Month: June 2008

Shades of love – the 10 best love songs

/ Jon O / Leave a comment

There are plenty of good love songs out there, but what makes a love song truly great?

First of all, the song must not only avoid the Scylla and Charybdis of sentimentality and cliché – not an easy task – but must go beneath the surface (the surface being where most popular music resides). Next, there must be conviction in the singer’s performance, an expressive potency that moves us, maybe even sends chills down your spine. Finally, the arrangement must reinforce the spirit of the song. Continue reading →

Ten unlikely hit songs that broke the rules

/ Jon O / 1 Comment

Few songs that break the rules of pop songwriting ever achieve mainstream success. Deviate from the predictable verse/chorus structure in 4/4 time arranged for a basic grouping of guitar/keyboards, bass and drums, and you can pretty much guarantee being marginalized. During a 20-year period from roughly 1965-1985, however – a period that witnessed a flowering of musical creativity and widespread openness to experimentation – it was possible to break the rules and have a hit record. Here are ten unlikely hits from that period. Continue reading →