What Makes the 'Star Wars' Theme So Epic? John Williams' Legendary Theme, Deconstructed
In honor of the return of Star Wars, Hit Songs Deconstructed teamed up with Billboard to look into why John Williams’ main title for the movie is one of the most successful (a disco version actually topped the Hot 100 for two weeks in 1977),…
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HSD at Berklee College of Music – Top 10 Deconstructed
In this video excerpt from a lecture at Berklee College of Music, David Penn, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Hit Songs Deconstructed shares hit songwriting tips, techniques and trends culled from today's chart-topping hits.
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Hit Songs Deconstructed Music Charts – Month In Review: November 2015
During the month of November there were a host of key compositional trend shifts that took place in the Hot 100 Top 10. Among the most notable are the solo female lead vocal category rising to its highest level of prominence in 36 weeks thanks…
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HSD at Berklee College of Music – Can’t Feel My Face Deconstructed
In this video excerpt from a lecture at Berklee College of Music, David Penn, Founder and Editor-In-Chief of Hit Songs Deconstructed, discusses highlights from the the recent Can’t Feel My Face Deconstructed Report.
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HSD at Berklee College of Music – Hit Songwriting Trends
In this video excerpt from a lecture at Berklee College of Music, David Penn, Founder and Editor-In-Chief of Hit Songs Deconstructed discusses recent hit songwriting trends.
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Wildest Dreams: How To Take A Song From Good To Great
In this article, excerpted from our "Wildest Dreams" Deconstructed Report, we examine a couple of the many characteristics that put the song over the top.
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Q3's Record-Setting Trend Shifts
The third quarter of 2015 was filled with record setting trend shifts in the Hot 100 Top 10. Trap, solo male lead vocals, and the use of a pre-chorus reached their highest level of popularity in years, while partying themed lyrics, solo female lead vocals,…
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Penn's Picks: Rockabilly Vol. 1
While a wide variety of genres and sub-genres shape today's mainstream hits, Rockabilly isn't usually one of them. However, that has changed with the release of Elle King's latest hit, "Ex's & Oh's." This Penn’s Pick Playlist features a combination of obscure gems and big…
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Then & Now
Our latest “Then and Now” comparison reveals that the most popular compositional characteristics tracked by the Hit Songs Deconstructed Charts are surprisingly similar when compared to this time last year - with the exception of two. Find out what they are in our Hit Songs…
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