Whilst working today I decided to ponder what is the best ever pop song. I decided that, whilst I’m clearly a genius, I’m not capable of making this decision on my own. As I’d like to make a well-educated decision I decided to ask 1,000* people (*all 1,000 were just me putting on voices) what makes a good pop song.
Catchiness: A good pop song HAS to be catchy. I think this is the main criteria above all else. If it doesn’t get stuck in your head then it’s not worked. Pop stays with you all day. It has to drag you in, get lodged in your brain and you should still be singing it a week later.
Tempo: You want a good pop song to have a strong tempo. Not too fast or you’re drifting too far into dance territory, too slow and you’ve got a ballad on your hands. There is nothing wrong with a great dance song and definitely nothing wrong with a ballad, but we’re looking for pure pop!
Lyrics: Lyrics aren’t that important in pop music. People say they are, but they aren’t really. What you do need, however, is a good chorus. That’s the bit that most people want to sing along to. I’m not saying that pop songs don’t have great lyrics, some are amazing, but what counts is the chorus!
Production: I’m being a geek, but it is important. I need to be able to hear everything that’s going on. If you want to hear great production, listen to Wanna Be Startin’ Something by Michael Jackson from Thriller. The production on that is incredible.
Vocals: A great voice isn’t always needed for a great pop song. Pop songs have been put out by artists that will never be remembered for having an amazing voices. A great voice does add to the overall experience though. Would Chandelier be as good without that powerhouse voice? No, it wouldn’t.
Anyway, what song do you get if you put all that together? The best pop song ever, that’s what!