Hit Song Checklist

What most chart-toppers share:

• Chorus within 60 seconds — modern attention spans demand the payoff early
• Strong hook — a fragment memorable enough to recall after one listen
• Repeated title — so listeners know what to search for
• Optimal tempo — most pop hits cluster between 100-130 BPM
• Emotional authenticity — even formulaic hits need a kernel of genuine feeling

This is a starting point, not a guarantee. The best songwriters learn the rules well enough to know when to break them.