How Pop Songs Work
How Pop Songs Work is a celebration of the magic of pop music and the skill and musical dexterity that goes into writing, performing and producing hit pop records.
About the Programme
Conductor Charles Hazlewood explores the mechanics of the pop song aided by contributions from a cast of talented pop writers, producers and arrangers.
Charles breaks down the pop song into six key areas - melody, song structure, lyrics, production, arrangement and performance - and uses classic pop tunes to explore each. He looks at the classic pop melody of John Lennon's Imagine, the groundbreaking production of The Beatles' Tomorrow Never Knows, the hypnotic song structure of Amy Winehouse's Back to Black, amongst others.
As well as these iconic tracks, a cast of contributors share their knowledge and expertise of what makes a great pop song.