Several weeks ago, I wrote a column about the lack of sophistication in the lyrics of popular music — a fact that was supported by research that analyzed the reading-level of the most popular songs in four genres during the past decade. On average, the lyrics of songs that have reached the top of the pop, rock, country and hip-hop charts register at a third-grade reading level.
A new study out of the University of Southern California has now examined what makes a song popular — like the summer anthems of recent years, which seem so pervasive they're all but inescapable. To do this, they studied every Billboard hit since 1958. They found that the aforementioned simplicity is one of the key ingredients in the recipe for chart-toppers.
But it's not the only critical ingredient. They also discovered that repetition — and lots of it — tricks the brain into feeling that a song is nearly-instantly familiar. Pair this familiarity with simplistic lyrics, and you've created fertile ground for high "processing fluency," the researchers explain.
Processing fluency is the psychological theory that our brains are more likely to gravitate toward things or activities that require less effort. Songs like Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe," Meghan Trainor's "All about That Bass" and, most recently, Walk the Moon's "Shut Up and Dance" are all excellent examples of this.
"If it's easier, it feels better," Joseph Nunes, a USC professor and co-author of the study, told the Washington Post last week. "If it feels better, it tells me I like it more. If I have a positive feeling about something because it's familiar, then I think I like it more."
In the study, published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology, researchers found that there's really no limit to how frequently a chorus or refrain may be repeated and still enjoy the benefits. There is no easily-discernible ceiling.
"The more repetitive, the better," Nunes told the Post. "There is no wear-out."
Through firsthand experience during my 13 years in radio, I know this to be true. For more than a decade, I was the music director for Hot 103, a local Top 40 station. As such, I was responsible for choosing all of the music that the station added to its rotation. I spent countless evenings listening to new music, trying to predict the next big hit.
Looking back on it, when I'd refer to a song as "catchy," it often had little to do with the tempo or melody. It was simply repetitious; and I recall saying that about both "Call Me Maybe" and "All About That Bass," as well as countless other songs that went on to become hits. They were just the type of songs that you can't get out of your head.
It's also the driving force behind virtually every advertising jingle — think "Trucks, trucks, trucks, we got 'em " In advertising, it's all about frequency and reach. Repetition gives you more bang for your buck.
Next time you get a song stuck in your head, take a moment to think about how repetitious it is. The next time your favorite song comes on the radio, pay attention to how it uses repetition. This could help to explain why you like it so much.