Hit Songs Deconstructed Music Charts – Week of 3/7/15
Two songs influenced the compositional characteristics of the Hot 100 top 10 this week – the arrival of The Weeknd’s Earned It and the departure of Sam Smith’s I’m Not The Only One. Some of the week’s notable gainers thanks…
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Hit Songs Deconstructed Music Charts – Week of 2/28/15
The compositional makeup of the Hot 100 top 10 was shaken up this week due to the arrival Style into the top 10 and the departure of Shake It Off. The week’s gainers thanks to Style’s arrival include electric guitar,…
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'Blank Space' Deconstructed
Co-written by Max Martin, Shellback, and Taylor Swift (all of whom wrote 'Shake It Off'), 'Blank Space' contains all of the hit songwriting characteristics that you would expect a team of this caliber to provide: fresh and memorable melodies, clever lyrics filled with detail, imagery…
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From Dean Martin to Trans-Siberian Orchestra, a Look at Christmas Hits By the Numbers
Hit Songs Deconstructed and Billboard Magazine collaborated on this article analyzing the top 25 holiday season downloads from 2003 through 2013. The on-line version was published on Billboard.com on December 4th. The print version appeared in the November 29th issue of Billboard magazine.
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The Hit Songs Deconstructed Trend Report
There were a number of key hit songwriting trend shifts that took place during the the third quarter of the year, spanning categories including song form, primary instrumentation and lyrical themes, to name a few of many. Three of the most pronounced, however, were shifts…
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All About That Bass
The massive success of All About That Bass is due in part to a number of key factors. Some of the most important include the meticulous fusion of retro and current elements, a plethora of hooks, payoffs and stand out moments, clever - and at…
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Then & Now
A lot can happen in a year, especially when it comes to hit songwriting. What's hot today may not necessarily be hot tomorrow, and vice versa. Below is a brief comparison of how intros, first choruses, lead vocal gender, record labels and sub-genres have changed…
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White Christmas: Unique Takes On A Standard
Originally written by Irving Berlin and first made popular by Bing Crosby back in the early 1940's, White Christmas has gone on to become one of the most covered Christmas/holiday songs of all time. This Penn's Pick Playlist features 15 of the most diverse versions…
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Shake It Off
Released as the lead single from her highly anticipated album 1989, Shake It Off finds Taylor Swift completing her transformation into a mainstream Pop superstar, all together forgoing her Country roots. This article explores one of the song’s many key…
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