Songwriting for a hit

[jerryjg]

Whenever I go into a departmant store , I practically cringe at the commercial stuff being piped out over the speakers. These are commercial songs that are written solely for the purpose of having a hit record that appeals to the masses. Country western is a huge culprit of htis, and of course most all pop. Most of it is so terrible, that it is absolute garbage.I think that when a songwriter devotes his energy towards producing hits, in nearly every circumstance any potential artistic and cretaive beauty that could possibly be developed is just completelyatrophied in the artist.So many maisnstream rock acts of the 80's managed to walk a fine line between artistry and commerciality, and di it quite succesfully, but you see a lot of the later stuff that was a complete sellout. I'm not really up on it, but some newre bands seem to be geared towards art and substance over commercial flash and profit, and thats good. It would be nice to see a marriage of artistic excellence and pop commercialism like with the beatles again, but I am not too sdure if in this day and age that would be possible. Bands like Red hot VChile peppers could be pointed to, but i still think they are falling into a repetitive groove where there stuff really isnt eveolving, but they are just turning out more of the same stuff for pure profit.

[mkg]

Songwriting for a hit...

I plead guilty, Your Honor, and throw myself on the mercy of the court.

[frank thomson]

i'm w/ mkg!

money pays the bills.

2006; music has nothing to do w/ the music industry

[moonpie]

Check the artists on Soundclick, iTunes, Nowhere Radio, MySpace, etc.....
lots of really good music

[Vics]

I write songs because I can and I do it for me. And I'm not saying they're great or even any good. The point is that when you say "they were written for the masses" all I can say (as a writer) is what comes out is what comes out. At least that's the way I write and I dare say that's also the way for people who have been commercially successful.

Look at the Beatles. They did their thing by writing songs that were well crafted and so catchy that they will live forever. What came out of them is what came out. Those songs "appealled to the masses." I don't think that's such a bad thing.

[Kap'n]

Why would anybody write a song that nobody would like?

Maybe to keep your indie cred, or some other useless thing.

From the perspective of this non-songwriter, I can think of a few reasons to write a song.

1. It's in you, and it's got to come out (thanks John Lee)
2. You write it because you like it
3. You wite it because you think others will like it
4. A mental exercise

I think all other reasons are some variation of that, including songwritting for a hit, whatever that is.

What's wrong with writing stuff that you think other people will like? I play music I think other people will like. If I didn't, I'd never get to play in front of people.

[Gravity Jim]

"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." - Samuel Johnson

That being said, I write songs for money. They're not big hits, they're for advertising and corporate events, but I write them and my clients hand me a check. I put as much "artistic" and "creative" effort into my little tunes as I can, and I can assure you that my skills have not atrophied from working for cash: on the contrary, they have grown and blossomed over the years.

The whole concept of a starving artist that resists the effort of The Man to get him to sell out his beautiful and peerless vision is an adolescent fantasy. You wanna known they truth? You CAN'T sell out. Because the stuff you're so afraid of losing to The Man - your precious soul or whatever? They're not buying. They don't even want it. All they want is your creative output.

[frank thomson]

relating to what jim said....my songs have never been better since i've actually TRIED to write a hit song

everything has to be dead-on......as a friend professional writer tells me, buyers always look/find what's WRONG in a song....so just don't write anything wrong

it's not easy writing through cliches, meanwhile not making them seem like cliches...if u know what i mean....

letting my friend/SW dood hear one song of mine ...it had a girl saying "i'll let you in my posse" (it was a cowboy song)...now while he was ROTFLAO, he said I CAN'T USE THAT....perfect example of a great WRONG line.

[NeoFauve]

There does sometimes seem to be a template used for the top of the charts. When something works, do it again.
But in all the years I've been listening to music, I've never found it easier to avoid music I don't care for, or to stumble upon things that open my ears than I do right now.

Sometimes, when I'm in a store, I'll here a pop song floating around. It might just make my day. Maybe I'll sing it dribving home.
However that happens, it's pretty cool.

[chuckocaster]

letting my friend/SW dood hear one song of mine ...it had a girl saying "i'll let you in my posse" (it was a cowboy song)...now while he was ROTFLAO, he said I CAN'T USE THAT....perfect example of a great WRONG line.

rascal flats has that song about "me and my gang", that's probably the song title also...what a LAME song. don't ask me how i know the song...i don't even want to talk about it.

you don't sell out, you just lose your sole, but no one is buying that.

as for me, i wish i could write a couple songs that would get played on the radio. then i'd have checks coming in the mail. that's be nice.

pretty much i write cause i have to, i like, i hope other like, and sometimes it's an excercise.

[refin]

You must be willing to write songs for the common man,and not just for other musicians.Some of my favorite songs have a hook that I couldn't see myself writing,because some players may see it as cheddar.Most people remember the lyrics and tune of a great song,but if you ask them if it had a solo they might say,"Uh....well,yeh,I think it did."
And even though there are people who laugh and snicker at vulgar lyrics,bring them up to your level,don't sink to theirs.