What Makes an Artist

It's the song, the song, the song.

An artist may have all the looks, bells, and whistles in the world, but if he or she ain't got that "HIT SONG" the chances of that artist making it to the top or to number one spot, slim. In fact less than slim. If you noticed, some of the greatest artists ever survived the music industry are remembered not by their name, and not by their looks, but by their song. And those songs that brought artists to the top usually contain familiar choruses or what we call the "HOOK." So how do you find out if you have a hit in your hand? I'll get to that in my next paragraph, read on. With today's music producers' playlists of songs ready to be picked up by some major label does not really have any red mark beside each title that says, "HIT". In fact, any veteran music producer will tell you this, "Just because certain song sounds great to my ears, and pleasing to the palate, it doesn't mean that it's going to be number one on the chart."

Ever wonder who determine which song should be recorded? It's those guys called the "A&Rs" (artist & repertoire), they are typically the ones who recommend which song should be recorded and which artist should be signed. A&Rs are people with wide open ears and appetite for good tunes. But do they really know if certain songs are really a hit or would land on the top of the billboard chart? The answer is no. But since big name record companies have a few more dollars they can spend, they can afford to gamble and take chances in releasing launching the album of the artist that they signed.

As for those independent record companies and artists who carry out their own loans, they take measurable steps and careful spending. And even themselves haven't got any idea either if they have a hit song or not. In my years as an avid music buff, I studied, researched, and researched some more on ways to identify a hit song. One way that I know for sure is this: once you have the rough mix of the song that you'd like to release, and before spending more money on in packaging, distributing and so forth, first take that tape or should I say that CD to a couple of kids ages between 3 and 5 or slightly older, and have them listen to it first. I kid you not. Kids, yes kids. They have very good sense for good music, hit music that is, and believe this or not, if they like your song they will let you know by showing interest, by singing along with it, and or dance to it. Crazy you may think, but this is true.

There are those artists and musicians blessed with "HIT SONGS" who made it in the music business . And there are also those who made it passed a couple of months of radio plays, what we've known today as "THE ONE HIT WONDERS".

- JL

Lorenz Communications
www.myspace.com/lorenzcommunications