself, which resolves the pattern of the melody. Melody is, essentially, a pattern of sounds that a listener can not only recognize but become a part of by remembering it enough to sing along. This is why songs like “Livin’ on a Prayer,” by Bon Jovi, are so popular!
While lyrics may help focus a song’s emotional expression, the melody is typically the first thing that a listener remembers and enjoys about a song explains Joe Anselm of Zero to Ninety.
Lyrics
According to Litro Magazine, lyrics are the doorway for listeners into the singer’s mind and their emotions. Though musical melodies without lyrics can cause emotion, lyrics are the channeling of that emotion into specific topics.
In Twenty One Pilot’s hit song, “Stressed Out,” the lyrics offer meaning to the hypnotic beat and wistful melody. The songwriter expresses a desire to turn time back and enjoy the days of childhood before having to take on responsibility for adulthood.
Audiences can relate to this feeling and associate it with the song so that it becomes more than something to listen to: the lyrics transform the song into a kind of banner representing that relatable feeling of nostalgia explains Joe Anselm of Zero to Ninety.
Passion
Passion is one of the most difficult things to imbue into a song, but it certainly makes the greatest songs great. Singers are most successful in capturing the attention of their listeners when they allow emotion to make their songs genuine.
According to the musical professionals at the Tunedly blog, passion is simply putting feeling into the words and sounds of the song. The listeners will often be most excited by the songs that convey an emotion they can relate to: it doesn’t matter if that emotion is joy, mischievousness, longing, love, or even anger.
Songwriting Ideas
Because passion is such a core part of engaging an audience with a song, songwriters often get their ideas from their own experiences.
For example, the song “Running Up That Hill,” by Kate Bush, was written because the artist wished she could understand the mind of her significant other. She was hoping, as the lyrics state, that if she could swap places with her boyfriend, she could clear away misunderstandings that were tearing their relationship apart.
Often songwriters will also on their own opinions, likes, or draw dislikes to create a song. For example, while the song “Uptown Funk” by Bruno Mars is clearly about having fun and enjoying music for its own sake, the song “Man in the Mirror” by Michael Jackson is more introspective and challenges audiences to change what might be lacking in their character.
For musical inspiration, artists have been known to simply allow other songs to inspire them, taking their favorite parts, like the beat or melody of a song, and incorporating something like it into their own work.
Collaborations
Collaboration has many benefits for a song and the songwriters involved! Not only can collaborating with another artist allow the fanbase of each to be introduced to the other, but it can take some of the pressure to solve every songwriting dilemma off of one artist.
Joe Anselm explains that when two artists team up to make a song, the result is usually a refreshed sound and creative inspiration. For example, the song “Love Yourself,” while performed by Justin Bieber, was actually co-written by Ed Sheeran.
Consequently, while the song had Bieber’s fan-favorite voice, it combined this with Sheeran’s clever writing. Both artists were able to take an experience that they could relate to (that of an ex-lover causing them hurt) and turn it into something that audiences could enjoy.
Summary
In summary, a hit song is made up of a combination of understanding one’s genre for the sake of popular studio and radio recognition, honing in on a melody which audiences will remember, channeling emotion into lyrics, and delivering it all with relatable passion.
Collaboration with other artists can not only grow the fanbase of each but unlock more creativity to funnel into the production of the song. With all of these components combined, a song will have every advantage on the journey to becoming a hit!
