popular music Quite Great Music Promotions and Music Marketing UK insight
The Roots Of The Pop Song
Typically we can expect a few verses to tell a story and a refrain with a memorable melody. These songs were carried over by various generations before the advent of recording. We are all familiar with the medieval international hits of their day such as “Greensleeves” and of course “Scarborough Fair”. Which Simon & Garfunkel were able to make “cool” again for a new generation. Yet perhaps we are not aware of their structural influence on modern songwriting. That pop music is indeed the folk song of our day: songs for the people.
It is not unreasonable to suggest that the kings of the modern folk song are of course The Beatles. Their infectiously catchy, but simple tunes are arguably the legacy that they leave behind, Before we even begin to contemplate their experimental studio productions. Time again we are reminded of the strength of their melodies. Most notably Joe Cocker’s version of “I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends”. A Beatles song stripped to its bones. Fleshed out with new DNA and the song will still flourish. However, could the same be said for the biggest song of the year so far, Drake’s “One Dance”?
popular music Quite Great Music Promotions and Music Marketing UK insight
The Ingredients Of A Modern Pop Song
First of all you need to have programmed your drums to allow for a hard hitting, ground shaking chorus. Then you need to account for your instrumentation by filling the space with a cacophony
of synthesisers and effects that sound like something you used to construct on your childhood Fisher Price keyboard.
The mask will inevitably come down at any local open mic when you see young aspiring performers attempt to cover these songs acoustically, only to find that these songs don’t look very good naked when you’ve stripped them of their production gimmicks and reveal their vacuous melody. We all give a despondent sigh, forget and move on to the next one. However, this is not to say that pop music needs to be “intellectual”. If we go back to the roots of the
traditional folk song, the only requirement is a story and a memorable tune.
popular music Quite Great Music Promotions and Music Marketing UK insight
The Longevity Of Melody
Someone remarked to me the other day that they believed that the last true great pop act was Abba. The key to their longevity lies in the fact that outside of their distinctive production. The songs are laden with sing-along hooks that can easily inspire a night with a few glasses of wine around the piano. The genius lies in being able to conceal their complexities within a seemingly simple tune over a well written yet universally appealing lyric. Yet many will still call their love for
Abba a “guilty pleasure”.
popular music Quite Great Music Promotions and Music Marketing UK insight
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