This is the part you’re suppose to remember.
I Will Always Love You. Please Please Me. Walk This Way. My Girl.
Big hooks are the obvious ones. You don’t have to dig deep or pay close attention to figure it out.
But writing songs with big hooks is scary because there’s the whole song right there. The whole song is built around delivering that hook…so if the listener doesn’t like the big hook, it’s over.
On the flip side…
If you tell a fan of a weird indie artist that there aren’t any hooks in the music…the person will either explain that you’re wrong by highlighting the shaker rhythms in the second chorus…or they’ll take the ‘no hooks’ comment as a compliment.
They’re not in it for the big hooks. They’re in it for the layers. They’re in it BECAUSE they’re aren’t big catchy parts. That’s what makes it worthwhile to them.
Important to note…
Big hooks don’t equate to great hooks. So if you’re in the business of big hooks, you gotta dig deep.
And…
The value of a fan who loves your weird indie music is astronomical. They get it. They understand. They’re deeply connected. But this type of person is much more rare.
