Source link : https://las-vegas-news.com/music-theory-tricks-that-make-hit-songs-so-addictive/
Have you ever found yourself replaying the same song twenty times in a single afternoon without fully understanding why? There’s something almost unfair about it. You try to move on, and then that melody just creeps back in, uninvited but strangely welcome. Hit songs don’t become hits by accident. Behind every track that dominates streaming charts and radio playlists is a collection of surprisingly intentional music theory decisions, psychological triggers, and harmonic choices that are designed, whether consciously or not, to pull you back again and again.
The science of what makes music addictive has been studied seriously, with researchers analyzing hundreds of thousands of chords, brain scans, and listener behaviors. The results are both fascinating and, honestly, a little humbling. We like to think we’re in control of our taste. Let’s dive in.
The Four-Chord Formula That Runs the World
Let’s be real – it’s almost shocking once you notice it. An enormous number of your favorite songs share the same four chords. The I–V–vi–IV chord progression is the backbone of countless hits, from The Beatles’ “Let It Be” to Adele’s “Someone Like You,” and it creates a feeling of comfort and nostalgia, even for first-time listeners.
Research from the University of London found that songs using this chord pattern appear more often in top charts, suggesting our brains are genuinely…
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Author : Matthias Binder
Publish date : 2026-02-25 13:44:00
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