This report provides you with a snapshot of the key hit songwriting trends that defined all of the songs that landed in the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 during the past four quarters (July 2014 through June 2015).

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Top 10 Playlist: Q2-2015 >>
In Brief: Q2-2015 Highlights >>
Number Of Songs Within The Top 10 >>
Record Labels >>
Songwriters >>
Lead Vocal >>
Primary Genres >>
Primary Sub-Genres & Influencers >>
Primary Lyrical Themes >>
Song Title Word Count >>
Song Title Appearances >>
Primary/Prominent Instrumentation >>
Electric Vs. Acoustic Songs >>
The A-B-A-B-C-B Form >>
Average Song Length >>
Song Length Range >>
First Section >>
Last Section >>
Average Intro Length >>
Intro Length Range >>
Average Outro Length >>
Outro Length Range >>
First Section Being A Chorus >>
First Chorus: Avg. Time Into Song >>
First Chorus: Time Into Song Range >>
First Chorus: Avg. Percent Into Song >>
First Chorus: Percent Into Song Range >>
Songs That Contain A Pre-Chorus >>
Songs That Contain A Bridge >>
Songs That Contain A Prominent Instrumental Or Vocal Break >>

The following 19 songs charted in the Hot 100 top 10 during the second quarter of 2015, of which this report is based:

• Bad Blood:  Taylor Swift featuring Kendrick Lamar
• Cheerleader:  OMI
• Earned It:  The Weeknd
• FourFiveSeconds:  Rihanna, Kanye West, Paul McCartney
• G.D.F.R.:  FloRida featuring Sage The Gemini & Lookas
• Hey Mama:  David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj, Bebe Rexha & Afrojack
• Honey I’m Good:  Andy Grammer
• Love Me Like You Do:  Ellie Goulding
• Nasty Freestyle:  T-Wayne
• See You Again:  Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth
• Shut Up And Dance:  Walk The Moon
• Somebody:  Natelie La Rose featuring Jeremih
• Style:  Taylor Swift
• Sugar:  Maroon 5
• Thinking Out Loud:  Ed Sheeran
• Time Of Our Lives:  Pitbull & Ne-Yo
• Trap Queen:  Fetty Wap
• Uptown Funk:  Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars
• Want To Want Me:  Jason Derulo

[Header 1 header=”Top Performers”]

[Header 3 header=”Q2’s most popular characteristics”]

• Record Labels:  Atlantic & Republic (21% of songs, each)
• Songwriters:  Teams consisting of five or more writers (58% of songs)
• Lead Vocal:  Solo male (53% of songs)
• Primary Genre:  Pop (42% of songs)
• Primary Sub-Genre/Influencer:  R&B/Soul (58% of songs)
• Lyrical Theme:  Love/relationships (74% of songs)
• Song Title Word Count:  Two-words (32% of songs)
• Song Title Appearances:  11 – 15 appearances (37% of songs)
• Primary/Prominent Instrumentation:  Synth (79% of songs)
• Electric Vs. Acoustic Instrumentation:  Primarily electric (68% of songs)
• A-B-A-B-C-B Form: 26% of songs
• Song Length Range:  3:00 – 3:29 (42% of songs)
• First Section:  Intro (68% of songs)
• Last Section:  Outro (53% of songs)
• Intro Length Range:  Moderately Short (0:10 – 0:19) (54% of songs)
• Outro Length Range:  Moderately Short (0:10 – 0:19) (40% of songs)
• First Chorus – Time into song range:  All categories are tied at 22% except for Moderately Early (0:20 – 0:39)
• First Chorus – Percent into song range:  Moderately Late (20% – 29% of the way in) (33% of songs)
• Inclusion of a Pre-Chorus:  68% of songs
• Inclusion of a Bridge:  74% of songs

[Header 1 header=”Under Performers”]

[Header 3 header=”Q2’s least popular characteristics”]

• Songwriters:  Three-writer teams (0% of songs)
• Lead Vocal:  Solo female (11% of songs), all female duet/group (0% of songs)
• Primary Genre:  Rock and Country (5% and 0% of songs, respectively)
• Lyrical Theme:  Inspiration/empowerment (11% of songs)
• Song Title Word Count:  Five+ word titles (5% of songs)
• Song Title Appearances:  None and 21+ (5% of songs, each)
• Electric Vs. Acoustic Instrumentation:  Primarily acoustic (5% of songs)
• Song Length Range:  Under three-minutes (11% of songs)
• First Section:  Verse (11% of songs)
• Intro Length Range:  Long (0:30+) (0% of songs)
• Outro Length Range:  Moderately Long (0:20 – 0:29) (10% of songs)
• First Chorus – Time into song range:  Moderately early (0:20 – 0:39) (11% of songs)
• First Chorus – Percent into song range:  Late (30%+) (0% of songs)
• Inclusion of a Prominent Instrumental or Vocal Break: 21% of songs

[Header 1 header=”Multi-Quarter Upward Trends”]

[Header 3 header=”These categories have been increasing in prominence for two or more quarters”]

• Five+ Person Songwriting Teams:  Increased from 21% of songs in Q4-2014 up to 58% in Q2-2015
• Lyrical Fusion (songs containing two or more primary lyrical themes):  Increased from 42% of songs in Q4-2014 up to 63% in Q2-2015
• Four-Word Titles:  Increased from 8% of songs in Q4-2014 up to 21% in Q2-2015
• 11 – 15 Song Title Appearance Category:  Increased from 13% of songs in Q4-2014 up to 37% in Q2-2015
• The Short (0:01 – 0:09) Outro Length Category:  Increased from 0% of songs in Q3-2014 up to 20% in Q2-2015

[Header 1 header=”Multi-Quarter Downward Trends”]

[Header 3 header=”These categories have been decreasing in prominence for two or more quarters”]

• Three-Person Songwriting Teams:  Decreased from 33% of songs in Q4-2014 down to 0% in Q2-2015
• Solo Female Lead Vocals:  Decreased from 42% of songs in Q4-2014 down to 11% in Q2-2015
• The Moderately Long (0:20 – 0:29) Outro Length Category:  Decreased from 33% of songs in Q4-2014 down to 10% in Q2-2015

[Header 1 header=”Big & Notable Shifts”]

[Header 3 header=”These categories saw a stringent increase or decrease in prominence from Q1-2015 to Q2-2015 (plus special mentions)”]

[Header 2 header=”Increased In Prominence”]

• Five+ Person Songwriting Teams:  Increased from 35% to 58% of songs
• Male/Female Duet/Group Vocals:  Increased from 10% to 21% of songs
• All Male Duet/Group Vocals:  Increased from 5% to 16% of songs
• Hip Hop/Rap (Primary Genre):  Increased from 5% of songs up to 21%
• Electropop (Sub-Genre):  Increased from 35% of songs up to 47%
• Hip Hop/Rap (Sub-Genre):  Increased from 25% of songs up to 42%
• Dance/Club (Sub-Genre):  Increased from 10% of songs up to 37%
• Partying/Living It Up (Lyrical Theme):  Increased from 10% of songs up to 21%
• Two-Word Titles:  Increased from 20% of songs up to 32%
• Synth:  Increased from 55% of songs up to 79%
• Prominent Bass:  Increased from 40% of songs up to 63%
• Primarily Electric Based Instrumentation in the Mix:  Increased from 45% of songs up to 68%
• The 3:00 – 3:29 Song Length Category:  Increased from 15% of songs up to 42%
• Last Section Being An Outro:  Increased from 40% of songs up to 53%
• The Moderately Short (0:10 – 0:19) Intro Length Category:  Increased fro 45% of songs up to 54%
• The Moderately Short (0:10 – 0:19) Outro Length Category:  Increased from 25% of songs up to 40%
• First Section Being A Chorus (Before Or After An Intro):  Increased from 25% of songs up to 42%
• Instrumental/Vocal Breaks:  Increased from 10% of songs up to 21%

[Header 2 header=”Decreased In Prominence”]

• Three Person Songwriting Teams:  Decreased from 25% of songs down to 0%
• Solo Female Lead Vocals:  Decreased from 30% of songs down to 11%
• Pop (Primary Genre):  Decreased from 60% of songs down to 42%
• R&B/Soul (Sub-Genre):  Decreased from 70% of songs down to 58%
• Inspiration/Empowerment (Lyrical Theme):  Decreased from 20% of songs down to 11%
• 21+ Song Title Appearance Category:  Decreased from 20% of songs down to 5%
• Guitar:  Decreased from 70% of songs down to 42%
• Piano:  Decreased from 40% of songs down to 31%
• Electric/Acoustic Combo Instrumentation:  Decreased from 45% of songs down to 26%
• The A-B-A-B-C-B Form:  Decreased from 60% of songs down to 26%
• The 3:30 – 3:59 Song Length Category:  Decreased from 55% of songs down to 26%
• Last Section Being A Chorus:  Decreased from 60% of songs down to 42%
• The Moderately Long (0:20 – 0:29) Intro Length Category:  Decreased from 18% of songs down to 8%
• The Moderately Long (0:20 – 0:29) Outro Length Category:  Decreased from 25% of songs down to 10%

[Header 1 header=”Gone”]

[Header 3 header=”These categories disappeared from the top 10 during Q2-2015″]

• Songwriting teams consisting of three writers

[Header 1 header=”Back”]

[Header 3 header=”These categories sprung back to life in Q2 after dropping down to nil during the preceding quarter”]

• The No Title Appearance category (5% of songs)
• The Under Three-Minute Song Length category (11% of songs)
• An Instrumental or Vocal Break being the Last Section (5% of songs)

This section focuses exclusively on the nine songs that entered into the Hot 100 top 10 for the first time in Q2-2015.  The purpose is to show the latest trends independently of the songs that have been in the top 10 for two or more quarters.  They include:

• Bad Blood
• Cheerleader
• G.D.F.R.
• Hey Mama
• Honey I’m Good
• Nasty Freestyle
• See You Again
• Shut Up And Dance
• Somebody
• Want To Want Me

Primary Genres:  Hip Hop/Rap and Pop were the most popular, accounting for 30% of songs, each.  R&B/Soul followed at 20%, and Dance/Electronic and Rock each accounted for 10%.

Sub-Genres & Influencers:  13 different sub-genres & influencers shaped the sound of Q2’s new arrivals.  Hip Hop/Rap and Electropop were the most popular, each playing a role in 50% of songs.  R&B/Soul followed at 40%, Retro at 30% (all feature an 80s influence), and Funk rounded out the top five at 20% of songs.

Lead Vocal:  Half of the new arrivals feature a solo male lead vocal, and the other half feature a duet/group vocal, of which male/female and all male duets accounted for 20% and 30% of songs, respectively.  Solo female lead vocals were nowhere to be found.

Lyrical Themes:  Six lyrical themes accounted for Q2’s new arrivals.  Love/relationships was the most popular, accounting for 70% of songs.  Hooking up followed at 30%, inspiration/empowerment and partying/living it up at 20% each, and freestyle and lifestyle at 10% each.

Song Titles:  The two and four-word song title categories were the most popular, each accounting for 30% of songs.   The one and three-word categories followed close behind, each accounting for 20%.   The 11 – 15 song title appearance category was the most popular, accounting for 40% of songs.  Only one song doesn’t have a single title appearance – Nasty Freestyle.

Instrumentation:  Not surprisingly, the synth was the most popular instrument, helping to shape the sound of 90% of songs.  Prominent drums/beats/percussion and prominent bass (mostly synth based) followed at 80%, and claps/snaps rounded out the top three at 70%.

Songwriting Teams:  Five+ writer teams were by far the most popular, accounting for 60% of songs.  Only one song features a single writer, Nasty Freestyle.

Record Labels:  Atlantic was the most popular record label, representing 30% of Q2’s new arrivals.  Republic followed at the #2 spot, accounting for 20%.

Song Length:  The average length of a new top 10 arrival was just 3:09.  The 3:00 – 3:29 range was the most popular, accounting for 70% of songs.   None landed at or over 4:00.

Form:  There wasn’t one particular song form that was the most popular.  Only one song features a straight-up A-B-A-B-C-B form – Want To Want Me.

First Section:  70% of songs feature an intro within their framework.  The other 30% immediately kick off with the chorus.

Intro Length:  The average length of a Q2 new arrival intro was just seven-seconds.  The Short (0:01 – 0:09) Intro Length category was the most popular, accounting for 40% of songs.  The Moderately Short (0:10 – 0:19) category followed close behind, accounting for 30%.  There weren’t any songs that landed in the Moderately Long (0:20 – 0:29) or Long (0:30+) categories.

Pre-Chorus, Bridge & Instrumental/Vocal Breaks:  70% of songs contain a pre-chorus in their framework, and 80% contain a bridge.  Only 30% contain a prominent instrumental or vocal break.

First Chorus Occurrence:  The Early (0:01 – 0:19) First Chorus Occurrence category was the most popular, accounting for 40% of songs.  The Chorus Kick Off category followed close behind at 30%.  70% of songs have the chorus appearing before the first verse.

Last Section:  50% of songs feature an outro within their framework, 40% conclude on the chorus, and just one features an instrumental break as the last section in the song – Cheerleader.

[Header 1 header=”Number Of Songs In The Top 10″]

[Header 2 header=”Total Songs”]

19 songs charted in the Hot 100 top 10 during Q2-2015, which is the least amount in over a year.  10 entered into the top 10 for the first time, and nine carried over from Q1.

[Header 2 header=”New Arrivals (Q2-2015)”]

• Bad Blood
• Cheerleader
• G.D.F.R.
• Hey Mama
• Honey I’m Good
• Nasty Freestyle
• See You Again
• Shut Up And Dance
• Somebody
• Want To Want Me

[Header 2 header=”Carryovers (Q1-2015 Into Q2-2015)”]

• Earned It
• FourFiveSeconds
• Love Me Like You Do
• Sugar
• Style
• *Thinking Out Loud
• Time Of Our Lives
• Trap Queen
• *Uptown Funk

*These songs have been in the top 10 since Q4-2014

[Header 1 header=”Record Labels”]

[Header 5 header=”Atlantic and Republic Are The Top Labels”]

10 record labels accounted for the 19 songs that landed in the Hot 100 top 10 during the second quarter of the year.

Republic and Atlantic were tied at the top, each accounting for 21% of songs.  The former decreased in prominence relative to Q1, while the latter leaped to a two-plus year high.

Republic’s representation traversed the Pop and R&B/Soul primary genre categories including Bad Blood and Earned It.   Atlantic represented songs stemming from the Dance/Electronic, Hip Hop/Rap and R&B/Soul primary genre categories including Hey Mama, the mega-successful See You Again, and Thinking Out Loud.

RCA and Interscope followed at 16% and 11% of songs, each.  The former saw an increase in prominence, while the later saw its representation decline compared to the preceding quarter.

[Header 1 header=”Songwriters”]

[Header 5 header=”More Cooks In The Kitchen In Q2″]

[Header 2 header=”Gainers”]

[Header 3 header=”Five + Writer and Four-Writer categories”]

The Five+ Writer Team category was the most popular for the second quarter in a row.  Its prominence skyrocketed from 21% of songs in Q4 up to a three-plus year high of 58% in Q2.  Representatives stemmed from each primary genre category including Hey Mama, G.D.F.R, Love Me Like You Do, Uptown Funk and Shut Up And Dance.

The Four-Writer Team category rebounded in Q2 following a two-quarter decline.  It reached a two-year high of 21%, which put it in second place behind the Five-Plus category.  Among its representatives were the mega-successful See You Again, Bad Blood, and Earned It.

[Header 2 header=”Losers”]

[Header 3 header=”Two-Writer and Three-Writer categories”]

The Two-Writer category lost moderate ground in Q2, decreasing from 25% of songs down to 16%.  The Three-Writer category, however, took a massive hit, decreasing from 25% of songs in Q1 down to nil in Q2.

[Header 2 header=”Constants (+/- 2%)”]

[Header 3 header=”One-Writer category”]

The Single-Writer category remained constant in Q2, accounting for just 5% of songs.  Its sole representative was Nasty Freestyle.

[Header 1 header=”Lead Vocal”]

[Header 5 header=”Solo Male Vocals Dominate, Solo Female Plummets, Duets Are On The Rise”]

[Header 2 header=”Gainers”]

[Header 3 header=”Duet/Group (Male/Female) and Duet/Group (All Male)”]

The two vocal category gainers of the quarter were two of the three Duet/Group Lead Vocal categories.  The Male/Female Duet category reached its highest level in a year and a half, increasing from 10% of songs up to 21%  Among the category’s representatives were Bad Blood and FourFiveSeconds.

The All Male Duet/Group category increased from just 5% of songs in Q1 up to a one-year high of 16% in Q2.  Its representatives stemmed from the Dance/Electronic and Hip Hop/Rap primary genre categories including Time Of Our Lives and the massively successful See You Again.

[Header 2 header=”Losers”]

[Header 3 header=”Solo Female”]

Following a high of 42% back in Q4, the Solo Female Lead Vocal category has been in a tailspin, dropping to a three-year plus low of 11% by the end of Q2.  Its two representatives stemmed from the Pop primary genre category – Love Me Like You Do and Style.

[Header 2 header=”Constants (+/- 2%)”]

[Header 3 header=”Solo Male and Duet/Group (All Female)”]

The Solo Male category held onto its commanding lead at the top for the second quarter in a row, accounting for 53% of songs.  Its representatives stemmed from all of the primary genre categories except for Dance/Electronic.

On the flip side, the All Female Duet/Group category remained constant at nil for the second straight quarter.

[Header 1 header=”Primary Genres”]

[Header 5 header=”Hip Hop/Rap Is The Big Gainer, Pop Loses But Remains The Most Popular”]

[Header 2 header=”Gainers”]

[Header 3 header=”Hip Hop/Rap and Dance/Electronic”]

Hip Hop/Rap was the big gainer of the quarter.  After dropping down to just 5% of songs in Q1, the genre rebounded to 21% in Q2, which was its highest level in over two years.  Its representatives included the new arrivals G.D.F.R., Nasty Freestyle, and the mega-successful See You Again, as well as the Q1 carryover, Trap Queen.

Dance/Electronic also rebounded following a two-quarter decline from 20% of songs down to just 5%.  By the end of Q2, the genre accounted for 11% of songs, of which Hey Mama and Time Of Our Lives were the sole representatives.

[Header 2 header=”Losers”]

[Header 3 header=”Pop and Rock”]

Pop was the big loser of the quarter. After gaining ground for three straight quarters to where it reached its highest level in over two years (60%), it took a substantial hit in Q2, dropping down to 42% of songs. Despite the drop, it continued to be the most popular Primary Genre category. Its representatives included big hits such as Bad Blood, Cheerleader and Sugar.

Rock lost ground as well, dropping down to just 5% of song.. Its sole representative in Q2 was Shut Up And Dance.

[Header 2 header=”Constants (+/- 2%)”]

[Header 3 header=”R&B/Soul and Country”]

R&B/Soul held tight as the #2 Primary Genre category for the sixth quarter in a row, accounting for 21% of songs. Note that this percentage has remained unchanged for the past four quarters. Among the genre’s representatives was the mega successful Uptown Funk, which first entered into the top 10 back in Q4.

As for Country, its status in the top 10 has remained constant at nil for just about two years.

[Header 1 header=”Sub-Genres & Influencers”]

Note:  The percentages in the graph above reflect all of the songs that possess one of the top five sub-genre/influencers of the latest quarter in the mix, and how they have performed during the last four quarters.

[Header 5 header=”R&B/Soul Remains the Most Popular, Dance, Hip/Hop and Electropop All Gain Ground, and the 70s/80s Are Still Hot”]

[Header 2 header=”Gainers”]

[Header 3 header=”Electropop, Hip Hop/Rap and Dance/Club”]

As a sub-genre, Dance/Club saw the biggest jump in popularity.  After dropping down to just 10% of songs in Q1, it rebounded to 37% in Q2.  Among the songs that feature a prominent Dance vibe were Hey Mama, Time Of our Lives, Cheerleader (Felix Jaehn remix) and Honey I’m Good.

Electropop and Hip Hop/Rap both increased in prominence following a drop during the preceding quarter.   The former was tied as the second most popular, accounting for 47% of songs. The latter followed close behind at 42%, playing a role in the Dance/Electronic, Pop and R&B/Soul primary genre categories in addition to Hip Hop/Rap.

[Header 2 header=”Losers”]

[Header 3 header=”R&B/Soul and Retro”]

R&B/Soul’s influence in the top 10 dropped from 70% of songs in Q1 down to 58% in Q2.  Despite the drop, it was the most popular sub-genre for the fifth quarter in a row, playing a role in each primary genre category except for Rock (i.e. Shut Up And Dance).

Retro’s influence in the top 10 dropped off very slightly in Q2, decreasing from 50% of songs down to 47%.  It remained the second most popular influence for the second quarter in a row, playing a role in each primary genre category except for Hip Hop Rap.  The most popular time period was the late 1970s – early/mid 1980s.

[Header 2 header=”Constants (+/- 2%)”]

None

[Header 1 header=”Lyrical Themes”]

Note:  The percentages in the graph above reflect all of the songs that feature a specific lyrical theme, either as a stand-alone or in conjunction with other themes (i.e. lyrical fusion).

[Header 5 header=”Love Remains Supreme, More Partying and Hooking Up, Less Inspiration and Empowerment”]

[Header 2 header=”Gainers”]

[Header 3 header=”Lyrical Fusion, Hooking Up, and Partying/Living It Up”]

Partying/Living It Up was the big gainer of the quarter.  The lyrical theme’s use jumped from 10% of songs in Q1 up to 21% in Q2, which was its highest level in over two years.  Representative songs stemmed from the Dance/Electronic, Hip Hop/Rap and R&B/Soul primary genre categories, including Time Of Our Lives, G.D.F.R. and Uptown Funk, respectively.

Hooking Up has been on the rise for over a year, with the theme’s prominence increasing from 15% of songs back in Q3-2014 up to a two-year plus high of 32% in Q2.  Representative songs stemmed from the Dance/Electronic, Pop and R&B/Soul primary genre categories including Hey Mama, Love Me Like You Do and Earned It.

Lyrical fusion songs – those that possess two or more prominent lyrical themes in the mix – also continued to increase in prominence.   From a low of 42% back in Q3-2014, the category reached a two year-plus high of 63% in Q2.

[Header 2 header=”Losers”]

[Header 3 header=”Inspiration/Empowerment”]

There wasn’t a lot of Inspiration/Empowerment in the mainstream during the second quarter.  The category hit its lowest level in over two years, dropping to just 11% of songs.  Among the songs that feature some degree of Inspiration/Empowerment in the mix were Shut Up And Dance and Time Of Our Lives.

[Header 2 header=”Constants (+/- 2%)”]

[Header 3 header=”Love/Relationships and Other/Non-Typical”]

As usual, Love/Relationships was the top lyrical theme in the top 10.  Its influence remained constant during the last two quarters, accounting for thee-quarters of all songs either as a standalone or in conjunction with other themes (i.e. Lyrical Fusion songs).

The Other/Non-Typical lyrical theme category remained constant as well, accounting for one-quarter of all songs during the past two quarters.  Representative themes include Freestyle, Introspection and Lifestyle.

[Header 1 header=”Song Title Word Count”]

[Header 5 header=”Less Is Still More When It Comes To Song Titles”]

[Header 2 header=”Gainers”]

[Header 3 header=”Two and Four-Word Titles”]

The Two-Word Title category became the most popular once again following a moderate drop in Q1.  Accounting for 32% of songs, its representative’s stemmed from each primary genre category except for Rock including Hey Mama, Trap Queen, Bad Blood and Earned It.

The Four-Word Title category gained ground for the second quarter in a row, from a low of 8% in Q4 up to a two-plus year high of 21% in Q2.  Representatives stemmed from each primary genre category except for Pop.

[Header 2 header=”Losers”]

[Header 3 header=”One, Three and Five+ Word Titles”]

The One and Three-Word Title categories both lost ground, each accounting for 21% of songs by the end of Q2.  The Five+ category also lost ground, dropping down to just 5% of songs.  Its sole representative was Love Me Like You Do.

[Header 2 header=”Constants (+/- 2%)”]

None

[Header 1 header=”Song Title Appearances”]

[Header 5 header=”74% Of Songs Have Their Title Appearing 15 Times or Less.  The 11 – 15 Category Is the Most Popular”]

[Header 2 header=”Gainers”]

[Header 3 header=”0, 6 – 10, 11 – 15, and 16 – 20 Title Appearances”]

The 11 – 15 Song Title Appearance category was the most popular for the second quarter in a row.  From a low of just 13% of songs back in Q4-2014, the category reached two-year high of 37% in Q2.  Representatives stemmed from each primary genre category including Hey Mama, See You Again, Sugar, Earned It and Shut Up And Dance.

The 6 – 10 category rebounded following a two-quarter drop from 45% of songs down to just 15%.  By the end of Q2 it was the second most popular, accounting for 21% of songs.

The No Title Appearance category made a return following a three-quarter absence.  Its sole representative in Q2 was Nasty Freestyle.

[Header 2 header=”Losers”]

[Header 3 header=”1 – 5 and 21+ Title Appearances”]

The 1 – 5 Appearance category took a hit in Q2 following two straight quarters of sustained growth.  Accounting for 16% of songs, it was the third most popular.

The 21+ category took the biggest hit of the quarter, decreasing from 20% of songs down to just 5%.  The sole representative in Q2 was Uptown Funk.

[Header 2 header=”Constants (+/- 2%)”]

None

[Header 1 header=”Primary/Prominent Instrumentation”]

[Header 5 header=”More Synth & Bass In Q2, Less Guitar, Piano, Strings & Wind”]

[Header 2 header=”Gainers”]

[Header 3 header=”Synth and Prominent Bass”]

After dropping to a two-year plus low of 55% in Q1 and playing second-fiddle to Guitar, the Synth was back on top in Q2, shaping the sound of 79% of songs.  Its influence could be found in each primary genre category, and was featured most prominently in the Dance/Electronic and Hip Hop/Rap genres.

Prominent Bass also greatly increased in prominence, jumping from 40% of songs in Q1 up to a one-year high of 63% in Q2.  The Synth Bass, specifically, was the most popular, playing a key role in shaping the sound of songs within the Dance/Electronic, Hip Hop/Rap and Pop primary genre categories.

[Header 2 header=”Losers”]

[Header 3 header=”Guitar, Piano, Wind and Strings”]

Following a two-plus year high of 70% in Q1, the percentage of songs that feature a prominent Guitar in the mix plummeted to 42%.  However, despite the substantial drop, it was the third most popular behind Synth and Bass.  Representative songs stemmed from each primary genre category except for Hip Hop/Rap, including Time Of Our Lives, FourFiveSeconds, Thinking Out Loud and Shut Up And Dance.

Piano’s prominence in the top 10 reversed course following its 10% – 40% Q3 – Q1 rise.  In Q2, the instrument was featured in 31% of songs, with representatives stemming from the Hip Hop/Rap, Pop and R&B/Soul primary genre categories.

The Wind and String instrumentation categories were neck and neck during the past couple of quarters. Both saw their influence drop from 25% of songs in Q1 down to 16% in Q2.   The Wind category was represented by G.D.F.R. (Sax), Cheerleader (Trumpet), and Uptown Funk (full Brass section).

[Header 2 header=”Constants (+/- 2%)”]

None

[Header 1 header=”Electric Vs. Acoustic Natured Songs”]

[Header 5 header=”Electric Based Songs Rule The Top 10, Acoustic Songs Are Barely A Factor”]

[Header 2 header=”Gainers”]

[Header 3 header=”Primarily Electric”]

The percentage of songs that feature primarily Electric based instrumentation in the mix significantly rebounded following a two-quarter decline.  By the end of Q2, the category represented 68% of top 10 hits, which was its highest level in over two years.

[Header 2 header=”Losers”]

[Header 3 header=”Electric/Acoustic Combo and Primarily Acoustic”]

After almost doubling in prominence from Q3 – Q1, the Electric/Acoustic Combo category took a big hit in Q2, dropping down to just 26% of songs.  Its representatives stemmed from the Hip Hop/Rap, Pop and R&B/Soul primary genre categories, including G.D.F.R. (e.g. synth and sax), FourFiveSeconds (e.g. acoustic guitar and organ), and Thinking Out Loud (e.g. acoustic piano and electric guitar).

As for the Primarily Acoustic category, it was pretty much a non-factor during the past few quarters.  In Q2 only one song featured primarily acoustic based instrumentation in the mix –  Earned It (acoustic piano and strings).

[Header 2 header=”Constants (+/- 2%)”]

None

[Header 1 header=”A-B-A-B-C-B Form”]

[Header 5 header=”A-B-A-B-C-B Plummets In Popularity”]

The A-B-A-B-C-B form (verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus), which has historically been the most popular in the top 10, took a big hit in Q2 following its meteoric rise is prominence during the past couple of quarters.  Plummeting to just 26% of songs, this was the form’s second lowest level in over two years.  Its representatives stemmed solely from the Pop and R&B/Soul primary genre categories, including Sugar and Want To Want Me among others.

Despite the drop, it was still the most popular form of the quarter.  All of the other songs featured varying forms, such as the all-verse Nasty Freestyle, and the A-B-A-B-IB-C-B-IB Cheerleader.

[Header 1 header=”Average Song Length”]

[Header 5 header=”Average Song Length Hits a Two-Plus Year Low”]

Following the increase in average song length that took place over the past couple of quarters, the average length of a top 10 hit plummeted to its lowest level in over two years, landing at 3:32.  This was due in part due to new arrivals such as Nasty Freestyle and Cheerleader, both of which clock in at under three-minutes in length.

[Header 1 header=”Song Length Range”]

[Header 5 header=”Shorter Songs Become More Popular”]

[Header 2 header=”Gainers”]

[Header 3 header=”-2:59, and 3:00 – 3:29″]

In contrast to Q1 where the two longest song length categories increased in prominence, the opposite was true in Q2.

The 3:00 – 3:29 category was the big gainer of the quarter, rebounding from a low of 15% in Q1 up to a two-plus year high of 42% in Q2.   The reason for the sudden spike was due to seven of the ten new arrivals of the quarter landing in this range.  Representatives stemmed from every primary genre category including Hey Mama, G.D.F.R., Bad Blood, Somebody, and Shut Up And Dance.

The under three-minute category sprung back to life after dropping down to nil in Q1. Accounting for 11% of songs, it was represented by Nasty Freestyle and Cheerleader.

[Header 2 header=”Losers”]

[Header 3 header=”3:30 – 3:59, 4:00+”]

The 3:30 – 3:59 category, which was the most popular in Q4 and Q1, took a big hit in Q2, decreasing from 55% of songs down to just 26%.  This was the category’s lowest level in over two years.  Only one of the Q2 new arrivals landed in this range (and a very successful one at that) – See You Again.

The 4:00+ category also took a hit in Q2, dropping  to its second lowest level in over two years at 21% of songs.  None of the Q2 new arrivals landed at or over four-minutes in length.

[Header 2 header=”Constants (+/- 2%)”]

None

[Header 1 header=”First Section”]

[Header 5 header=”An Intro Is Still The Most Popular Way To Begin A Song”]

[Header 2 header=”Gainers”]

[Header 3 header=”Kicking Off with an Intro”]

The percentage of songs that feature an intro in their framework rebounded following a two-quarter decline.  Representative songs stemmed from each primary genre category except for Dance/Electronic.

[Header 2 header=”Losers”]

[Header 3 header=”Kicking Off with a Verse”]

The percentage of songs that immediately begin with the verse decreased from 20% in Q1 down to 11% in Q2.  This was due to one of the category’s Q1 representatives, Lay Me Down, not making it back into the top 10 in Q2, coupled with the fact that none of the quarter’s new arrivals begin with the verse.

[Header 2 header=”Constants (+/- 2%)”]

[Header 3 header=”Kicking off with the Chorus”]

The percentage of songs that immediately begin with the chorus remained constant during the second quarter of the year at 21%.  Its representatives stemmed from the Dance/Electronic and Pop primary genre categories, such as Hey Mama and Honey I’m Good.

[Header 1 header=”Last Section”]

[Header 5 header=”Outros Beat Out Choruses As The Most Popular Way To Conclude A Song”]

For the first time in over a year, more songs featured an outro as the last section in their framework as opposed to a chorus.  Representatives stemmed from each primary genre category except for Dance/Electronic, including See You Again, Love Me Like You Do, Earned It and Shut Up And Dance.

[Header 1 header=”Average Intro Length”]

[Header 5 header=”Average Intro Length Drops To Its Second Lowest Level In Over Two Years”]

The average length of a top 10 intro in Q2 was 10-seconds.  This was a two-second decrease compared to Q1, and the second shortest average length in over two years (the shortest was nine-seconds back in Q3-2014).

[Header 1 header=”Intro Length Range”]

*Note:  The percentages in the graph above reflect only the songs that contain an intro within their framework.

[Header 5 header=”92% Of Intros Land At 19-Seconds Or Less”]

[Header 2 header=”Gainers”]

[Header 3 header=”Short (0:01 – 0:09) and Moderately Short (0:10 – 0:19)”]

The Short (0:01 – 0:09) Intro Length category slightly increased in prominence from Q1 to Q2, accounting for 38% of songs.  This was the third quarter in a row where it was the second most popular, behind the Moderately Short (0:10 – 0:19) category.

The Moderately Short (0:10 – 0:19) Intro Length category gained moderate ground in Q2, increasing from 45% to 54% of songs. This was the category’s highest level in two-years, and the third consecutive quarter where it was the most popular.   Representative songs stemmed from each primary genre category except for Dance/Electronic, with the highest concentration being found in the Hip Hop/Rap genre.

[Header 2 header=”Losers”]

[Header 3 header=”Moderately Long (0:20 – 0:29)”]

After reaching a two-year plus high of 18% in Q1, the Moderately Long (0:20 – 0:29) Intro Length category dropped off in Q2, accounting for just 8% of songs.  Its sole representative was Love Me Like You Do.

[Header 2 header=”Constants (+/- 2%)”]

[Header 3 header=”Long (0:30+)”]

For two years there hasn’t been a single song in the top 10 with an intro landing at or over 30-seconds in length.  It’s certainly not a stretch to figure out why!

[Header 1 header=”Average Outro Length”]

[Header 5 header=”Average Outro Length Hovers In The Low 20-Second Range for the Fourth Straight Quarter”]

The average length of a top 10 outro decreased slightly during the second quarter of the year, from 23 to 20 seconds.

[Header 1 header=”Outro Length Range”]

[Header 5 header=”Shorter Length Outros Increase In Prominence”]

[Header 2 header=”Gainers”]

[Header 3 header=”Short (0:01 – 0:09) and Moderately Short (0:10 – 0:19)”]

The two shorter outro length categories increased in prominence during the second quarter of the year.

Following a two-quarter decline, the Moderately Short (0:10 – 0:19) Outro Length category rebounded to the top spot in Q2, accounting for 40% of songs.  Representatives stemmed from the Hip Hop/Rap, Pop and Rock primary genre categories including Nasty Freestyle, Love Me Like You Do and Shut Up And Dance.

The Short (0:01 – 0:09) Outro Length category has been increasing in prominence over the last three-quarters.  After dropping down to nil in Q3-2014, it steadily increased up to a two-plus year high of 20% in Q2-2015.   The category’s two representatives were Sugar and Want To Want Me.

[Header 2 header=”Losers”]

[Header 3 header=”Moderately Long (0:20 – 0:29) and Long (0:30+)”]

The two longer length outro length categories decreased in prominence in Q2.

After reaching a one-year high of 33% back in Q3-2014, the Moderately Long (0:20 – 0:29) Outro Length category has been in decline, hitting a two-plus year low of 10% in Q2-2015.  The category’s sole representative was also a very successful one, See You Again.

Q1’s top Outro Length category, the Long (0:30+) category, dropped from 38% down to 30% in Q2. It was the second most popular, however, with representatives stemming from the Hip Hop/Rap and R&B/Soul primary genre categories including Trap Queen and Earned It.

[Header 2 header=”Constants (+/- 2%)”]

None

[Header 1 header=”First Section Being A Chorus”]

[Header 5 header=”Hitting The Listener with the Chorus (Payoff) Before the Verse Becomes A Lot More Popular”]

The percentage of songs that immediately kick off with the chorus as opposed to an intro or verse jumped to 42% in Q2, which was the highest level in two years.   Representative songs stemmed from each primary genre category including Hey Mama, See You Again, Bad Blood, Somebody and Shut Up And Dance.

[Header 1 header=”First Chorus Occurrence: Average Time Into Song”]

[Header 5 header=”First Choruses Are Hitting Earlier, On Average”]

The average amount of time that it took for the first chorus to hit within a top 10 charting song dropped to its lowest level in over two years at just 28-seconds.  The reason for the drop is due in part to seven of the ten new arrivals of the quarter having their first chorus hit in the Chorus Kick Off category or Early (0:01 – 0:19) category.

[Header 1 header=”First Chorus Occurrence: Time Into Song Range”]

[Header 5 header=”Earlier Hitting Choruses Are On The Rise, Those That Take Longer Are In Decline”]

[Header 2 header=”Gainers”]

[Header 3 header=”Early (0:02 – 0:19) and Moderately Early (0:20 – 0:39)”]

The big gainer of the quarter was the Early (0:02 – 0:19) First Chorus Occurrence category.  After dropping down to just 5% of songs in Q1, it jumped up to 22% in Q2, where it tied with all of the other categories except for Moderately Early (0:20 – 0:39).   This was due to the influx of new songs into the top 10 from the Hip Hop/Rap, R&B/Soul and Rock primary genre categories including G.D.F.R., Somebody and Shut Up And Dance.  These songs all have their first chorus hitting following a brief intro.

The once dominant Moderately Early (0:20 – 0:39) category rebounded slightly in Q2 following a stringent decline in prominence that began back in Q4-2015.  By the end of the quarter, it accounted for just 11% of songs, which is a far cry from its 47% peak back in Q3-2014.

[Header 2 header=”Losers”]

[Header 3 header=”Moderately Late (0:40 – 0:59) and Late (0:30+)”]

The big loser of the quarter was the Moderately Late (0:40 – 0:59) category.  Following its dominance in Q4 and Q1 where it accounted for 42% and 45% of songs, respectively, it nosedived in Q1, dropping down to just 22% of songs.

As for the Late (1:00+) category, following two-quarters of consecutive growth, it lost a bit of ground in Q2, accounting for 22% of songs.   Representative songs stemmed from the Pop and R&B/Soul primary genre categories including Love Me Like You Do and Thinking Out Loud.

[Header 2 header=”Constants (+/- 2%)”]

[Header 3 header=”Chorus Kick Off (0:01)”]

The Chorus Kick Off (0:01) category remained constant during the past couple of quarters, accounting for right around one-fifth of all songs.  Representatives stemmed solely from the Dance/Electronic and Pop primary genre categories including Time Of Our Lives and Honey I’m Good. 

[Header 1 header=”First Chorus Occurrence:  Average Percent Into Song”]

[Header 5 header=”First Choruses Hit At Just 13% of the Way Into a Song, On Average”]

When we talk about the percentage into the song where the first chorus occurs, we’re talking about the occurrence relative to the length of the entire song, which is why the results sometimes differ from the “time into song” section, which doesn’t take into account total song length.

The average percent into a song where the first chorus hits dropped to 13% by the end of Q2, which was the earliest in over two-years.  As is the case with the Time Into Song category, this was due to the influx of songs that have their first chorus hitting in the Chorus Kick Off or Early (0:01 – 0:19) categories.

[Header 1 header=”First Chorus Occurrence: Percent Into Song Range”]

[Header 5 header=”Moderately Late Hitting Choruses Plummet, Early Hitting Choruses Skyrocket”]

[Header 2 header=”Gainers”]

[Header 3 header=”Early (1% – 9%)”]

After decreasing in prominence during the last couple of quarters, the Early (1% – 9%) First Chorus Occurrence category rebounded in Q2, jumping from 5% of songs up to 22%.  This category reflects all of the songs that have their first chorus hitting prior to the first verse.

[Header 2 header=”Losers”]

[Header 3 header=”Moderately Early (10% – 19%) and Moderately Late (20% – 29%)”]

Following two consecutive quarters of growth, the Moderately Late (20% – 29%) category took a sizable hit in Q2, dropping from 50% of songs down to 33%.  Despite the drop, the category remained the most popular for a third quarter in a row.  Representative songs stemmed from the Hip Hop/Rap, Pop and R&B/Soul primary genre categories including Trap Queen, Cheerleader and Earned It.

The Moderately Early (10% – 19%) category has been in decline for three-straight quarters, decreasing from 42% of songs back in Q3-2014 down to 22% of songs by the end of Q2.

[Header 2 header=”Constants (+/- 2%)”]

[Header 3 header=”Chorus Kick Off (0:01) and Late (30%+)”]

The two categories at opposite ends of the spectrum remained constant during the second quarter of the year.  Around one-fifth of all songs kicked off with the chorus, while for the third quarter in a row there weren’t any songs that have their first chorus hitting at or over 30% of the way into the song (and for good reason!)

[Header 1 header=”Songs With A Pre-Chorus”]

[Header 5 header=”Pre-Choruses Are Popular, But Still Optional”]

The percentage of songs that contain the “optional” pre-chorus section in their framework remained essentially the same during the past two quarters at 68%.  Representatives stemmed from all of the primary genre categories including Hey Mama, See You Again, Sugar, Earned It and Shut Up And Dance.

It was least popular in the Hip Hop/Rap genre, and most popular in the Pop, R&B/Soul and Rock genres (note, however, that Shut Up And Dance was the sole Rock representative in Q2).

Back to Top

[Header 1 header=”Songs With A Bridge”]

[Header 5 header=”Most Songs Contain a Bridge, But There Are Exceptions”]

The percentage of songs that contain a bridge within their framework remained constant during the past two quarters at ~75%.   Among the songs that DO NOT contain a bridge are Nasty Freestyle, Love Me Like You Do, Thinking Out Loud and Shut Up And Dance.

[Header 1 header=”Songs With A Prominent Instrumental Or Vocal Break”]

[Header 5 header=”Instrumental/Vocal Breaks Are On The Rise, But Still Not Very Popular”]

Following a two-quarter drop where the percentage of songs that feature a prominent instrumental and/or vocal break within their framework hit a two-plus year low of just 10%, the category rebounded in Q2 up to 21%.  Representative songs stemmed from each primary genre category EXCEPT for Dance/Electronic, which is quite surprising.

Despite the increase in prominence, most songs that land in the top 10 continue NOT to have one of these sections in their framework.