The Hit Songs Deconstructed Genre Report: Q1-2014

Hit Songs Deconstructed Deconstructing Today's Hits for Songwriting Success http://reports.hitsongsdeconstructed.com

PRIMARY GENRES: ABOUT>> PRIMARY GENRES: Q1-2014 IN A NUTSHELL>> PRIMARY GENRES: HOT 100 BREAKDOWN & TRENDS>> PRIMARY GENRES: NEW ARRIVALS & CARRYOVERS>> PRIMARY GENRES: CHART PERFORMANCE>> PRIMARY GENRES: FULL ANALYSIS>> PRIMARY GENRES: AT-A-GLANCE COMPARISON>> PRIMARY GENRES: TOTAL SECTION BREAKDOWN>> SUB-GENRES & INFLUENCERS>>

PRIMARY GENRES: ABOUT Back to Top

This report provides you with a comprehensive overview of the characteristics and trends that defined each genre represented within the Hot 100 top 10 during the first quarter of the year.

With the exception of the occasional Country song, The vast majority of songs that land within the Billboard Hot 100 each quarter fall into one of five primary genre categories:

Dance

These are songs that possess an overtly Dance nature and/or performed by a Dance artist.

Examples:

I Cry (Flo Rida) – The entire song possesses a Dance/Club nature

Wake Me Up (Avicii) – Dance artist + EDM natured instrumental breaks

Hip Hop/Rap

These songs are predominantly Hip Hop/Rap in nature (specifically the verses) and/or performed by a Hip Hop/Rap artist.

Example:

The Monster (Eminem f. Rihanna) – Hip Hop/Rap verses and performed by a Hip Hop/Rap artist

Pop

These songs possess an overtly Pop quality and/or performed by a Pop artist.

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Examples:

Roar (Katy Perry) – A fusion of Straight-Up Pop, Pop/Rock and Power Pop. Additionally, Perry is a Pop artist.

Wrecking Ball (Miley Cyrus) – A Power Ballad with an overtly Straight-Up Pop nature, plus Cyrus is a Pop artist.

R&B/Soul

These songs possess an overtly R&B/Soul nature (retro or current) and/or performed by an R&B/Soul artist.

Examples:

Drunk In Love (Beyonce f. Jay Z) – The entire song possesses an R&B nature save for Jay Z’s rap, plus Beyonce is first and foremost an R&B artist.

Happy (Pharrell Williams) – The song is predominantly Retro Soul in nature.

Rock

These songs possess an edge and lean more toward the Rock end of the spectrum and/or performed by a Rock artist or band.

Examples:

Counting Stars (OneRepublic) – Even though it features a heavy Pop and Folk influence, the song possesses an edge that leans more toward the Rock end of the spectrum. OneRepublic also is also a Pop/Rock band, with their body work spanning both genres

Radioactive (Imagine Dragons) – The song primarily possesses an Alt Rock nature, coupled with the fact that Imagine Dragons is first and foremost a Rock band

PRIMARY GENRES: Q-2014 IN A NUTSHELL Back to Top

Dance

Dance was the second least performing primary genre of the quarter (right above Hip Hop/Rap), accounting for just 10% of songs that charted within the Hot 100 top 10. Timber and Wake Me Up were the sole representatives, the latter having peaked at #1 by the end of the quarter.

There weren’t any new top 10 Dance arrivals during the quarter – both Wake Me Up and Timber

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As a secondary (sub-genre) influence, Dance didn’t fare much better, primarily being relegated to songs within its own primary genre category (i.e. it wasn’t really a factor within the other genres of the quarter).

Amongst the sub-genres and influencers that helped to shape the sound of Q1?s Dance hits, Country/Folk was the common denominator between the two. Timber also possesses a strong Hip Hop/Rap influence as well.

RCA and Island Def Jam were the two Dance labels of the quarter, representing Timber and Wake Me Up, respectively.

Key compositional characteristics of the Dance genre include:

An average of seven credited writers per song

An average song title word count of two words with 14 title appearances (Timber appears 24 times while Wake Me Up appears only four)

Both songs completely different in regard to their lyrical themes, of which there were six

Both songs differ in regard to the lead vocal. Timber features a male/female duet, while Wake Me Up features a solo male vocal

Both songs feature prominent synth and guitar within the mix

Both songs feature a combination of electric and acoustic based instrumentation within the mix

The average length of a Dance song was 3:37

Both songs completely differ in terms of their song structures.

Both songs feature an intro and prominent instrumental or vocal break. Half feature a pre-chorus and bridge, and neither contain an outro

Both songs feature two verse sections within their framework.

Timber features three sections while Wake Me Up only features two (the only song within the top 10 to do so)

Average intro, verse and chorus lengths for the genre land at 0:08, 0:23 and 0:27, respectively

The highest percentage of time within a Dance song was allocated to the instrumental or

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vocal break, averaging 33%. The chorus followed at 31%

The Dance genre possesses an average tempo of 127 BPM, which is pretty much exactly what you would expect it to be.

Hip Hop/Rap

Hip Hop/Rap was the least performing primary genre of the quarter, dropping from 15% of songs in Q4 down to just 5% in Q1. The Eminem/Rihanna duet The Monster (Interscope) was the sole representative.

On the other hand, Hip Hop/Rap performed quite well as a secondary (sub-genre) influence, working in conjunction with other genres in shaping the sound of 35% of songs within the Hot 100 top 10 and playing a role within all genres except for Rock. It was the second most popular sub-genre/influencer behind Straight-Up Pop.

As for The Monster, its infectious blend of Hip Hop/Rap, R&B, Straight-Up Pop and Rock elements coupled with the combined star power of Eminem and Rihanna helped it to reach #1 on the Hot 100, with a staying power that spanned two quarters.

Key compositional characteristics of the Hip Hop/Rap genre (The Monster) include:

The Monster features seven credited songwriters, which is tied for most along with the Dance genre average

The Monster features three words within its title, appearing six times within the song (which is the least amongst all the genres)

It possesses an engaging blend of lyrical themes which include introspection, biographical and dealing with personal issues

The Monster features a combination of electric and acoustic based instrumentation within the mix, including synth, guitar and an infectious beat

Its form (structure) is indicative of both the Hip Hop/Rap and Pop genres

Its length lands at 4:11

The Monster doesn’t contain a pre-chorus or bridge within its framework

The listener is immediately hit with the chorus (primary payoff) at the beginning of the song

The Monster provides the listener with an ultra-infectious secondary payoff via Rihanna’s “Wha-oh” vocal break sections

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The majority of time within the song is allocated to the verse sections (which is indicative of the Hip Hop/Rap genre), followed by the chorus and vocal break

The Monster possesses a tempo of 110 BPM

Pop

Pop continued to be the top performing primary genre within the Hot 100 top 10, accounting for 45% of all songs during the first quarter of the year. It yielded the most #1 hits as well, two of which were supplied by Katy Perry (Dark Horse and Roar).

Only three of the nine Pop songs were new to the top 10 during the quarter. The other six were carryovers from Q4.

As a secondary (sub-genre) influence, it was by far the most popular, which shouldn’t come as any surprise. Pop played a prominent role in shaping the sound of 60% of all songs within the top 10 across all genres in conjunction with other influences.

Amongst the twelve sub-genres and influencers that helped to shape the sound of Q1?s Pop hits, Ballads/Power Ballads and Alt/Indie were the most popular, each playing a role within one- third of all songs.

Capitol and Republic were the two top Pop labels of the quarter, each accounting for two top 10 hits (though Capitol has the edge in #1?s thanks to Katy Perry).

Key compositional characteristics of the Pop genre include:

An average of four credited writers per song, which is the second least behind Rock

Song titles averaging two words and nine appearances, which was the second least behind Hip Hop/Rap

Love/relationships being the most popular lyrical theme

The majority of songs featuring a solo female lead vocal

Synth, piano, strings and guitar being the most popular primary instrumentation (in this order)

The majority of songs featuring primarily acoustic based instrumentation within the mix

An average song length of 3:38, which was the second shortest behind Rock

The A-B-A-B-C-B form being the most popular Pop song structure

The majority of songs featuring an intro and a bridge

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The majority of songs NOT including an instrumental break, vocal break or outro within their framework

The majority of songs possessing two verse and three chorus occurrences

Average intro, verse and chorus lengths landing at 0:14, 0:23 and 0:29, respectively

The highest percentage of time within a Pop song being allocated to the chorus, averaging 44% This was the second most next to the R&B/Soul genre average

The Pop genre possesses an average tempo of 87 BPM, which was the slowest of all the genres (specifically thanks to the Ballads!)

R&B/Soul

R&B/Soul was the second top performing genre of the quarter, accounting for 25% of songs that charted within the Hot 100 top 10. It yielded two #1 hits – the global Retro Soul feel good hit of the year, Happy, as well as John Legend’s piano Ballad All Of Me.

Interestingly, all five of the R&B/Soul songs were new to the top 10 during the quarter. None carried over from Q4.

As a secondary (sub-genre) influence, R&B was the third most popular along with Ballads, Alt/Indie and Rock, helping to shape the sound of one-quarter of all songs in conjunction with other influences. Note, however, that it was primarily relegated to songs within the primary R&B/Soul genre, with the one exception being Hip Hop/Rap (The Monster)

Amongst the nine sub-genres and influencers that helped to shape the sound of Q1?s R&B/Soul hits, Hip Hop/Rap was by far the most popular, showing up as an element within 60% of all songs.

Columbia was the top R&B/Soul label of the quarter, accounting for 60% of songs including two #1?s, All Of Me and Happy.

Key compositional characteristics of the R&B/Soul genre include:

An average of five credited writers per song, which is smack in the middle of all the other genres

Song titles averaging two words and 24 appearance, which was significantly more than all of the other genres

Love/relationships, Inspiration and Hooking up were tied as the most popular R&B/Soul lyrical themes of the quarter

The majority of songs feature a solo male lead vocal. Interestingly, NONE feature a solo

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female!

Prominent bass and prominent drums/beat/perc were tied as the most popular primary instrumentation

The majority of songs feature primarily electric based instrumentation within the mix

The average length of an R&B/Soul song was 4:10, which is just about tied for longest along with Hip Hop/Rap (The Monster)

There wasn’t one particular song structure that was the most popular, although most featured a slightly changed up version of the A-B-A-B-C-B form

The majority of songs contain an intro, pre-chorus, bridge and outro within their framework

None of the songs feature a prominent instrumental and/or vocal break

The majority of songs possessing two verse and four chorus occurrences

Average intro, verse and chorus lengths landing at 0:09, 0:30 and 0:32, respectively

The highest percentage of time within an R&B/Soul song was allocated to the chorus, averaging 46%. This was the most out of all the genres of the quarter

The R&B/Soul genre possesses an average tempo of 96 BPM

Rock

Rock was the third top performing genre of the quarter, accounting for 15% of songs that charted within the Hot 100 top 10. Interestingly, it was the only genre not to yield any #1 hits. Counting Stars came the closest at #2.

Only one Rock song was new to the top 10 during the quarter (Pompeii), while Counting Stars and Demons were carryovers from Q4.

As a secondary (sub-genre) influence, Rock was the third most popular, helping to shape the sound of one-quarter of all songs in conjunction with other influences. In addition to the primary Rock genre, it also played a role within the Hip Hop/Rap and Pop genres as well.

Amongst the five sub-genres and influencers that helped to shape the sound of Q1?s Rock hits, Alt/Indie and Pop/Rock were the most popular, showing up as an element within 67% of all songs.

Interscope was the top Rock label of the quarter, accounting for two of the three songs within the genre (Counting Stars and Demons).

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Key compositional characteristics of the Rock genre include:

An average of three credited writers per song. Note, however, that two of the songs feature just one credited writer(Counting Stars and Pompeii).

The majority of songs feature one word within their title with an average of 10 appearances

Love/relationships and introspection were the two most popular lyrical themes

All songs feature a solo male lead vocal

The synth was the most popular instrument featured within the Rock songs of the quarter – not guitar as you would typically expect!

The majority of songs feature primarily electric based instrumentation within the mix

The average length of a Rock song was 3:34, which is the shortest out of all of the genres

There wasn’t one particular song structure that was the most popular, although most featured a slightly changed up version of the A-B-A-B-C-B form

The majority of songs featuring a pre-chorus, bridge and instrumental/vocal break and an outro within their framework

Only one song contains an intro within its framework (Pompeii). Counting Stars kicks off with the chorus, while Demons begins immediately with the verse

The majority of songs feature two verse and three chorus occurrences

Average intro, verse and chorus lengths land at *0:18, 0:17 and 0:25, respectively

The highest percentage of time within a Rock song was allocated to the chorus, averaging 39%.

The Rock genre possesses an average tempo of 115 BPM

PRIMARY GENRES: HOT 100 BREAKDOWN & TRENDS Back to Top

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Not surprisingly, Pop songs continued to dominate the Hot 100 top 10 during the first quarter of the year, accounting for the vast majority (45%) of songs.

What was surprising though was the sharp increase in the number of songs that are predominantly R&B/Soul in nature. After declining from 20% of songs back in Q2-2013 down to just 10% in Q4, the category experienced a sudden surge during the first quarter of the year, jumping all the way up to second place with 25% of songs.

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Rock is another category that has been on the rise, increasing from just 4% of songs back in Q3 up to 15% of songs during the first quarter of the year thanks to hits including Counting Stars, Demons and Pompeii. Are these songs “through and through ROCK songs?” No. But they also possess a Rock nature or are performed by Rock artists which relegates them to the category as opposed to Pop.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Dance and Hip Hop/Rap genres didn’t fare so well during the first quarter, both declining from 20% and 15% of songs down to just 10% and 5% of songs, respectively.

PRIMARY GENRES: NEW ARRIVALS & CARRYOVERS Back to Top

The greatest influx of new songs into the top 10 stemmed from the Pop and R&B/Soul genres, supplying three and five songs, respectively. What’s really interesting is that ALL of the R&B/Soul songs were new to the top 10 during the quarter – none carried over from Q4.

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On the flip side, there weren’t any new Dance or Hip Hop/Rap songs that entered into the top 10 for the first time during Q1.

As for the Q4 carryovers, Pop accounted for the most at six, followed by Dance & Rock at two and Hip Hop/Rap at just one.

The New Top 10 Arrivals Of Q1-2014

Pop

Dark Horse

Let It Go

Team

R&B/Soul

All Of Me

Drunk In Love

Happy

The Man

Talk Dirty

Rock

Pompeii

The Top 10 Carryovers From Q4

Dance

Timber

Wake Me Up

Hip Hop/Rap

The Monster

Pop

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Let Her Go

Roar

Royals

Say Something

Story Of My Life

Wrecking Ball

Rock

Counting Stars

Demons

PRIMARY GENRES: CHART PERFORMANCE Back to Top

During the first quarter of the year, 40% of all the songs that charted within the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 peaked at #1.

The majority were Pop songs, followed by R&B/Soul at #2, and Dance & Hip Hop/Rap tied at #3.

None of the Rock songs charted at #1 during the quarter.

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Pop #1?s

Dark Horse (Straight-Up Pop + Dark Pop, Trap & Hip Hop/Rap)

Roar (Straight-Up Pop + Pop/Rock & Power Pop)

Royals (Straight-Up Pop + Alt/Indie & a Minimalist nature)

Wrecking Ball (Straight-Up Pop + Power Ballad)

R&B/Soul #1?s

All Of Me (R&B + Ballad, Straight-Up Pop & Singer/Songwriter)

Happy (Soul + Funk, Gospel & a Retro 60?s influence)

Dance #1?s

Timber (Dance + Hip Hop Rap & Country)

Hip Hop/Rap #1?s

The Monster (Hip Hop Rap + R&B, Rock & Straight-Up Pop)

Notice that with the exception of All Of Me, which is through and through a Straight-Up Ballad (albeit a meticulously well crafted one), all of the #1?s possess a unique, engaging quality which enabled them to stand out and resonate amongst their contemporaries.

SUB-GENRES & INFLUENCERS Back to Top

As you know, very rarely is a song comprised of just one specific genre. Most possess a fusion of influences which helps to achieve the following:

Provide the song with a unique nature that enables it to stand out from the pack via interesting and unconventional pairings (e.g. Folk + EDM – Wake Me Up, Trap + Hip Hop/Rap + Dark Pop – Dark Horse, Retro Soul, Gospel and Funk – Happy).

Increase the fanbase and sales potential of the artist and song by traversing into genres outside their norm (i.e. Katy Perry’s foray into the world of Hip Hop/Rap and Trap via Dark Horse, FGL’s entry into the word of Electropop, Dance and Hip Hop/Rap via the Cruise remix).

The Sub-Genres & Influencers Of Q1-2014

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During the first quarter of the year, 21 sub-genres & influencers mixed and matched with one another in shaping the sound of the 20 songs that landed within the Hot 100 top 10.

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Not surprisingly, Straight-Up Pop was the #1 influence, having its presence felt prominently within 60% of all songs. That being said, note that ALL of the Hot 100 top 10 hits featured a Straight-Up Pop influence to some degree within the mix.

One of the most interesting finds of the quarter is that Hip Hop/Rap, which was the LEAST POPULAR top 10 PRIMARY genre (The Monster was the only representative), was actually the SECOND MOST POPULAR influence found within top 10 hits (reference the Hip Hop/Rap section of the report for details).

The top three was rounded out by a three-way tie between R&B, Ballads/Power Ballads and Alt/Indie, having their presence felt within one-quarter of all songs.

Some of the less common but still highly effective sub-genres & influencers of the quarter include:

Dark Pop (Dark Horse)

Gospel (Counting Stars, Happy, The Man)

Minimalist (Royals)

Retro (Happy – ’60?s Soul, The Man – Early 70?s Pop)

Theatrical/Show Tune (Let It Go)

Trap (Dark Horse, Drunk In Love)

World (Talk Dirty)

PRIMARY GENRES: FULL ANALYSIS Back to Top

DANCE

The Songs / Peak Position

Timber (Pitbull featuring Ke$ha): #1

Wake Me Up (Avicii): #4

*Note: The position indicates the peak position of the song by the end of Q1.

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Dance As A Primary Genre

Dance was the second least performing primary genre of the quarter (right above Hip Hop/Rap), accounting for just 10% of songs that charted within the Hot 100 top 10.

There weren’t any new top 10 Dance arrivals during the quarter – both Wake Me Up and Timber were carryovers from Q4.

Dance As A Secondary (Sub-Genre) Influence

As a sub-genre that works in conjunction with other influences in shaping a song’s sound, Dance wasn’t all that much of a factor. It was primarily relegated to the two overtly Dance songs of the quarter, Timber and Wake Me Up.

Record Labels

The two “Dance Labels” of the quarter were RCA and Island Def Jam, representing Timber and Wake Me Up, respectively.

Songwriters

The Dance genre averaged seven credited writers per song. Timber featured more credited songwriters than all of the other top 10 hits of the quarter at 11, while Wake Me Up was at the lower end of the spectrum at just three.

Dance Sub-Genres & Influencers

The common denominator between Timber and Wake Me Up besides the Dance/Club aspect is that both possess a strong Country/Folk influence (Pitbull was actually inspired by the success of Wake Me Up, which led to Timber).

Additionally, Timber also possesses a Hip Hop/Rap influence brought about specifically via the nature of Pitbull’s Rap styled vocal delivery.

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Song Title

Timber contains only one word within its title, which is in line with the majority of top 10 hits during the quarter. Wake Me Up contains three, which was tied for second along with two word titles.

In regard to the number of times that the title appears within each song, Timber occurs 24 times, which was the third most in relation to all of the songs that landed within the top 10. On the flip side, Wake Me Up only occurs four times, which was the second least amount during the quarter.

Lead Vocal Gender

Timber features a male/female duet (Pitbull & Ke$ha), while Wake Me Up is sung with a male lead vocal (which by the way was the most popular vocal gender category of the quarter).

Lyrical Themes

Both songs completely differ from one another in regard to their lyrical themes. Timber features a combination of partying/clubbing, hooking up and boasting, while Wake Me Up is characterized by a fusion of love/relationships, inspirational/empowerment and introspection themes.

Instrumentation

Not surprisingly, both songs feature a prominent synth within the mix which perfectly jibes with and accentuates their Dance/Club nature. What was surprising, however, is that both feature prominent guitar as well, which historically isn’t all that common within the Dance/Club genre (it’s first and foremost synth based).

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As you know, though, Timber features a prominent Country influence while Wake Me Up leans more toward the Folk side. In order to effectively put both of these influences into full effect, the use of electric and acoustic guitar, respectively, was well warranted.

Additionally, Timber also features piano within the mix (again, accentuating the Country vibe), as well as harmonica. It was actually the harmonica which provided the song with its primary hook (thanks to the Lee Oskar influence) as well as it’s unique nature in relation to all of the other songs that charted within the top 10 during the quarter.

Tempo

The average tempo of the Dance genre was 127 BPM, which is pretty much exactly what you would expect it to be. Timber is on the faster end of the spectrum at 130 BPM, while Wake Me Up is a bit slower at 124 BPM.

Form/Structure

Both songs differ in regard to their overall structure. Timber follows a B-VB-A-B-VB-A-B-VB form while Wake Me Up follows an A-B-IB-A-B-C-IB form.

The primary differences are as follows:

Timber features prominent vocal breaks (i.e. Ke$ha’s “who-oo-oo’s), while Wake Me Up features EDM natured instrumental breaks.

Timber has a chorus following the intro, while Wake Me Up begins with the verse.

Wake Me Up features a bridge within its framework, while Timber doesn’t.

Song Length

The average song length of the Dance genre was 3:47, which is just one second shy of the 3:48 top 10 average during the quarter.

Timber is the shorter of the two, clocking in at 3:24, while Wake Me Up landed at a lengthier 4:10. Note that Wake Me Up is in-line with the most popular song length range of the quarter, which was 4:00+.

Song Beginning

Both songs kick off with an intro, which is in-line with the majority of top 10 hits during the quarter.

Interestingly, both songs possess intros of equal length, landing at 0:08. Note that this was 0:04 shorter than the top 10 average of the quarter (and there’s nothing wrong with that!)

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On average, the intro comprises 4% of a Dance song’s total composition, which is 1% less than the top 10 average.

Verse

Both Timber and Wake Me Up contain two verse sections within their framework. Where they part ways, however, is in regard to their length. Timber features two short 0:15 verse sections, while Wake Me Up’s verses are double in length, each landing at 0:31.

On average, the verse comprises 20% of a Dance song’s total composition, which is 5% less than the top 10 average.

Wake Me Up allocated the most amount of time to the verse at 25%, while Timber allocated the least at 15%.

Pre-Chorus

Only half of the songs within the Dance genre feature a pre-chorus within their framework (Timber does, Wake Me Up doesn’t), which is less than the 65% that did within the top 10 during the first quarter of the year.

Note that Timber contains two pre-choruses , each of which are the same length as the verse sections that preceded them (0:15).

The pre-chorus comprises 14% of Timber’s total composition, which is 3% less than the top 10 average.

Chorus

Both songs differ in regard to the nature of their choruses.

First, Timber contains three chorus occurrences while Wake Me Up only contains two (it was the only song within the top 10 to feature only two choruses).

Second, both of Wake Me Up’s choruses are equal in length, landing at 0:31 which is the same as the verse sections. Timber, on the other hand, features a full first chorus (0:15), followed by 2 double choruses (0:30) which are double the length of the verse sections.

The one thing that they have in common, however, is that they’re both exceptionally infectious, engaging and memorable!

First Chorus Occurrence: On average, a first chorus within the Dance genre occurred at 0:23 / 10% of the way into the song. Note that this was earlier than all of the other genres except for the one Hip Hop/Rap song, The Monster, which immediately kicks off with the chorus.

On average, the chorus comprises 31% of a Dance song’s total composition, which is 11% less

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Timber allocated the most amount of time to the chorus at 37%, while Wake Me Up allocated the least at 25% (which happens to be the least amount of time within the top 10 as a whole)

Bridge

Wake Me Up was the only Dance song to feature a bridge within its framework. It landed at just 0:15, which is half the length of the verse and chorus sections, and comprises just 6% of the song’s total composition.

Instrumental/Vocal Break

In addition to a strong “payoff” within the chorus, both Timber and Wake Me Up provide the listener with an additional payoff within their vocal break and instrumental break sections, respectively.

As previously mentioned, Timber features Ke$ha’s ultra-infectious “who-oo-oo’s” vocal that follows each chorus occurrence, comprising 28% of the song’s total composition (which is more than every other section save for the chorus). If you ever wanted proof that a global #1 can consist of 28% whoo’s, this is it!

As for Wake Me Up, the ultra-infectious instrumental breaks is where Avicii gets his chance to shine, comprising 37% of the song’s total composition, which is more than every other section within the entire song. Note that the first instrumental break follows the first chorus, while the second actually follows the bridge instead.

On average, the instrumental/vocal break section comprises 33% of a Dance song’s total composition, which is double the top 10 average.

Song Ending

Another characteristic that both songs share is the manner in which they end. Typically, you would expect the last section of a song to be either the chorus or an outro. Here, neither is the case, which is quite rare.

Timber and Wake Me Up conclude on their vocal break and instrumental break sections, respectively. Considering that both of these sections provide the listener with a highly infectious “payoff” (just as much or even more so than the chorus sections), and leave them on an high, it was very much warranted!

HIP HOP/RAP

The Songs/Peak Position

The Monster (Eminem featuring Rihanna): #1

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Hip Hop/Rap As A Primary Genre

Hip Hop/Rap was the least performing primary genre of the quarter, dropping from 15% of songs in Q4 down to just 5% in Q1.

Hip Hop/Rap As A Secondary (Sub-Genre) Influence

As a sub-genre that works in conjunction with other influences in shaping a song’s sound, Hip Hop/Rap had much more impact than it did as a primary genre, showing up as an element within 35% of all songs across all genres except for Rock. This includes:

Timber (Dance): Brought about via the nature of Pitbull’s Rap natured vocal delivery.

Dark Horse (Pop): Juicy J’s section.

Team (Pop): Primarily due to the nature of the beat, with the nature of the vocal delivery being secondary.

Drunk In Love (R&B/Soul): Jay Z’s Rap natured delivery.

The Man (R&B/Soul): Brought about via the nature of the beat and to a lesser extent the vocal.

Talk Dirty (R&B/Soul): Brought about via lements of the beat and vocal delivery (primarily 2 Chainz section).

Record Labels

The Monster appears on Interscope.

Songwriters

The Monster features 7 credited writers, which is 3 more than the top 10 average of 4 per song.

Hip Hop/Rap Sub-Genres & Influencers

The Monster possesses an infectious blend of Hip Hop/Rap, R&B, Rock and Straight-Up Pop elements within the song.

Eminem supplies the primary Hip Hop/Rap influence via the nature of his delivery within the verse sections, coupled with the nature of the beat.

Rihanna brings the R&B and Straight-Up Pop via her contribution to the chorus, as well as the more Straight-Up Pop nature via her ultra-infectious “wha-oh” vocal breaks. The nature of the guitar and synth within the verse sections also possess an overtly Pop nature as well.

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The Rock influence comes into effect within the chorus and vocal break sections of the song, where the nature of the backing music takes on a much harder, driving edge.

Song Title

The Monster contains two words within its title, which was the second most popular within the top 10 along with songs that feature 3 words within their title.

In regard to the number of times that the title appears, “The Monster” occurs 6 times, which is significantly less than the top 10 average of 14, but within the most popular category of 6 – 10 (30% of all songs within the top 10 fell within this category during the first quarter of the year).

Lead Vocal Gender

The Monster features a male/female duet (Eminem & Rihanna), which was the second most popular lead vocal category within the top 10 along with solo female (both accounted for 25% of songs).

Lyrical Themes

The Monster features an engaging, non-typical blend of lyrical themes that helped it to stand out amongst all of the other hits quarter. This includes introspection, dealing with personal issues, and a biographical nature (i.e. Eminem talking about himself).

Instrumentation

The Monster features a combination of synth, guitar and a prominent/standout beat within the mix.

Tempo

The Monster’s tempo is 110 BPM, which is 11 BPM faster than the top 10 average.

Form/Structure

The Monster follows a B-A-B-VB-A-B-VB-A-B-VB form. What’s interesting about it is that it possesses characteristics that are both indicative of Hip Hop/Rap songs, as well as Pop.

On the Hip Hop/Rap side we have the alternating A-B sections throughout (verse – chorus), which is typically indicative of the genre. It also kicks off with the chorus as opposed to the verse, which historically is very popular with Hip Hop/Rap songs that feature a non Hip Hop/Rap chorus.

On the Pop side, Rihanna’s “wha-oh” vocal breaks, which follow the second, third and fourth choruses, are more in line with the Pop and Dance genres as opposed to Hip Hop/Rap.

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Song Length

The Monster clocks in at 4:11, which is in-line with the most popular song length range of the quarter (4:00+).

Song Beginning

The Monster forgoes the intro and immediately kicks off with the chorus. Note that this was indicative of only 10% of all top 10 songs during the quarter, of which The Monster and Counting Stars were the sole representatives.

Verse

The Monster features three verse sections within its framework, with the first two landing at 0:35 and the last being slightly extended at 0:38. Note that its average verse length is the second longest within the top 10, right behind the Beyonce/Jay Z duet, Drunk In Love.

The Monster allocates 43% of its entire composition to the verse, which was the third greatest amount within the top 10, right behind Drunk In Love and Team.

Remember – Hip Hop/Rap songs are traditionally more verse-centric than other genres within the top 10, such as Pop and Rock.

Pre-Chorus

The Monster doesn’t contain a pre-chorus within its framework, which is indicative of most Hip Hop/Rap songs.

Chorus

The Monster contains four chorus occurrences within its framework, which is tied for the second most within the top 10 right behind Let Her Go, which contains five.

The first three choruses possess a uniform length of 0:17, which is significantly shorter than the majority of top 10 hits. Note, however, that the last chorus is a double, clocking in at 0:34.

In regard to the total amount of time within the song allocated to the chorus, The Monster allocated 35%, which is 7% less than the top 10 average and the second least right behind Dance.

Bridge

The Monster doesn’t contain a bridge within its framework. As is the case with the pre-chorus, most Hip Hop/Rap songs don’t feature one.

Instrumental/Vocal Break

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Following Rihanna’s totally infectious chorus, the listener is provided with another payoff via the even more infectious “wha-oh” vocal break that directly follows. And as was the case with Ke$ha’s “whoo-oo-oo” contribution to Timber, Rihanna’s “wha-oh” helps to put the song over the top and get it completely engrained within the listener’s head.

Additionally, note that 21% of the entire song consists of this ultra-infectious section!

Song Ending

As was the case with Timber, The Monster features the vocal break section as the last within the song as opposed to a chorus our outro. This ends the song on a highly infectious and memorable note.

POP

The Songs/Peak Position

Dark Horse (Katy Perry): #1

Let Her Go (Passenger): #5

Let It Go (Idina Menzel): #5

Roar (Katy Perry): #1

Royals (Lorde): #1

Say Something (A Great Big World featuring Christina Aguilera): #4

Story Of My Life (One Direction): #6

Team (Lorde): #6

Wrecking Ball (Miley Cyrus): #1

*Note: The position indicates the peak position that the song has reached by the end of the quarter.

Pop As A Primary Genre

Only three of the nine Pop songs were new to the top 10 during the quarter. The other six were carryovers from Q4.

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Straight-Up Pop As A Secondary (Sub-Genre) Influence

As a sub-genre that works in conjunction with other influences in shaping a song’s sound, Straight-Up Pop showed up as an influence within every song, in varying degrees of prominence.

Record Labels

Capitol and Republic were the two top Pop labels of the quarter, each accounting for two of the nine songs. Capitol represents both of Katy Perry’s #1 hits, Dark Horse and Roar, while Republic accounts for Lorde’s hits Royals and Team.

The other top 10 Pop labels of the quarter were Columbia (Story Of My Life), Epic (Say Something), RCA (Wrecking Ball), Walt Disney (Let It Go) and Warner Bros. (Let Her Go).

Songwriters

The Pop genre averaged four credited writers per song, which is the lowest amount right above Rock. Story Of My Life features the most credited writers at eight, while Let Her Go was the only song to feature one credited writer.

Pop Sub-Genres & Influencers

There were 12 different sub-genres and influencers that mixed and matched with one another in shaping the sound of the nine top 10 Pop songs of the quarter.

Alt/Indie and Ballads were the tied as the most popular, each showing up as an element within 33% of songs:

Pop songs possessing a Ballad influence:

Let It Go

Say Something

Wrecking Ball

Pop songs possessing an Alt/Indie influence:

Royals

Story Of My Life

Team

The other Pop sub-genres/influencers of the quarter:

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Dark Pop: Dark Horse

Electropop: Team

Folk: Let Her Go, Story Of My Life

Hip Hop/Rap: Dark Horse, Team

Minimalist: Royals

Pop/Rock: Roar

Power Pop: Roar

Singer/Songwriter: Let Her Go

Theatrical/Show Tune: Let It Go

Trap: Dark Horse

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Song Title

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The average number of words contained within a Pop song title during the quarter was two. The majority contain just one or two words within their title (each accounting for 33% of songs), while two songs contain three, and just one song contains four, which was the most in the entire genre.

One Word Titles:

Roar

Royals

Team

Two Word Titles:

Dark Horse

Say Something

Wrecking Ball

Three Word Titles

Let Her Go

Let It Go

Four Word Titles

Story Of My Life

As you can see, less is certainly more when it comes to song titles!

In regard to the number of times that a title appears within a song, the average was 9 times, with Roar possessing the most occurrences at 16 (followed close behind by Let It Go at 15), and Dark Horse featuring the least at just 4. The others were as follows:

Let Her Go: 15

Let It Go: 12

Royals: 6

Say Something: 8

Story Of My Life: 12

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Team: 6

Wrecking Ball: 5

Lead Vocal Gender

Solo female lead vocals dominated within the Pop genre during the first quarter of the year, accounting for 56% of all songs. Duets followed at 33%, two of which feature a male/female vocal (Dark Horse & Say Something), and one which features a male group vocal (Story Of My Life).

The only Pop song to feature a solo male lead vocal during the quarter was Let Her Go.

Lyrical Themes

Not surprisingly, love/relationships was the most popular lyrical theme of the quarter, accounting for 67% of all Pop songs. It was featured as a standalone theme within five of six songs, and featured in conjunction with another primary theme (inspiration/empowerment) within Roar.

The other Pop lyrical themes of the quarter include:

Inspiration/Empowerment: Let It Go, Team and the aforementioned Roar)

Introspection: Let It Go

Lifestyle: Royals

Reality: Team

Additionally, note that two songs in addition to Roar are also “lyrical fusion” songs, possessing more than one primary lyrical theme within the mix:

Let It Go: A combination of introspection and inspirational themes

Team: A combination of inspirational and reality themes

Instrumentation

Not surprisingly, the synth was the most popular instrument found within the Pop genre, helping to shape the sound of 67% of songs in conjunction with other instrumentation.

Piano, and most interestingly strings, followed at 44% of songs. Both were key components within the three Ballads of the quarter. Strings were also a primarily element within Passenger’s Let Her Go as well.

The key Pop instrumentation breakdown of the quarter:

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Acoustic Guitar (two songs – Let Her Go and Story Of My Life)

Prominent Bass (one song – the sub bass that defines Dark Horse’s Trap nature)

Claps/Snaps (two songs - Dark Horse, Royals and Team)

Prominent Drums/Beat/Perc (three songs – Royals, Story Of My Life and Team)

Electric Guitar (three songs – Roar, Story Of My Life and Wrecking Ball)

Piano (four songs - Let It Go, Roar, Say Something and Wrecking Ball)

Strings (four songs - Let It Go, Let Her Go, Say Something and Wrecking Ball)

Synth (six songs - Dark Horse, Roar, Royals, Story Of My Life, Team and Wrecking Ball)

Tempo

The average tempo of the Pop genre during the first quarter of the year was 87 BPM, which is 12 BPM slower than the top 10 average. It was also the slowest out of all the genres, primarily as a result of the three ballads.

Form/Structure

The most popular song form/structure as you would expect was the A-B-A-B-C-B form, accounting for 67% of all Pop songs.

The three songs that didn’t follow the form include:

Let Her Go (B-IB-A-B-A-B-IB/VB-B)

Say Something (B-A-B-A-B-B)

Team (A-A-B-A-B-C-B) Notice that Team follows the form except for the double verse at the beginning of the song. Some may consider the first verse to be an intro, which would then classify it as a straight-up A-B-A-B-C-B song (both are technically acceptable).

Song Length

The average song length for the Pop genre during the quarter was 3:38, which is 0:10 shorter than the 3:48 top 10 average.

The majority of songs (56%) landed within the 3:30 – 3:59 range. Let Her Go was the longest at 4:10, and Royals was the shortest at just 3:06.

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Song Beginning

All but 2 songs within the Pop genre feature an intro within their framework. The two exceptions were Lorde’s songs, Royals and Team, both of which immediately kick off with a verse.

Of the songs that do feature an intro, the average length was 0:14, which is just two seconds longer than the top 10 average. Let Her Go possesses by far the longest intro of the group at 0:27, while Roar’s is the shortest at 0:05.

On average, the intro comprises 6% of a Pop songs total composition, which is just 1% more than the top 10 average.

Let Her Go allocated the most amount of time to the intro at 11% of its total composition, while Roar allocated the least at just 2%.

Verse

All of the Pop songs with the exception of Team feature two verse sections within their framework. Team was the only one to feature three (remember, the song kicks off with a double verse).

The majority of songs possess equal verse lengths throughout the song, with the average landing in the mid 0:20 range. Of those that didn’t, most had their second verse being half or close to half of the first.

On average, the verse comprises 24% of a Pop songs total composition, which is just 1% less than the top 10 average.

Team allocated by far the most amount of time to the verse at 50% of its total composition, while Katy Perry’s songs, Dark Horse and Roar, both allocated the least at just 14%.

Pre-Chorus

The vast majority of Pop songs (67%) feature a pre-chorus within their framework. The three exceptions were Let Her Go, Say Something and Team, all of which transition directly from the verse to the chorus.

All but one song feature two pre-choruses within their framework. The sole exception was Wrecking Ball, which contains three (it heads back into a “breakdown” pre-chorus following the bridge in order to set up the final powerful chorus of the song for maximum impact).

All songs feature pre-choruses of equal length throughout, with the sole exception once again being Wrecking Ball. Its third pre-chorus is half the length of the others.

Additionally, most pre-choruses are the same length as the verse that precedes them. The exceptions were:

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Let It Go: Its first pre-chorus is 0:10 shorter than the first verse, while the second occurrence of both sections are equal.

Roar: Its first verse and pre-chorus possess equal lengths. The second pre-chorus is double the length of the second verse, however, due to the second verse being a half verse.

Story Of My Life: Its pre-choruses are half the length of the verses.

On average, the pre-chorus comprises 17% of a Pop songs total composition, which is identical to the top 10 average.

Royals allocated the most amount of time to the pre-chorus at 24% of its total composition, while Story Of My Life allocated the least at just 13%.

Chorus

The vast majority of Pop songs (78%) feature three chorus occurrences within their framework. The two exceptions were Say Something and Let Her Go, which contain four and five, respectively.

Only two of the nine Pop songs have a chorus following the intro as opposed to the verse – Let Her Go and Say Something.

On average, first choruses within the Pop genre occurred at 0:45/21% of the way into a song, which is 0:08/4% more than the top 10 average. Say Something has its first chorus hitting earliest at 0:16/7% of the way in, while Team has its occurring farthest at 1:05/34% of the way in (pushed back due to the double first verse).

The average length of a Pop chorus lands in the upper 0:20 range, which is the same as the top 10 average.

On average, the chorus comprises 44% of a Pop song’s total composition, which is just 2% more than the top 10 average.

Say Something allocated the most amount of time to the chorus at 65% of its total composition, while Team allocated the least at just 29%.

Bridge

Bridges were very popular within the Pop genre, with all but two songs featuring one within their framework. The two exceptions were Let Her Go and Say Something.

The average length of a Pop bridge is 0:27, which is 0:05 longer than the top 10 average.

On average, the bridge comprises 13% of a Pop song’s total composition, which is just 3%

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Dark Horse allocated the most amount of time to the bridge at 21% of its total composition (it’s where Juicy J’s rap is featured), while Story Of My Life allocated the least at just 7%.

Instrumental/Vocal Break

During the first quarter of the year, only one Pop song, Let Her Go, featured a prominent instrumental and vocal break within its framework. A 0:13 instrumental break follows the first chorus of the song prior to heading into the first verse, while a longer 0:25 vocal/instrumental break combo follows the third chorus.

Let Her Go’s instrumental and vocal breaks account for 15% of its entire composition, which is 4% less than the top 10 average.

Song Ending

The vast majority of Pop songs (78%) feature a chorus as the very last section of the song, while only two feature on outro. They were Story Of My Life and Team, both of which land right around 0:20, 0:06 longer than the top 10 average.

On average, the outro comprises 9% of a Pop song’s total composition, which is identical to the top 10 average.

Story Of My Life allocated the most amount of time to the outro at 10% of its total composition, while Team allocated the least at 8%.

R&B/SOUL

The Songs/Peak Position

All Of Me (John Legend) #1

Drunk In Love (Beyonce featuring Jay Z) #2

Happy (Pharrell Williams) #1

The Man (Aloe Blacc) #8

Talk Dirty (Jason Derulo featuring 2 Chainz) #3

*Note: The position indicates the peak position that the song has reached by the end of the quarter.

R&B/Soul As A Primary Genre

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All five of the R&B/Soul songs were new to the top 10 during the quarter. None carried over from Q4.

R&B/Soul As A Secondary (Sub-Genre) Influence

As a sub-genre that works in conjunction with other influences in shaping a song’s sound, R&B/Soul was primarily relegated to songs within its own primary genre category, with the sole exception being Hip Hop/Rap, where Rihanna brought an R&B influence to The Monster via the nature of her vocal. Other than that, R&B/Soul didn’t cross over into the other primary genres including Dance, Pop or Rock.

Record Labels

Columbia was the top R&B/Soul record label of the quarter, accounting for 60% of all songs including All Of Me, Drunk In Love and Happy.

The other top 10 R&B/Soul labels of the quarter were Interscope (The Man) and Warner Bros. (Talk Dirty).

Songwriters

The R&B/Soul genre averaged five credited writers per song, which falls right in the middle of the other genres (i.e. Rock averaged three per song, Dance & Hip Hop/Rap averaged seven).

Drunk In Love features the most credited writers at 8, while Happy features the least at just one (Pharrell Williams).

R&B/Soul Sub-Genres & Influencers

There were nine different sub-genres and influencers that mixed and matched with one another in shaping the sound of the five top 10 R&B/Soul songs of the quarter.

Hip Hop/Rap was the most popular, showing up as a key influence within 60% of R&B/Soul songs:

Drunk In Love

The Man

Talk Dirty

The other R&B/Soul sub-genres of the quarter include:

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Ballad (All Of Me)

Funk (Happy)

Gospel (Happy)

Singer/Songwriter (All Of Me)

Soul (Happy)

Trap (Drunk In Love)

World (Talk Dirty)

Additionally, note that both Happy and The Man possess a prominent retro vibe as well. Happy is through and through a 60?s Soul throwback, while The Man possesses a strong early 70?s Pop vibe ala Elton John in addition to modern influences as well.

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Song Title

The average number of words featured within an R&B song title during the quarter was two. Two and Three word titles were most popular, while only one song featured one:

One Word Titles:

Happy

Two Word Titles:

The Man

Talk Dirty

Three Word Titles

All Of Me

Drunk In Love

On average, an R&B/Soul song title appeared 24 times within a song, which is significantly more than all of the other genres.

This heightened amount was due to two of the songs, Happy and The Man, having their title appear a massive 56 and 41 times, respectively. Note that this was more than any other song within the top 10 during the quarter.

The other three R&B/Soul songs have their title appearing significantly less as follows:

All Of Me: Seven times

Drunk In Love: Five times

Talk Dirty: 12 times

Lead Vocal Gender

Solo male was by far the most popular lead vocal category within the R&B/Soul genre during the first quarter of the year, accounting for 60% of all songs (All Of Me, Happy and The Man).

Additionally, one song features a male/female duet (Drunk In Love), and one features a male duet/group vocal (Talk Dirty).

What was missing? A solo female lead vocal! Aside from Beyonce’s duet with Jay Z, there

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Lyrical Themes

There was a three-way tie in regard to the most popular R&B/Soul lyrical themes of the quarter:

Love/Relationships: All Of Me & Happy

Inspirational: Happy & The Man

Hooking Up: Drunk In Love & Talk Dirty

Additionally, note that Happy was the only song to possess two prominent lyrical themes within the mix, love/relationships and inspiration.

Instrumentation

In contrast to the Pop & Dance genres where the synth was the most popular instrument, R&B/Soul leaned heavily toward prominent bass and drums/beat/perc during the first quarter of the year, both showing up as key elements within 80% of songs:

Prominent Bass:

Drunk In Love (prominent sub bass)

Happy (the prominent bass within the song provides the Funk influence) The Man (the bass is a key driving force within the mix) Talk Dirty (prominent sub bass)

Prominent Drums/Beat/Perc:

The four songs detailed above all possess a unique/prominent beat that is integral to the song’s overall identity.

The other key R&B/Soul instrumentation of the quarter:

Claps (Happy)

Electric Piano/Fender Rhodes (Happy)

Harpsichord (The Man)

Strings (The Man)

Synth (Drunk In Love)

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Wind (Brass – The Man, Sax – Talk Dirty)

Tempo

The average tempo of the R&B/Soul genre during the quarter was 96 BPM, which is just three BPM slower than the top 10 average.

Form/Structure

There wasn’t one particular song form/structure that accounted for the majority of R&B/Soul songs during the first quarter of the year. Most, however, featured a straight-up or subtly changed up A-B-A-B-C-B form:

All Of Me: A-B-A-B-C-B

Happy: A-B-A-B-C-B-C-B (notice that it follows the form straight-up until launching into an additional bridge/chorus combo)

The Man: B-A-B-A-B-C-B (it follows the form except for the fact that it kicks off with the chorus)

Talk Dirty: A-B-A-B-C-A-B (it follows the form except for the additional verse that follows the bridge)

The one song structure that stood out from the pack was the A-B-A-B-A-B-A-B form, which defines Drunk In Love. Notice that it alternates verse – chorus throughout the entire song.

Song Length

The average song length for the R&B/Soul genre during the quarter was 4:10, which is 0:22 longer than the top 10 average. It, along with the one Hip Hop/Rap song, (The Monster), possess the longest average song lengths of the quarter.

The majority of songs (60%) land at over 4:00 in length (All Of Me, Drunk In Love and The Man). One lands in the upper 3:00 range (Happy), and one lands under 3:00 (Talk Dirty – 2:56). Note that Talk Dirty was one of only two songs during the quarter to land under 3:00 in length (Demons was the other one).

Song Beginning

All of the R&B/Soul songs feature an intro within their framework, with the average length landing at just 0:09. This is just 0:03 shorter than the top 10 average and the second shortest right behind Pop.

Happy possesses the shortest intro of the quarter (both within the R&B/Soul genre as well as the top 10 as a whole), landing at just 0:02. Drunk In Love clocked in as the longest at 0:14.

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On average, the intro comprises 4% of an R&B/Soul song’s total composition, which is just 1% less than the top 10 average.

Talk Dirty allocated the most amount of time to the intro at 6% of its total composition, while Happy allocated the least at just 1%.

Verse

The majority of R&B/Soul songs (60%) feature two verse sections within their framework with the exceptions being Drunk In Love (four) and Talk Dirty (three).

All of the songs except for the two aforementioned ones above also feature uniform verse lengths throughout the song, with the average landing right around 0:30.

Talk Dirty features two 0:20 verses followed by a 0:30 extended, while Drunk In Love is a bit all over the place, featuring verse lengths of 0:58, 0:43, 0:55 and 0:34.

On average, the verse comprises 33% of a R&B/Soul song’s total composition, which is just 8% more than the top 10 average and second most next to Hip Hop/Rap (The Monster).

Drunk In Love allocated by far the most amount of time to the verse at 59% of its total composition (which was more than any other top 10 song of the quarter), while Happy allocated the least at 21%.

Pre-Chorus

The majority of R&B/Soul songs (60%) feature a pre-chorus within their framework. The two exceptions were Drunk In Love and Happy, both of which transition directly from the verse into the chorus.

All Of Me and The Man contain two pre-chorus occurrences within their framework, both of which are half the length of the verse sections that precede them. Talk Dirty, on the other hand, contains three, with the first two being half the length of the preceding verse and the last being a lesser percentage due to the fact that the final verse has been extended by 0:10 in relation to the others.

Note that the songs above all feature pre-choruses of equal or close to equal length throughout.

On average, the pre-chorus comprises 13% of an R&B/Soul song’s total composition, which is 4% less than the top 10 average.

Talk Dirty allocated the most amount of time to the pre-chorus at 16% of its total composition, while The Man allocated the least at just 10%.

Chorus

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In contrast to the other genres, the majority of R&B/Soul songs feature four chorus occurrences as opposed to three. The two exceptions were All Of Me and Talk Dirty, both of which contain three.

Interestingly, with the exception of Talk Dirty, all of the other songs feature non-uniform chorus lengths throughout:

All Of Me: Full / Full / Extended

Drunk In Love: Full / Full / Partial / Partial

Happy: Full / Full / Double / Double

The Man: Partial / Full / Full / Extended

On average an R&B/Soul first chorus hit at 0:40/16% of the way into a song, which is 0:03 more and 1% less than the top 10 average.

The Man has its first chorus occurring earliest at 0:12/5% of the way in, while Drunk In Love has it occurring farthest at 1:12 / 22%.

In regard to the average length of an R&B/Soul chorus, it lands in the lower 0:30 range, which is a bit longer than the top 10 average.

On average, the chorus comprises 46% of an R&B/Soul songs total composition, which is 4% more than the top 10 average.

Happy allocated the most amount of time to the chorus at a whopping 63% of its total composition, while Talk Dirty allocated the least at just 31%.

Bridge

All of the R&B/Soul songs of the quarter feature a bridge within their framework EXCEPT for Drunk In Love. That being said, technically Jay Z’s Rap does provide a departure from the rest of the song, so it could technically qualify as a bridge (it can go either way).

Additionally, notice that Happy contains two bridge sections within its framework, which is quite rare. The first follows the second chorus (which is where you would typically expect to find it) while the second follows the third chorus.

The average length of an R&B/Soul bridge is 0:20, which is just 0:02 shorter than the top 10 average.

On average, the bridge comprises 9% of an R&B/Soul song’s total composition, which is just 1% less than the top 10 average.

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Happy allocated the most amount of time to the bridge at 16% of its total composition (it’s where the ultra-infectious Gospel natured section comes into play), while Talk Dirty allocated the least at just 5%.

Instrumental/Vocal Break

None of the R&B/Soul songs of the quarter feature a prominent instrumental or vocal break within the mix.

Song Ending

The majority of R&B/Soul songs (60%) feature an outro within their framework. The two exceptions were All Of Me and Happy, both which end on the chorus.

The average length of an R&B/Soul outro was 0:12, which is just 0:01 shorter than the top 10 average. Talk Dirty possesses the shortest outro at just 0:04, while The Man’s is the longest at 0:18.

On average, the outro comprises 5% of an R&B/Soul song’s total composition, which is just 1% less than the top 10 average.

The Man allocated the most amount of time to the outro at 7% of its total composition, while Talk Dirty allocated the least at just 2%.

ROCK

The Songs/Peak Position

Counting Stars (OneRepublic): #2

Demons (Imagine Dragons): #6

Pompeii (Bastille): #5

*Note: The position indicates the peak position that the song has reached by the end of the quarter.

Rock As A Primary Genre

Rock was the third top performing genre of the quarter, accounting for 15% of songs that charted within the Hot 100 top 10. It was the only genre not to yield any #1 hits. Counting Stars came the closest at #2.

Only one Rock song was new to the top 10 during the quarter (Pompeii), while Counting Stars and Demons were carryovers from Q4.

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Rock As A Secondary (Sub-Genre) Influence

As a sub-genre that works in conjunction with other influences in shaping a song’s sound, Rock was the third most popular during the quarter, showing up as an element within one-quarter of all songs. This includes the two following songs in addition to those found within the Rock genre:

The Monster (Hip Hop/Rap): The Rock influence is most prominent within the chorus.

Roar (Pop): The Rock influence is also most prominent within the chorus.

Additionally, Royals possesses an Alt/Indie nature which leans on the threshold between Pop and Rock.

Record Labels

Interscope was the most popular Rock label of the quarter, accounting for two of the three songs within the genre (Counting Stars and Demons).

Capitol accounted for just one song, Pompeii.

Songwriters

The Rock genre averaged three credited writers per song, which is one less than the top 10 average. Note, however, that two of the three songs feature one credited writer (Counting Stars and Pompeii), while Demons features six.

Rock Sub-Genres & Influencers

There were five different sub-genres and influencers that mixed and matched with one another in shaping the sound of the three top 10 Rock songs of the quarter.

Alt/Indie and Pop/Rock were the most popular, showing up as a key influence within 67% of songs:

Alt/Indie

Demons

Pompeii

Pop/Rock

Counting Stars

Pompeii

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Additionally, note that Demons possesses a Power Ballad nature, Counting Stars possesses a strong Folk influence, and Pompeii also incorporates Electropop elements into the mix as well.

Song Title

Two songs within the Rock genre contain one word within their title (Demons and Pompeii), while Counting Stars contains two.

The average number of times that a title appeared within a Rock song was 10, which is four less than the top 10 average.

Counting Stars and Demons have their title appearing eight and 12 times within the song, respectively, while Pompeii was unique in relation to all of the top 10 songs of the quarter due to the fact that it’s title NEVER appears within the song. This is extremely rare by mainstream standards.

Lead Vocal Gender

All of the songs within the Rock genre are sung with a solo male lead vocal.

Lyrical Themes

Interestingly, all three Rock songs possess a fusion of primary lyrical themes, with the two most popular being love/relationships and introspection. Note the breakdown below:

Counting Stars: Inspirational + love/relationships

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Demons: Introspection + love/relationships

Pompeii: Introspection + historical/biographical

Instrumentation

The most popular instrument found within Rock songs wasn’t the electric guitar as you would typically expect. It was actually the synth, which showed up as an element in various degrees of prominence within all of the Rock songs of the quarter.

Additionally, Counting Stars features prominent acoustic guitar (which accentuates the Folk nature of the song) coupled with piano, Demons features electric guitar in addition to the synth, and Pompeii features prominent drums/beat/perc coupled with prominent bass within the mix as well.

Tempo

The average tempo of the Rock genre during the first quarter of the year was 115 BPM. Note that this is 16 BPM faster than the top 10 average, and the second fastest right behind Dance.

Form/Structure

All three of the songs within the Rock genre differ in terms of their form/structure. As you’ll see, however, all possess a straight-up or subtly changed -up version of the A-B-A-B-C-B form.

Counting Stars: B-IB-A-B-A-B-C-B (notice that it follows a straight-up A-B-A-B-C-B form following the first chorus and instrumental break sections of the song).

Demons: Straight-Up A-B-A-B-C-B

Pompeii: A-B-A-B-VB-C-B (notice that the song follows an A-B-A-B-C-B form except for the vocal break section that follows the second chorus and precedes the bridge).

Song Length

The average song length of the Rock genre during the quarter of the year was 3:34, which is 0:14 shorter than the top 10 average. Note that it possesses the shortest average song length in relation to all of the other genres.

Interestingly, all three songs widely differed in terms of their length. Counting Stars clocks in at a lengthy 4:17, Pompeii falls in the middle of the road at 3:32, and Demons was the shortest top 10 song of the quarter, clocking in at just 2:55. Note that it’s pretty rare to see a top 10 song landing under 3:00 in length.

Song Beginning

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Pompeii was the only Rock song to feature an intro within its framework, clocking in at a lengthy 0:18. Note that it was the second longest of the quarter behind Let Her Go, which possesses an intro length of 0:27). Pompeii’s intro accounts for 8% of its total composition, which is 3% more than the top 10 average.

As for the two songs that don’t contain an intro, Counting Stars kicks off with the chorus, while Demons begins immediately with the verse.

Verse

All three Rock songs contain two verse sections of equal length within their framework, averaging at 0:17 in length, which is the least amount relative to all of the other genres.

On average, the verse comprises just 17% of a Rock song’s total composition, which is 8% less than the top 10 average and least amount compared to all of the other genres.

Demons allocated the most amount of time to the verse at 24% of its total composition, while Counting Stars allocated the least at just 12% (which is less than every other top 10 song of the quarter).

Pre-Chorus

All three Rock songs feature a pre-chorus within their framework. Demons and Pompeii feature pre-choruses of equal length, both of which are very close to the length of the preceding verse (one and two seconds more, respectively).

Counting Stars on the other hand possesses a longer first pre-chorus due to the repeat of the “I-I-I…” segment. The second time around, however, it’s sung just once, and as a result features the same length as the preceding verse. Additionally, note that the last part of the pre- chorus is featured at the tail end of the bridge leading into the final chorus of the song.

On average, the pre-chorus comprises 22% of a Rock song’s total composition, which is 5% more than the top 10 average. It’s also more than all of the other top 10 genres of the quarter.

Demons and Pompeii allocated the most amount of time to the pre-chorus at 25% and 24% of their total composition, respectively, while Counting Stars allocated the least at 18%.

Chorus

Two of the three Rock songs of the quarter, Demons and Pompeii, feature three chorus occurrences within their framework. Counting Stars, however, features four, with the extra one occurring at the very beginning of the song in place of the intro.

Demons was the only Rock song to feature uniform chorus lengths throughout. Counting Stars features an abbreviated first followed by three full choruses, while Pompeii features two full choruses followed by a third that is extended.

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On average, a Rock first chorus hit at 0:31/16% of the way into a song, which is 0:06 / 1% less than the top 10 average.

Besides Counting Stars which kicks off with the chorus, Demons has its first chorus occurring the second earliest at 0:44/25% of the way in, while Pompeii has its occurring farthest at 0:50/24% (remember, the percentage is relative to the total length of the song).

In regard to the average length of a Rock chorus, it lands in the mid 0:20 range, which is a bit shorter than the top 10 average.

On average, the chorus comprises 39% of a Rock song’s total composition, which is 3% less than the top 10 average.

Counting Stars allocated the most amount of time to the chorus at 45% of its total composition, while Demons and Pompeii allocated the least at 37% and 36%, respectively.

Bridge

All three Rock songs feature a bridge within their framework with an average length of 0:18, which is 0:04 less than the top 10 average.

On average, the bridge comprises 9% of a Rock song’s total composition, which is just 1% less than the top 10 average.

Demons allocated the most amount of time to the bridge at 12% of its total composition, while Counting Stars and Pompeii allocated the least at 8% and 7%, respectively.

Instrumental/Vocal Break

Both Counting Stars and Pompeii feature an instrumental and/or vocal break within their framework:

Counting Stars features a 0:15 instrumental break following the first chorus of the song which precedes the first verse, as well as a 0:07 interlude which follows the second chorus.

Pompeii on the other hand features a 0:07 “ay-oh” vocal break which follows the second chorus.

On average, the instrumental/vocal break comprises just 6% of a Rock song’s total composition, which is 10% less than the top 10 average.

Song Ending

Two of the three Rock songs, Counting Stars and Pompeii, feature an outro within their framework. Demons, on the other hand, ends directly on the chorus.

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The average length of a Rock outro was 0:16, which is just 0:03 longer than the top 10 average. Counting Stars possesses the longest outro at 0:19, while Pompeii’s is the shortest at 0:14.

On average, the outro comprises 7% of a Pop songs total composition, which is just 1% more than the top 10 average.

Both songs allocated 7% of their total composition to the outro.

PRIMARY GENRES: AT-A-GLANCE COMPARISON Back to Top

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PRIMARY GENRES: TOTAL SECTION BREAKDOWN: At-A-Glance Back to Top

(*): Indicates a single song possessing the section within the genre (-): Indicates that none of the songs within the genre contain the section Green Font: Indicates the highest allocation of time relative to the other genres Red Font: Indicates the lowest allocation of time relative to the other genres

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