HIT SONG STRUCTURE

By TotalControlAudio.com
Copyright 2013. All Rights Reserved. Total Control Audio, LLC
Hit song structure analysis performed by totalcontrolaudio.com
HACKING
Stop Writing Songs Even Your Friends Dont Remember
First Edition
HIT SONG STRUCTURE
Even if your goal isnt writing a hit song, you can quickly learn the framework to make your songs catchier and more
memorable. In this eBook, were hacking hit songs to understand the similarities and differences from one hit song to
another hit song. We hack across popular genres...so you dont have to!
Song structure for the Songwriter is like the Sistine Chapels ceiling
1
was for Michelangelos painting. Its your canvas.
Now lets get started.
HACKING
Stop Writing Songs Even Your Friends Dont Remember
1.The Sistine Chapel ceiling is a cornerstone of Renaissance art that Michelangelo painted between 1508 and 1512.
Just because you can sing the phone book doesnt mean you can write with weak song structure.
Unless youve had a hit, always start with intro, verse, pre-chorus, chorus, verse, pre-chorus,
chorus, bridge, outro.
2

~ Desmond Child
3
2. Desmond stated this during the ASCAP Expo 2008 Presentation on Hit Songwriting.
3. He has written over Seventy Top-40 Hits and has sold 300 million records.
6 Reasons to Read this eBook
Even If You HATE Hit Songs (As I Do, Sometimes)
Hacking Hit Song Structure isnt an eBook about how fantastic Hit songs are, though it might look like it. Even if you
hate Hit songs, here are six reasons why you should glance through the Hit Song Structure examples:
#1 We start with AC/DC! Okay, maybe you hate rock songs too, but Shook Me All Night Long has stood the test of
time. And, its very similar in structure to the global smash hit Firework by Katy Perry. Well show you both.
#2 It doesnt take much work. The eBook will take you less than 15 minutes to peruse. We use big diagrams so you
dont have to read much.
#3 Its interesting stuff. Were hacking into the structure of Hits. Its fascinating to see the similarities and differences.
#4 Weve done the analysis for you. For Free!
#5 There arent any wrong answers. You just might get inspired to try something new. Its the awesome thing about
songwriting. Write what you want to write.
#6 Because its fun to write songs people like. And, maybe youll get rich! As Bruce Lee said, Adapt what is
useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specically your own.
HACKING
Summary of the Song Sections:
The Intro has become a very short part of the hit song. Todays Hits often have Intros less than 10 seconds long. Many Hits have
Intros of 5-8 seconds. Yes, Livin On A Prayer had a 38-second Intro, but that was 1986. Wrecking Ball has an 08-second Intro today.
Most of todays Hits have only two Verses of 12 -16 bars each.
The Pre-Chorus is a 2 - 8 bar lift prior to the Chorus. Using a Pre-Chorus is common in Hit Songs. Since were hacking the Hits to
understand the basic structure, we simply dene the Pre-Chorus as any lift that happens prior to the Chorus. What others might call a
B-part, extended verse, pre-hook, or lift, we simply call a Pre-Chorus.
The Chorus or Hook in Hit Songs is typically 12 - 16 bars, with 16-bars being extremely common. Most Hits have two Choruses.
The majority of todays Hits have a Bridge, which is sometimes called the Middle-8 because the Bridge is often 8-bars.
The Outro almost always repeats the Chorus and sometimes elements of the Pre-Chorus, Bridge, and Intro. Most Hits are less than
four minutes long.
Hit Song Structure
The Sections
Intro
Verse
Pre
Chorus
Chorus Bridge Verse
Pre
Chorus
Chorus Outro
Six Steps to a Hit Song:
1. Make your Intro extremely short
2. Try a Pre-Chorus in your song
3. Get to the Verse within one minute
4. Use only two Verses (or three for Rap)
5. Include a Bridge
6. Skip the solo
HACKING
It is possible to become world-class in just about anything in six months or less. Armed with the
right framework, you can seemingly perform miracles, whether its Spanish, swimming, or anything
in between.
~ Tim Ferriss
4
4.Tim is the #1 New York Times Best Selling author of The 4-Hour Workweek. Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich.
Hit Song Structure
On the following pages well hack into the framework of Hit Songs. Well start with classic songs
and work our way to current Hits.
HACKING
16-Bars
SHOOK ME ALL NIGHT LONG - AC/DC
Hit Song Structure
Intro
Verse Pre Chorus Gtr Solo Outro
12-Bars 4-Bars 8-Bars 16-Bars 24-Bars
:30 @ 1:02 Song Length 3:30
Tempo 125 BPM
FAST FACTS About
Shook Me All Night Long
Written by Young, Young and Johnson
Tempo: 125 BPM
Time Signature: 4/4
Key Signature: G Major
Length: 3:30
Intro Length: 30 seconds
Hit Song Information
US Billboard Hot 100 #35
No. 10 on VH1's list of "The 100 Greatest
Songs of the 80s"
Back in Black Album 26m+ sales
Played at every AC/DC concert
Released August 19, 1980
Youtube Link: Shook Me All Night Long
Verse Pre Chorus
12-Bars 4-Bars 8-Bars
Hit song structure analysis performed by totalcontrolaudio.com
16-Bars
LIVIN ON A PRAYER - Bon Jovi
Hit Song Structure
Verse
Pre
Chorus
Chorus Solo Verse
Pre
Chorus
Chorus Outro (fade)
16-Bars 8-Bars 16-Bars 16-Bars 8-Bars 16-Bars 9-Bars 20-Bars
:38 @ 1:25 sec
Song Length 4:10
Tempo 122 BPM
FAST FACTS About
Livin On A Prayer
Written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora,
Desmond Child
Tempo: 122 BPM
Time Signature: 4/4
Key Signature: E minor
Length: 4:10 (Album) & 4:47 (Full Version)
Intro Length: 38 seconds
Hit Song Information
Billboard Hot 100, #1 Hit Song for 4 weeks
Top five on 12 charts around the world
Slippery When Wet album has sold 28m+
Released October 31, 1986
Youtube Link: Livin On a Prayer
Intro
Hit song structure analysis performed by totalcontrolaudio.com
SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT - Nirvana
Hit Song Structure
FAST FACTS About
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Written by Cobain, Novoselic, and Grohl
Tempo: 115 BPM
Time Signature: 4/4
Key Signature: F minor
Length: 4:30 (Single Version)
Intro Length: 11 seconds
Hit Song Information
US Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks: #1
Nominated for two Grammy
Sold over 2 million copies
Released September 10, 1991
Youtube Link: Smells Like Teen Spirit
Tempo 115 BPM
Hit song structure analysis performed by totalcontrolaudio.com
Intro Verse Chorus Solo Outro
12-Bars 16-Bars 8-Bars 16-Bars
:16 @ :57 sec Song Length 4:30
Pre
Chorus
8-Bars 8-Bars
Verse Chorus
12-Bars 16-Bars
Pre
Chorus
8-Bars
Verse
12-Bars
Pre
Chorus
8-Bars
8-Bars
LIVIN LA VIDA LOCA - Ricky Martin
Hit Song Structure
Intro
Verse
Pre
Chorus
Chorus
Pre
Chorus
Outro
20-Bars 10-Bars 28-Bars 8-Bars 10-Bars 28-Bars 10-Bars 55-Bars
:11 @ :53 sec
Song Length 3:59
Tempo 178 BPM
FAST FACTS About
Livin La Vida Loca
Written by Luis Gmez Escolar, Desmond
Child, Draco Rosa
Tempo: 178 BPM
Time Signature: 4/4
Key Signature: C# minor
Length: 3:59
Intro Length: 11 seconds
Hit Song Information
Billboard Hot 100, #1 Hit Song for 5 weeks
#1 on 20 charts around the world
Sold over 8 million copies
Released March 23, 1999
Youtube Link: Livin La Vida Loco
Verse
Chorus
Pre
Chorus
Hit song structure analysis performed by totalcontrolaudio.com
8-Bars
LIVE LIKE YOU WERE DYING - Tim McGraw
Hit Song Structure
Intro Verse
Pre
Chorus Chorus Bridge Verse
Outro
16-Bars 5-Bars 14-Bars 16-Bars 11-Bars 6-Bars 24-Bars
:24 @ 1:05 sec
Song Length 4:28
Tempo 80 BPM
FAST FACTS About
Live Like You Were Dying
Written by Tim Nichols and Craig Wiseman
Tempo: 80 BPM
Time Signature: 4/4
Key Signature: G Major
Length: 4:21 (Radio) & 4:58 (Album)
Intro Length: 24 seconds
Hit Song Information
Billboard Country charts #1 seven weeks
Billboards #1 Country song 2004
ACM Single & Song of the Year, NSAI Song
of The Year and CMA Song of the Year, and
Grammy Best Male Country Performance
Released June 7, 2004
Youtube Link: Live Like You Were Dying
Pre
Chorus
5-Bars
Chorus
Hit song structure analysis performed by totalcontrolaudio.com
EMPIRE STATE OF MIND - Jay Z
Hit Song Structure
FAST FACTS About
Empire State of Mind
Written by Hunte, Keys, Shuckburgh, Keyes,
Sewell-Ulepic, Carter, Robinson
Tempo: 86 BPM
Time Signature: 4/4
Key Signature: E Major
Length: 4:34
Intro Length: 11 seconds
Hit Song Information
US Billboard Hot 100, Rap, R&B: #1
Grammy, Best Rap Song
Sold over 5 million copies in the US
Released October 20, 2009
Youtube Link: Empire State of Mind
Tempo 86 BPM
Hit song structure analysis performed by totalcontrolaudio.com
:11
Intro
Verse Chorus
Bridge
Outro
14-Bars 10-Bars 6-Bars 10-Bars
@ :55 sec
Song Length 4:34
Pre
2-Bars 4-Bars
Verse Chorus
14-Bars 10-Bars
Pre
2-Bars
Verse Chorus
14-Bars 10-Bars
Pre
2-Bars
4-Bars
FIREWORK - Katy Perry
Hit Song Structure
Intro
Verse
Pre
Chorus
Chorus Bridge Verse
Pre
Chorus
Chorus Outro
16-Bars 8-Bars 16-Bars 16-Bars 8-Bars 16-Bars 8-Bars 24-Bars
:08 @ :54 sec
Song Length 3:44
FAST FACTS About
Firework
Written by Katy Perry, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor
Erik Hermansen, Sandy Wilhelm, Ester Dean
Tempo: 124 BPM
Time Signature: 4/4
Key Signature: Ab Major
Length: 3:44
Intro Length: 7.7 seconds
Hit Song Information
Billboard Hot 100, #1 Hit Song in 2010 and
2011
Top five on 20 charts around the world
Sold over 10 million copies in the US
Released November 24, 2010
Youtube Link: Firework
Hit song structure analysis performed by totalcontrolaudio.com
Tempo 124 BPM
8-Bars
GANGNAM STYLE - Psy
Hit Song Structure
Intro Verse Pre Chorus Chorus Bridge Verse Chorus Outro
16-Bars 13-Bars 16-Bars 16-Bars 13-Bars 16-Bars 8-Bars 11-Bars
:14 @ :1:07 Song Length 3:39
FAST FACTS About
Gangnam Style
Written by Park Jae-Sang, Yoo Gun-Hyung
Tempo: 132 BPM
Time Signature: 4/4
Key Signature: G minor
Length: 3:39
Intro Length: 14 seconds
Hit Song Information
#1 Hit Song on 35 charts globally
1.8 billion Youtube views
Sold over 4.5 million copies in the US
Released August 14, 2012
Youtube Link: Gangnam Style
Hit song structure analysis performed by totalcontrolaudio.com
Tempo 132 BPM
Pre Chorus
4-Bars
DIAMONDS - Rihanna
Hit Song Structure
Intro
Verse
Pre
Chorus
Chorus Bridge Pre Chorus
Outro
8-Bars 8-Bars 16-Bars 8-Bars 4-Bars 16-Bars 4-Bars 16-Bars
:11 @ :52 sec
Song Length 3:45
FAST FACTS About
Diamonds
Written by Sia Furler, Benjamin Levin, Mikkel
S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen
Tempo: 92 BPM
Time Signature: 4/4
Key Signature: B minor
Length: 3:45
Intro Length: 11 seconds
Hit Song Information
#1 on 23 Charts around the world
Top five on 36 charts around the world
Sold over 7.5 million copies worldwide
Released September 27, 2012
Youtube Link: Diamonds
Hit song structure analysis performed by totalcontrolaudio.com
Tempo 92 BPM
Verse
THATS MY KIND OF NIGHT - Luke Bryan
Hit Song Structure
Intro
Verse Chorus Bridge Verse Pre Outro
10-Bars 15-Bars 10-Bars 2-Bars 15-Bars 8-Bars 19-Bars
:08 @ :35 sec
Song Length 3:10
FAST FACTS About
Thats My Kind of Night
Written by Dallas Davidson, Chris DeStefano,
Thomas Walker, and Ashley Gorley
Tempo: 110 BPM
Time Signature: 4/4
Key Signature: E Major
Length: 3:10
Intro Length: 7.7 seconds
Hit Song Information
US Billboard Hot Country Songs: #1
Sold over 1 million copies in the US
Released August 5, 2013
Youtube Link: Thats My Kind of Night
Pre
2-Bars
Chorus
4-Bars
Tempo 110 BPM
Hit song structure analysis performed by totalcontrolaudio.com
4-Bars
WRECKING BALL - Miley Cyrus
Hit Song Structure
Intro
Verse
Pre
Chorus
Chorus Bridge
Pre
Chorus
Chorus Outro
8-Bars 9-Bars 10-Bars 8-Bars 8-Bars 18-Bars 16-Bars 25-Bars
:08 @ :41 sec
Song Length 3:32
FAST FACTS About
Wrecking Ball
Written by Gottwald, McDonald, Moccio,
Skarbek, Walter
Tempo: 120 BPM
Time Signature: 4/4
Key Signature: D minor
Length: 3:32
Intro Length: 8 seconds
Hit Song Information
Billboard Hot 100, #1 Hit Song
Released August 25, 2013
Youtube Link: Wrecking Ball
Hit song structure analysis performed by totalcontrolaudio.com
Tempo 120 BPM
Verse
Now What?
5 Steps Toward a Hit
Alright, so weve looked at a handful of massive Hits. What can you do with this song structure stuff?
Step One: Decide if experimenting with Hit Song structure is for you. If it seems cool then proceed. Thats easy!
Step Two: Pick one Hit Song from this eBook and listen to it while referring to our structure hack. Weve include a
YouTube link on each songs page to make it easy for you. When you feel condent in identifying each section of the
song, listen to another one of the Hits and do the same.
Step Three: Play the best song youve ever written. Listen to the structure. How similar is it to the Hits?
Step Four: Use your favorite audio program (i.e. GarageBand, ProTools, Sonar, etc.) drop in one of the Hit Songs
and use our free Songwriter Loop Pack to build a new drum track.
Step Five: Delete the Hit Song track. Write a new song using the drum track you built!
HACKING
Now What?
FIREWORK Example in GarageBand
HACKING
Watch Ron Wiksos video demonstration
ASCAP
BMI
SESAC
HFA
Nashville Songwriter Association International
Berklee Online
SOCAN
National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
Songwriters Guild of America
Songwriter Resources
Lilac Writer
Hooktheory
Groove3
Chromatik
SoundCloud
Writing Hit Country Lyrics
Songwriter Tools
Inspiration
I'm sick to death of people saying we've made 11 albums that sound exactly the same. In fact, we've
made 12 albums that sound exactly the same. Its just rock and roll. A lot of times we get criticized for it.
A lot of music papers come out with: 'When are they going to stop playing these three chords?' If you
believe you shouldn't play just three chords it's pretty silly on their part. To us, the simpler a song is, the
better, 'cause it's more in line with what the person on the street is.
~ Angus Young
5
5. Angus has a band called AC/DC that has sold over 200 million records worldwide.
My vocation is more in composition really than anything elsebuilding up harmonies using the guitar,
orchestrating the guitar like an army, a guitar army. I always felt if we were going in to do an album,
there should already be a lot of structure already made up so we could get on with that and see what
else happened.
~ Jimmy Page
I didn't really know what I was doing when I started. I just started writing songs. After two songs I just
continued to explore it. I don't force it. If you don't have an idea and you don't hear anything going over
and over in your head, don't sit down and try to write a song. You know, go mow the lawn.
~ Neil Young
Theres a lot of craft that goes into achieving a hot songat the beginning of your career, youre
usually more inspiration than craft, and you get great when those intersect.
~ Kara DioGuardi
6
6. Kara has over fty Top-40 Hits, 160 million records sold and was an American Idol judge.
I've just really been into melody and lyrics and songwriting. Writing a rap, to me, is easy. I could write
a rap like that. But writing songs and melodies and s**t that's hopefully going to stick around for 30, 40
years is f**king hard. If you have good songs and you're talented, people will eventually come to your
shows, people will buy your music.
~ Kid Rock
I don't think rock n' roll songwriters should worry about art. I don't think it comes into it. As far as I'm
concerned, Art is just short for Arthur. I look for ambiguity when I'm writing because life is ambiguous.
A painter's got a canvas. The writer's got reams of empty paper. A musician has silence.
~ Keith Richards
Copyright 2013. All Rights Reserved. Total Control Audio, LLC | Contact us at totalcontrolaudio@gmail.com
Hit song structure analysis performed by totalcontrolaudio.com
Hit song structure is not just about what youre reading in this eBook. There was much
more we wanted to include. Were busy doing song analysis and building useful tools for
songwriters and recording musicians. Yes, we specialize in drum loops, but were about
writing memorable songs.
If youre not on our email list, please sign up here. We give away useful stuff.
And, since youve read all the way to the end of this book, we have some bonus drum
loops for you!
www.totalcontrolaudio.com/bonus/
Bonus Material
Now go write a memorable song!