A song is a piece of music that has lyrics, melody and vocals. It also has structure, usually a series of verses and choruses with a bridge.
A common song structure is an ABABCB, with an intro, verse, chorus and bridge. However, a variety of variations are possible.
Typical song structure:
A popular song is typically one to three minutes long. It may have a simple structure with repeats of a verse and chorus, or it might have a more complex structure with multiple verses and refrains.
Musical songs are a part of many different cultures, including Western and non-Western. Some cultures have a tradition of telling stories through the songs they sing. They can be action-oriented or sentimental. Some examples are chants, folk songs and shanties.
Traditionally, music had to be accompanied by instrumental instruments such as the flute or stringed instruments like the piano. This made singing more difficult, but with the development of recording technologies in the 1920s, vocal technique became easier.
Music has a range of styles, from popular to classical and from folk to art. While popular music tends to have a more straightforward style, art songs can be more complex and formal.
Song dynamics:
The dynamic of a song is an important factor that influences its success in the top charts. It has been studied to explore a wide range of factors, including acoustic features, socioeconomic and musical characteristics and predictability. Several multi-decadal trends have been identified, with success being linked to acoustic features and to more positive (happy) and more negative (sad) emotions.