Image via youtube.com; used under Creative Commons
Sometimes a hook can be so simple. One listen, and you’ve got it in your head. You’ll never forget it. Where does that magic come from? After all, that quick riff is only one percent different from a hundred other less memorable songs.
The secret of creating a great simple hook? Recognizing and capturing it. Most of the riffs that make our favorite songs come and go in an instant while someone is noodling around on an instrument or idly singing while cooking dinner. Somebody has to say, "Hey, that’s cool! What is that?" The next thing you know, you’ve written a catchy song. Here are eight artists who did just that. Listening to these tracks could help you decode the secret of making simple music unforgettable.
1. "Smothered in Hugs," Guided By Voices
That riff. That vocal. There’s so little to it, but it’s so memorable, so haunting. And the lo-fi production only adds to the performance.
2. "Living and Breathing," The Cranes
This terribly underrated goth band anchored their album Wings of Joy with creepy riffs like these. This track is dark and majestic and features a piano track that any first-year student could play. And the singer sounds like a baby vampire.
3. "Something in the Way," Nirvana
Sometimes three chords and an attitude is one chord too many. No-frills production, Kurt Cobain’s immensely relatable vocal, and tasteful cello accompaniment make this one great.
4. "The Man Comes Around," Johnny Cash
The unstoppable rhythm of Cash’s guitar perfectly sets off the delivery of his vocal. A master of the simple at every turn.
5. "La Grange," ZZ Top
Chances are you know this one even if you didn’t know the title or the artist. Billy Gibbons might have fallen out of bed and played this riff. Now you can’t hear it without picturing yourself somewhere in Texas on a Harley Davidson. Note Billy’s bandmates with their ego-free parts, just pushing the shuffle.
6. "I Wanna Get High," Cypress Hill
Far from simple, hip-hop tracks can actual get very dense and layered with tons of production. Cypress Hill is almost audacious in their minimalist tracks. It’s all about groove and vocal.
7. "I Was Drunk at the Pulpit," Palace Brothers
Will Oldham is a lo-fi legend, known more for his poetic lyrics than his singing. You can hear a little of the Man in Black in Oldham’s cadence. You can’t get much simpler than one chord on an unaccompanied guitar.
8. "Plants and Rags," PJ Harvey
This one eerily echoes the Nirvana track with the sparse acoustic guitar and ragged vocal. Then the track takes a left turn with Harvey’s one-woman string section.
Next up: How to Write Songs That Get Stuck in People's Heads
Jesse Sterling Harrison is an author, recording artist, and part-time farmer. He lives in Massachusetts with his wife, three daughters, and a herd of ducks.
