Formula for a hit song

Baz Palmer, former memebr of Australian rock band Hunter and Collectors, has put forward his version of how to write a hit Top 40 song:

“Your intro’s gotta be strong, your chorus has got to come in before one minute; by the third minute, you should be on the third repeat of the chorus, and around the 112 -minute mark you need to hit your middle eight”

The article “The Big Maybe” (The Age: 22/9/2005), is about Palmer’s views on making it big in the music world. He goes on to say:

“The promise is suggested by the industry at large, that you get the right song and the right look and it’s all there for the taking. I know that’s not the truth“.

Palmers vision was reflected in his short series tv program called “The Hit Game”, where four stories from inside Australia’s indie music scene were explored. It was emphasised during The Age article that Palmers “Game strategy has little to do with manufacturing product and everything to do with nurturing the organic stuff“, which was often contrasted with other programs such as Popstars and Idol.

A main point that Palmer seeks to promote is the difference between entertainment and the art of songwriting. He looks beyond the glitz and glamour that so many artists in the contmeporary wolrd are searching for, and pays more attention to the quality of the process and end product, which he sees as a sign of true talent.

posted by Hannah