Hit Song Deconstructed q4 2010 - Rock Trends

ROCK TRENDS deconstructed
Q4-2010 (October - December)
deconstructed
ROCK Trends Deconstructed Q4 (October - December): Page 1 2010 Hit Songs Deconstructed. All Rights Reserved.
CONTENTS
Q4-2010 Rock Analysis
Q4-2010 Top 10 Song List Page 3
At-A-Glance: Structure Chart: Page 4
At-A-Glance: Lyrical Theme/P.O.V Page 5
At-A-Glance: Song Titles Page 6
Summary Recap: #1 Hits Page 8
Summary Recap: Non-#1s (#2-#10) Hits Page 9
Summary Recap: All Top 10 Hits Page 10
At-A-Glance Comparison Chart (#1s, #2-#10, All) Page 10
Detail Recap: Song Structure Analysis Page 12
Detail Recap: Song Length Analysis Page 13
Detail Recap: Intro Analysis Page 14
Detail Recap: Outro Analysis Page 15
Detail Recap: 1st Chorus Hit Timeframe Page 17
Detail Recap: 1st Chorus Hit Percent of Total Song Page 18
Waveforms: #1 Hits Page 20
The Ideal Hit Rock Song: Q4-2010 Page 21
New Top 10 Hit Arrivals Chart: Q4-2010 Page 22
De-charted Top 10 Hits: Q3-2010 Page 23
New Q4 Arrivals / Q3 De-charted song comparison: #1 Hits Page 23
New Q4 Arrivals / Q3 De-charted song comparison: All Top 10 Hits Page 24
Q1 Q4 Top 10 Rock Song Quarterly Comparison Chart Page 26
Q4 Q3 Comparison Key Points Page 26
Q1 Q4 Trend Analysis & Graphs Page 27
Trend Recap Q1 Q4 Page 31
This Rock Trends Deconstructed Report is based on the 20 Hit Rock Songs that entered the Billboard Rock Top 10
during Q4-2010.
#1 Hit Rock Songs (5):
Peak position Song Artist
#1 Another Way To Die Disturbed
#1 Lay Me Down The Dirty Heads
#1 Say Youll Haunt Me Stone Sour
#1 The Catalyst Linkin Park
#1 Tighten Up The Black Keys
#2 - #10 Rock Songs (15):
Peak position Song Artist
#2 Animal Neon Trees
#2 Waiting for the End Linkin Park
#3 Little Lion Man Mumford & Sons
#3 Nightmare Avenged Sevenfold
#3 Radioactive Kings Of Leon
#3 Savior Rise Against
#3 World So Cold Three Days Grace
#5 Lisztomania Phoenix
#5 Love-Hate-Sex-Pain Godsmack
#6 Kick in the Teeth Papa Roach
#7 Porn Star Dancing My Darkest Days
#9 My Best Theory Jimmy Eat World
#10 Lesson Learned Alice in Chains
#10 The Sex is Good Saving Abel
#10 Undisclosed Desires Muse
AT-A-GLANCE: Structure Longest Shortest
The chart below provides a snapshot of key structural elements present within the top 10 Rock songs from Q4-2010.
BB Peak Song Intro Outro 1st % Into

Song Artist Structure Chorus
Position Length Length Length Hits Song
Another Way To Die Disturbed 1 A-A-B-A-B-Solo-B 4:14 0:19 0:19 1:45 41%
Lay Me Down The Dirty Heads 1 A-B-A-B-C-B 3:36 0:10 0:22 0:55 25%
Say Youll Haunt Me Stone Sour 1 A-B-A-B-Solo-C-B 4:24 0:14 n/a 0:50 19%
The Catalyst Linkin Park 1 A-A-Solo-C-A 5:43 0:32 0:25 n/a n/a
Tighten Up The Black Keys 1 A-A-B-A-A-B-C-B 3:31 0:21 n/a n/a n/a
AVERAGES FOR BILLBOARD #1 HITS 4:17 0:19 0:22 1:10 29%
Animal Neon Trees 2 A-B-A-B-C-B 3:32 0:16 n/a 0:47 22%
Waiting For The End Linkin Park 2 A-B-A-B-Solo-B 3:25 0:17 n/a 0:52 25%
Little Lion Man Mumford & Sons 3 A-B-A-B-Solo-C-B 4:07 0:28 n/a 0:55 22%
Nightmare Avenged Sevenfold 3 A-B-A-B-Solo-C-B 6:15 1:09 n/a 1:41 27%
Radioactive Kings of Leon 3 A-B-A-B-Solo-B 5:05 0:46 0:29 1:24 28%
Savior Rise Against 3 A-A-B-A-B-Solo-B-C-B 4:02 n/a 0:21 1:06 27%
World So Cold Three Days Grace 3 A-B-A-B-C-Solo-B 4:23 0:08 n/a 0:52 20%
Lisztomania Phoenix 5 A-B-A-B-C-Solo-B 4:09 0:16 n/a 1:10 28%
Love-Hate-Sex-Pain Godsmack 5 A-B-A-B-C-B 5:27 0:46 0:48 1:21 25%
Kick in The Teeth Papa Roach 6 A-B-A-B-C-B 3:18 0:30 0:22 0:56 28%
Porn Star Dancing My Darkest Days 7 A-B-A-B-C 5:47 1:12 0:52 2:07 37%
My Best Theory Jimmy Eat World 9 A-B-A-B-C-Solo-A-B 4:01 0:43 n/a 1:07 28%
Lesson Learned Alice in Chains 10 A-A-B-Solo-B 4:17 0:18 0:26 2:07 49%
The Sex is Good Saving Abel 10 A-B-A-B-C-Solo-A-B 3:31 0:06 0:22 0:38 18%
Undisclosed Desires Muse 10 A-B-A-B-C-B 3:56 0:16 0:21 0:50 21%
AVERAGES FOR BILLBOARD NON #1 HITS 4:21 0:30 0:33 1:11 28%
TOTAL AVERAGES 4:19 0:25 0:27 1:10 28%
AT-A-GLANCE: Lyrical Theme / Writers / Point of View
The charts below provide a snapshot of each songs lyrical theme and the perspective in which its communicated.
#1 Hits
Song Artist Primary P.O.V. Lyrical Theme
Another Way To Die Disturbed 2nd Destroying the Earth
Lay Me Down The Dirty Heads 3rd Love/Relationships
Say Youll Haunt Me Stone Sour 1st Love/Relationships
The Catalyst Linkin Park 1st Destruction of Society
Tighten Up The Black Keys 1st Love/Relationships
After seeing more of a mix of lyrical themes during the previous quarter, we now see a small majority
(60%) focusing on love/relationships.
The other two songs in the category focus on a destruction of society / destroying the earth theme.
A small majority of songs (60%) are told from a 1st person perspective, while the other two are conveyed
from a 2nd and 3rd person point of view.
#2 - #10 Hits
Animal Neon Trees 1st Love/Relationships
Waiting for the End Linkin Park 1st Love/Relationships
Little Lion Man Mumford & Sons 2nd Love/Relationships
Price you pay for being bad in

Nightmare Avenged Sevenfold 2nd
life (i.e. going to Hell)
Radioactive Kings of Leon 2nd Going back to your roots
Savior Rise Against 1st Love/Relationships
World So Cold Three Days Grace 1st Love/Relationships
Lisztomania Phoenix 1st Love/Relationships
Love-Hate-Sex-Pain Godsmack 1st Love/Relationships
Kick in the Teeth Papa Roach 1st Perseverance
Porn Star Dancing My Darkest Days 1st Strippers
My Best Theory Jimmy Eat World 1st Love/Relationships
Lesson Learned Alice in Chains 2nd Personal Development
The Sex is Good Saving Abel 1st Love/Relationships
Undisclosed Desires Muse 1st Love/Relationships
In Q4 we saw 10 out of 15 songs (67%) dealing with a love / relationship theme, as opposed to 7 out of 15
songs (47%) during the previous quarter.
The next most popular theme deals with some type of personal development, including perseverance,
going back to your roots and the price you pay for being bad in life.
The black sheep in the bunch is Porn Star Dancing, which has a stripper theme.
The majority of songs (73%) are told from a first person perspective (as opposed to 60% during the
previous quarter). The remaining 27% are conveyed from the 2nd person.
AT-A-GLANCE: Song Titles

The Chart below shows how many times the title appears in the song, what section it appears in, how many times it occurs
within the section, and where the title is placed in the section.
#1 Hits
Tot. Occurances Occurances
Song Section(s) Placement in Section
In Song in Section
Turn- By itself on the turn around, 2nd to last line in

Turn (1),
Around verse (last phrase on line), last two lines of the
Another Way To Die 10 Verse (1),
Verse chorus (last phrases on each line). Repeats in
Chr (2)
Chorus last section of song.
Repeated 4 times in the chorus, its the only

Lay Me Down 12 Chorus 4
phrase in the section.
Occurs on the second line, last phrase and last

Say Youll Haunt Me 10 Chorus 2
line/last phrase of section.
The Catalyst 0 n/a n/a The title is not mentioned in the song.
First phrase on the line toward the middle of

Tighten Up 1 Verse 1
the song.
Key Points
On average, the title appears 6.6 times per song in #1 hit Rock songs.
Three songs had between 10 and 12 occurrences, while two songs had 1 and no mention of the title within
the song.
Lay Me Down had the most occurrences, at 12.
The Catalyst had the least amount of occurrences, at 0.
Only two songs had the title appear exclusively in the chorus (Lay Me Down and Say Youll Haunt
Me).
One song had the title appear only in the verse (Tighten Up). Note, however, that there isnt a vocal
oriented chorus in the song.
One song, Another Way to Die, had the title appearing in three sections within the song: turn-around,
verse and chorus.
The placement of where the title appears in the section of the song is mixed.
The majority of titles appear at the end of a line.
#2 - #10 Hits
In Song in Section
Occurs in the middle of the first verse in the
Animal 1 Verse 1
middle of the line (note that its plural).
Waiting for the End 1 Verse 1 First line of the section.
Little Lion Man 2 Verse 1 Middle of the section, last phrase on line.
Twice during the intro, middle of the line

Intro, Turn Intro (2), T/A (1),
Nightmare 7 in the turn-around, last line/phrase in the
Around, Chorus Chr (1)
chorus.
Radioactive 0 n/a n/a The title is not mentioned in the song.
Savior 0 n/a n/a The title is not mentioned in the song.
First line and third line of chorus, first phrase

World So Cold 6 Chorus 2
on each line.
Lisztomania 5 Chorus 2 First line of both sections of the chorus.
First and third lines of the chorus (there are a

Love-Hate-Sex-Pain 10 Chorus, Bridge 2 (Chr), 2 (Brg) total of 4 lines in the chorus), middle and end
of the bridge.
Beginning, middle and end of chorus, repeats

Kick in the Teeth 13 Chorus 3
toward the end of the song.
Last line/phrase of both sections during the

Porn Star Dancing 6 Chorus 2
chorus.
My Best Theory 4 Chorus 1 Last line of the chorus, first phrase on line.
Verse, Bridge, 1 (Vrs, Brg) First line of the first verse, then between
Lesson Learned 4
Outro 2 (Out) bridge and solo. Twice during the outro.
In Song in Section
Occurs in the middle and the end of the sec-

The Sex is Good 8 Chorus 2
tion, only phrase on line.
Undisclosed Desires 3 Chorus 1 Last line of section, middle of the line.
Key Points
On average, the title appears 4.6 times per song in #2 - #10 hit Pop songs.
The majority of songs had the title appearing once or twice in the section where it occurs.
One song, Kick in the Teeth saw the title occur 3 times per section.
Kick in the Teeth had the most overall occurrences, at 13.
Radioactive and Savior had the least amount of occurrences, at 0.
47% of songs saw the title occur in just the chorus, while 20% saw the title occur in just the verse.
Three songs, Nightmare, Love-Hate-Sex-Pain and Lesson Learned saw the title occurring in
multiple sections within the song.
The placement of where the title appears in the section of the song is mixed.
SUMMARY RECAP
The information in this section provides a snapshot of the key findings present in songs that entered the Billboard Rock
Top 10 during Q4-2010. It is broken down by #1 hits, non #1 hits, and all top 10 hits for comparison purposes.
#1 Billboard Pop Hits
Structure
Most Popular Song Structure: Mixed. See Detail Recap section of report
Average Song Length: 4:17
Top Song Length Range: 3:30 3:59, 4:00 4:29 (tie)
Average Intro Length: 0:19
Top Intro Length Range: 0:10 0:19
Average Outro* Length: 0:22
Top Outro* Length Range: 0:20 0:29
1st Chorus Hit Average: 1:10 into the song
Top 1st Chorus Hit Range: 0:50 0:59 into the song
1st Chorus Hit % of Song: 29% into the song.
Top 1st Chorus Hit % of Song Range: Mixed. See Detail Recap section of report
Songs with a Pre-Chorus: 40% have a pre-chorus
Songs with a Solo: 60% have a solo
Songs with a Bridge: 80% have a bridge
Attributes
Most Popular Tempo: Mid/Up (60% of all songs)
Most Popular Tone (Acoustic/Electric): Electric (80% of all songs)
Most Popular Primary Instrumentation: Guitar
Most Popular Primary Vocal Gender: 100% Male
Most Popular Lyrical Theme: Love/Relationships (60%)
Most Popular Style: Hard Rock + Alt, Metal, Blues or Pop influences
Non #1 Billboard Hits (#2 - #10):
Structure
Most Popular Song Structure: A-B-A-B-C-B (Occurs in 27% of the songs)
Top Song Length Range: 4:00 4:29
1st Chorus Hit Average: 1:11
1st Chorus Hit % of Song: On average the 1st chorus hits 28% into the song
Top 1st Chorus Hit % of Song Range: 25% - 29% into the song
Attributes
Most Popular Tempo: Mid, Mid/Up (Tie)
Most Popular Tone (Acoustic/Electric): Electric (93% of songs)
Most Popular Style: Hard Rock + Alt or Metal influences
All Top 10 Billboard Hit Songs
Structure
Most Popular Song Structure: A-B-A-B-C-B (Occurs in 26% of all songs)
Top Song Length Range: 4:00 4:29
1st Chorus Hit Average: 1:10 into the song
1st Chorus Hit % of Song: On average the 1st chorus hits 28% into the song
Top 1st Chorus Hit % of Song Range: 25% - 29% into the song
Attributes
Most Popular Tempo: Mid & Mid-Up (50% & 45% respectively)
Most Popular Tone (Acoustic/Electric): Electric (90% of all top 10 hit Rock songs)
Most Popular Style: Hard Rock + Alt or Metal influences
*Note: for purposes in this report, an outro is being defined as a section that differs in nature from any
other section within the song.
AT-A-GLANCE: Comparison Chart

The chart below provides a side by side comparison of the key findings derived from the Summary Recap section.
CATEGORY #1 Songs #2-#10 Songs All Songs
Most Popular Song Structure n/a (mixed) A-B-A-B-C-B A-B-A-B-C-B
Average Song Length 4:17 4:21 4:19
CATEGORY #1 Songs #2-#10 Songs All Songs
Average Intro Length 0:19 0:30 0:25
Average Outro Length 0:22 0:33 0:27
Average Time For 1st Chorus To Hit 1:10 1:11 1:10
Average % Of Song Where 1st Chorus Hits 29% 28% 28%
Songs With A Pre-Chorus 40% 40% 40%
Songs With A Solo 60% 67% 65%
Songs With A Bridge 80% 80% 80%
Top Occuring Tempos Mid/Up Mid, Mid/Up Mid, Mid/Up
Most Popular Tone Electric Electric Electric
Most Popular Primary Instrumentation Guitar Guitar Guitar
Most Popular Primary Vocal Gender Male Male Male
Most Popular Lyrical Theme Love/Relationships Love/Relationships Love/Relationships
Most Popular Style Hard Rock+ Hard Rock + Hard Rock +
Key Points
The most popular song structure for all hits was A-B-A-B-C-B. This was also the case for #2 - #10 hits.
#1 hits had a mix of structures within the category. There wasnt one particular structure that was most
popular.
Average song length for all categories was virtually the same.
The average intro length for #1 hits was 0:11 shorter than #2 - #10 hits.
The average outro length for #1 hits was also 0:11 shorter than #2 - #10 hits.
The average amount of time that it took for the first chorus to hit was virtually the same for all
categories.
The average percent of the song where the first chorus hits was also virtually identical for all categories.
All categories showed an almost equal amount of songs containing a solo, bridge and pre-chorus section
within its structure.
The most popular style for all categories was Hard Rock + other elements including Metal, Alt, Pop or
Blues.
All categories contained a majority of songs that were electric in tone, sung by a male, and featured a
guitar as the primary instrument.
DETAIL RECAP
This section provides an in-depth, detailed structural analysis gained from the songs that entered the Billboard Rock
top 10 during Q4-2010.
Song Structure
#1 Hit Songs
Each song in the category had a different song structure. There wasnt one particular structure that was
most popular.
Three songs (Another Way to Die, The Catalyst and Tighten Up) all started with a double verse.
Two songs (The Catalyst and Tighten Up) did not contain choruses in their structure. (Note
the B section in Tighten Up is a reoccurring instrumental passage that functions in a chorus type
manner, but its not a proper vocal oriented chorus).
3 out of 5 songs (60%) contain a chorus.
3 out of 5 songs (60%) contain a bridge.
2 out of 5 songs (40%) contain a pre-chorus.
Out of the songs that contain a solo, two follow with the bridge and one follows with the chorus.
All of the songs feature the chorus as the last section of the song, (before the outro, if applicable), except
for The Catalyst, which ends with the verse.
All of the songs featured the verse as the first section of the song (in comparison to some current Pop
hits, which kick the song off with the chorus).
#2 - #10 Hit Songs

The most popular song structure was A-B-A-B-C-B, though it only accounted for 4 out of 15 songs (27%).
Most other song structures differed in nature from one another.
The majority, 13 out of 15 songs (87%), began with A-B-A-B. 9 followed with the bridge, 4 followed with
a solo.
The other two songs (Lesson Learned and Savior) start with a double verse.
7 out of 15 songs (47%) saw the bridge followed by another chorus.
4 out of 15 songs (27%) saw the bridge followed by a solo.
6 out of 15 songs (40%) have the solo followed by a chorus.
2 out of 15 songs (13%) have the solo followed by the bridge.
1 out of 15 songs (7%) has the solo followed by a verse.
Song Length
#1 Hit Songs
The average song length for #1 hit Rock songs is 4:17. This is up from 4:08 during the previous quarter,
The longest song is The Catalyst at 5:43.
The shortest song is Tighten Up at 3:31.
#2 - #10 Hit Songs

The average song length for #2 - #10 hit Rock songs is 4:21. This is down from 4:26 during the previous
quarter.
The longest song is Nightmare at 6:15.
The shortest song is Kick in the Teeth at 3:18.
Song Length: #1 Hit Rock Songs
The majority of #1 hit Rock songs are landing in both the 3:30
3:59 & 4:00 4:29 ranges. The previous quarter saw the
majority landing in just the 4:00 4:29 range.
Song Length: #2 - #10 Hit Rock Songs
A
s with the previous quarter, we see the vast majority of songs
landing in the 4:00 4:29 range. 73% are landing 4:29 and
under.
Song Length: All Hit Rock Songs
Down slightly from last quarter (@ 47% of the total), the

vast majority of all top 10 Rock songs are landing in the 4:00
4:29 range. The next most popular range is 3:30 3:59,
encompassing 25% of the total. 75% are landing 4:29
and under.
Intro Analysis
#1 Hit Songs
The average intro length is 0:19. This is down from 0:21 during the previous quarter.
The longest intro occurs in The Catalyst, at 0:32
The shortest intro occurs in Lay Me Down, at 0:10
All songs in the category contain a proper intro section.
#2 - #10 Hit Songs

The average intro length is 0:30. This is down from 0:32 during the previous quarter.
The longest intro occurs in Porn Star Dancing, at 1:12
The shortest intro occurs in The Sex is Good, at 0:06.
14 out of 15 songs (93%) have an intro section except for Savior, which starts with the 1st verse.
Intro Length of #1 Hit Rock Songs
The majority of #1 intros (60%) are short in nature, landing

in the 0:10 0:19 range. This is up slightly from last quarter
(50%). We dont see any intros going past the 0:39 mark.
Intro Length of #2 - #10 Hit Rock Songs
As with the previous quarter, and #1 hits from Q4, we see the
majority of intros landing in the 0:10 0:19 range. 64% are
landing 0:39 and under.
Intro Length of All Hit Rock Songs
Virtually identical to the previous quarter (@ 41% of the total),

we see 42% of intros landing in the 0:10 0:19 range. The
majority, (74% of the total), are landing 0:39 and under.
Outro Analysis
#1 Hit Songs
3 out of 5 #1 hit Rock songs (60%) have an outro section that is different than any other section within
the song (i.e. something other than a chorus out). Last quarter saw all the #1 hits containing a proper
outro section.
The two songs that dont contain a proper outro are Say Youll Haunt Me and Tighten Up.
The average outro length is 0:22. This is down from 0:24 during the previous quarter.
The longest outro occurred in The Catalyst, at 0:25.
The shortest outro occurred in Another Way to Die, at 0:19.
#2 - #10 Hit Songs

8 out of 15 songs (53%) have an outro section that is different than any other section within the song (i.e.
something other than a chorus out). Last quarter saw 6 out of 14 songs (43%) containing a proper outro.
The other 7 songs all have the chorus as the very last section of the song.
The longest outro occurred in Porn Star Dancing, at 0:52
The shortest outro occurred in Savior, at 0:21.
Outro Length of #1 Hit Rock Songs
Here we see the majority of outros landing in the 0:29 0:29

range, at 67% of the total. Last quarter saw an even split
between the 0:10 0:19 and 0:20 0:29 ranges. Overall,
outro length continues to trend relatively short in length.
Outro Length of #2 - #10 Hit Rock Songs
Up from 60% during the previous quarter, here we see the
vast majority of outros landing in the 0:20 0:29 range, at
75% of the total. We also dont see any outros that are shorter
in length (i.e. the 0:10 0:19 range). This is in line with the
previous quarter.
Outro Length of All Hit Rock Songs
As with the previous few quarters, here we see the vast
majority of outros landing in the 0:20 0:29 range. Only 9%
of outros are landing under 0:19, which is down from 20% in
the previous quarter.
1st Chorus Hit - Timeframe
#1 Hit Songs
The average time that it took for the first chorus to hit within #1 Rock songs was 1:10. This is up from
1:02 during the previous quarter.
2 out of 5 songs (40%) in the category did not contain a chorus (Tighten Up and The Catalyst).
The longest amount of time that it took for the first chorus to hit occurred in Another Way to Die,
at 1:45.
The shortest amount of time that it took for the first chorus to hit occurred in Say Youll Haunt Me,
at 0:50.
#2 - #10 Hit Songs

The average time that it took for the first chorus to hit was 1:11. This is down from 1:13 during the
previous quarter.
The longest amount of time that it took for the first chorus to hit occurred in Porn Star Dancing and
Lesson Learned, both at 2:07
The shortest amount of time that it took for the first chorus to hit occurred in The Sex is Good, at 0:38.
1st Chorus Hit of #1 Hit Rock Songs
Up from 50% during the previous quarter, here we see the
majority of choruses (2 out of the 3 songs that have choruses,
67%) landing in the 0:50 0:59 range. The other song landed
in the 1:40 1:49 range, comprising 33% of the total.
1st Chorus Hit of #2 - #10 Hit Rock Songs
As with the previous quarter (@ 36% of the total), here we

see the vast majority of first choruses (33%) landing in the
0:50 0:59 range. 86% of all first choruses are hitting 0:50
and up. The previous quarter saw 93% landing 0:50 and up.
1st Chorus Hit of All Hit Rock Songs
Again, we see the vast majority of first choruses (39%) landing

in the 0:50 0:59 range. This was also the case during the
previous quarter. 88% of all first choruses are landing 0:50
and up.
1st Chorus Hit - % Into the Total Song
#1 Hit Songs
On average, the first chorus kicks in at 29% of the way into the song within #1 hit Rock songs. This is up
from 27% during the previous quarter.
The latest point where the first chorus hits occurs in Another Way to Die. It occurs 41% into the total
song. This is primarily due to the double verse at the beginning of the song.
The earliest point in a song where the first chorus hits occurs in Say Youll Haunt Me. It occurs at 19%
into the song.
#2 - #10 Hit Songs

On average, the first chorus kicks in at 28% of the way into the song within these songs. This is up from
26% during the previous quarter.
The latest point where the first chorus hits occurs in Lesson Learned. It occurs 49% into the total song.
This is primarily due to the double verse at the beginning of the song.
The earliest point in a song where the first chorus hits occurs in The Sex is Good. It occurs at 18% into
the song.
1st Chorus Hit % into Total Song: #1 Hit Rock Songs
Here we have an equal distribution of what percentage of the

song the first chorus kicks in. Say Youll Haunt Me has the
first chorus kicking in between 15% - 19% into the song, Lay
Me Down has the first chorus hitting between 25% - 29%, and
Another Way to Die kicks in between 40% - 44% into the
song. During the previous quarter, the majority landed in the
20% - 24% range.
1st Chorus Hit % into Total Song: #2 - #10 Hit Rock Songs
In contrast to #1 hits, here we see the majority (53%) of first

choruses occurring 25% - 29% into the song. This was also the
case during the previous two quarters, were at 57% and 53%
respectively.
1st Chorus Hit % into Total Song: All Songs
Exactly the same as the previous quarter, we see the vast

majority (50%) of songs having their first chorus kick in
between 25% - 29% into the song.
#1 Hit Waveforms
Below are the waveforms from the #1 hit Rock songs during Q4-2010. Once again, as we saw with the previous quarters,
massive amounts of compression is being used to enable the songs to come across as loud as possible, especially during the
choruses.
Another Way To Die (Disturbed)
The Catalyst (Linkin Park)
Say Youll Haunt Me (Stone Sour)
Lay Me Down (The Dirty Heads)
Tighten Up (The Black Keys)
THE IDEAL HIT POP SONG: Q4-2010

Based on the analysis and findings in this report, the ideal hit Rock song from Q4-2010 would look like this:
Style: Hard Rock + Alt or Metal influences.

Song Structure: A-B-A-B-C-B.
Tempo: Mid or Mid/Up .
Primary Vocal Gender: The lead vocal would be sung by a male.
Lyrical Theme: The song would have a love/relationship oriented theme.
Title: The title would most likely occur in the chorus, occurring at least twice.
Instrumentation: The primary instrumentation would be electric/distorted guitar based.
Song Length: The song would land between 4:00 and 4:29.
Intro Length: The intro would land in the 0:10 0:19 range.
Outro Length: The outro would land in the 0:20 0:29 range or not contain an outro.
1st Chorus Hit: The 1st chorus would hit between 0:50 and 0:59 into the song.
1st Chorus % of Song: The 1st chorus would hit between 25% - 29% into the song.
Pre-Chorus: A pre-chorus is optional, but would probably not contain one.
Solo: The song would most likely have a solo.
Bridge: The song would have a bridge.
Tone: The primary tone would be Electric/Distortion based.
Production: The song would be immensely compressed for maximum sonic impact.
NEW TOP 10 ARRIVALS: Q4-2010 Longest Shortest
The chart below shows key structural information exclusive to new songs that entered the Billboard Rock
top 10 during Q4-2010

Tighten Up The Black Keys 1 A-A-B-A-A-B-C-B 3:31 0:21 n/a n/a n/a
Q4 NEW ENTRY SONG AVERAGES: BILLBOARD #1 HITS 3:31 0:21 n/a n/a n/a
Waiting For The End Linkin Park 2 A-B-A-B-Solo-B 3:25 0:17 n/a 0:52 25%
Radioactive Kings Of Leon 3 A-B-A-B-Solo-B 5:05 0:46 0:29 1:24 28%
World So Cold Three Days Grace 3 A-B-A-B-C-Solo-B 4:23 0:08 n/a 0:52 20%
Love-Hate-Sex-Pain Godsmack 5 A-B-A-B-C-B 5:27 0:46 0:48 1:21 25%
Kick In The Teeth Papa Roach 6 A-B-A-B-C-B 3:18 0:30 0:22 0:56 28%
Porn Star Dancing My Darkest Days 7 A-B-A-B-C 5:47 1:12 0:52 2:07 37%
My Best Theory Jimmy Eat World 9 A-B-A-B-C-Solo-A-B 4:01 0:43 n/a 1:07 28%
The Sex Is Good Saving Abel 10 A-B-A-B-C-Solo-A-B 3:31 0:06 0:22 0:38 18%
Undisclosed Desires Muse 10 A-B-A-B-C-B 3:56 0:16 0:21 0:50 21%
Q4 NEW ENTRY SONG AVERAGES: BILLBOARD NON #1 HITS 4:19 0:31 0:37 1:07 27%
Q4 NEW ENTRY SONG AVERAGES: ALL TOP 10 HITS 3:55 0:26 0:37 1:07 27%
Q4-2010 saw the addition of 10 new songs to the Billboard top 10 Rock songs chart. One hit #1 and nine charted #2 - #10.
All of these songs are new to the chart during this period, and did not chart in the top 10 during the previous quarter.
DE-CHARTED TOP 10 HITS: Q3-2010 Longest Shortest
The chart below shows key structural information from songs that charted in the Rock top 10 during Q3-2010 but did
not chart in the top 10 during Q4-2010.

The Crow and the Butterfly Shinedown 1 A-B-A-B-Solo-B 4:14 n/a 0:40 0:52 20%
The Good Life Three Days Grace 1 A-B-A-B-C-B 2:53 0:23 0:14 0:38 22%
Q3 DE-CHARTED SONG AVERAGES: BILLBOARD #1 HITS 3:33 0:23 0:27 0:45 21%
Uprising Muse 2 A-B-A-B-Solo-B 5:05 0:46 0:29 1:24 28%
1901 Phoenix 3 A-B-A-B-C-B 3:18 0:30 0:22 0:56 28%
In One Ear Cage the Elephant 3 A-B-A-B-C-Solo-A-B 4:01 0:43 n/a 1:07 28%
This is War Thirty Seconds To Mars 4 A-B-A-B-C-B 5:27 0:46 0:48 1:21 25%
Let Me Hear You Scream Ozzy Osbourne 6 A-B-A-B-Solo-B 3:25 0:17 n/a 0:52 25%
Bad Company Five Finger Death Punch 7 A-B-A-B-C-Solo-B 4:23 0:08 n/a 0:52 20%
Resistance Muse 7 A-B-A-B-C 5:47 1:12 0:52 2:07 37%
Q3 DE-CHARTED SONG AVERAGES: BILLBOARD NON #1 HITS 4:29 0:37 0:37 1:14 27%
Q3 DE-CHARTED SONG AVERAGES: ALL TOP 10 HITS 4:01 0:30 0:32 0:59 24%
9 songs that charted in the top 10 during Q3-2010 fell completely off the top 10 Rock songs chart during Q4-2010. These
included two #1 hits and seven songs that placed #2-#10 during Q3-2010.
NEW Q4 ARRIVALS VS. Q3 DE-CHARTED SONGS: #1 Hits

The purpose of this section is to provide a side by side comparison of key elements that are present in #1 hit songs that
were new to the spot during Q4-2010 and #1 hit songs that didnt make it from Q3-2010.
CATEGORY Q4-2010 (New Arrivals) Q3-2010 (Decharted) Change Q3-Q4
Most Popular Song Structure n/a (one song) n/a (mixed) n/a
Average Song Length 3:31 3:33 -0:02
Average Intro Length 0:21 0:23 -0:02
Average Outro Length n/a 0:27 n/a
Average Time For 1st Chorus To Hit n/a 0:45 n/a
Avgerage % Of Song Where 1st Chorus Hits n/a 21% n/a
Top Occuring Tempos Mid Mid & Mid/Up n/a
Electric & Electric/

Most Popular Tone Electric n/a
Acoustic
Most Popular Primary Instrumentation Guitar Guitar Guitar
Most Popular Primary Vocal Gender Male Male Male
Songs With A Pre-Chorus 0% 50% -100%
Songs With A Solo 0% 50% -100%
Songs With A Bridge 100% 50% +50%
Bettering Yourself,
Lyrical Theme Love/Relationships n/a
Dealing w/Loss
Most Popular Style Garage Rock/Blues Hard Rock n/a
Most Popular Style Varied Electro + n/a
Key Points
Since there was only one #1 new arrival and two #1 de-charted songs, there isnt enough data for a
proper trend comparison. Please refer to the chart for details.
NEW Q4 ARRIVALS VS. Q3 DE-CHARTED SONGS: #All Top 10 Hits

This section provides a side by side comparison of key elements that are present in all songs that were new to the
top 10 during Q4-2010 and songs that didnt make it from Q3-2010.
Most Popular Song Structure A-B-A-B-C-B A-B-A-B-C-B / Same
A-B-A-B-Solo-B n/a 3:42 +0:01
Average Song Length 3:55 4:01 -0:06
Average Intro Length 0:26 0:30 -0:04
Average Outro Length 0:37 0:32 +0:05
Average Time For 1st Chorus To Hit 1:07 0:59 +0:08
Avgerage % Of Song Where 1st Chorus Hits 27% 24% +3%
Top Occuring Tempos Mid (70%) Mid/Up (67%) n/a
Most Popular Tone Electric Electric Same
Most Popular Primary Instrumentation Guitar Guitar Same
Most Popular Primary Vocal Gender Male (100%) Male (100%) Same
Songs With A Pre-Chorus 20% 44% -24%
Songs With A Solo 50% 56% -6%
Songs With A Bridge 80% 67% +13%
Lyrical Theme Love/Relationships Personal Development n/a
Most Popular Style Hard/Alt Rock Hard Rock n/a
Key Points
The most popular song structure amongst new arrivals was A-B-A-B-C-B, while de-charted song
structures were split between A-B-A-B-C-B and A-B-A-B-Solo-B.
New arrival songs were on average 0:06 shorter in length than de-charted songs from Q3. Last quarter,
new arrivals were 1:00 longer in length than de-charted songs.
New arrival song intros were on average 0:04 shorter than de-charted song intros.
New arrival outros were on average 0:05 longer than de-charted outros.
New arrival choruses hit on average 0:08 later in the song than in de-charted songs.
New arrival choruses hit on average 3% later in the song than in de-charted songs.
New arrival tempos were primarily mid, while de-charted songs were primarily mid/up.
Most popular tone, primary instrumentation and vocal gender were the same for both new arrivals and
de-charted songs electric, guitar and male respectively.
24% fewer new arrivals contained a pre-chorus compared to de-charted songs. Last quarter saw 16%
more new arrival songs having a pre-chorus section compared de-charted songs.
6% fewer new arrival songs have a solo section compared to de-charted songs.
13% more new arrival songs have a bridge section compared to de-charted songs.
The primary lyrical theme for new arrivals dealt with love and relationships, while de-charted songs
dealt more with a personal development theme. This is the same as the previous quarter.
Both new arrivals and de-charted songs were primarily Hard Rock in nature, though new arrivals had
more songs with an Alternative vibe.
TOP 10 POP SONG QUARTERLY COMPARISON
(Represents all songs that entered the Billboard Rock top 10 for each quarter)
The chart below provides a side by side comparison of key attributes present in top 10 charting Rock songs
for each quarter during the year.
Q4-2010 Q3-2010 Q2-2010 Q1-2010

CATEGORY (All Songs) (All Songs) (All Songs) (All Songs)
Most Popular Song Structure A-B-A-B-C-B A-B-A-B-C-B A-B-A-B-Solo-B A-B-A-B-Solo-B
Average Song Length 4:19 4:08 3:49 4:07
Average Intro Length 0:25 0:21 0:21 0:25
Average Outro Length 0:27 0:24 0:23 0:23
Average Time For 1st Chorus To Hit 1:10 1:02 0:53 1:01
Avgerage % Of Song Where 1st Chorus Hits 28% 27% 23% 24%
Songs With A Pre-Chorus 40% 40% 50% 50%
Songs With A Solo 65% 60% 65% 63%
Songs With A Bridge 80% 60% 69% 69%
Top Occuring Tempos Mid, Mid/Up Mid/Up Mid/Up Mid/Up
Most Popular Tone Electric Electric Electric Electric
Most Popular Primary Instrumentation Guitar Guitar Guitar Guitar
Most Popular Primary Vocal Gender Male Male Male Male
Personal Dev
Love/Relation- Personal Devel- Love/Relation-
Lyrical Theme Love/Relation-
ships opment ships
ships
Hard/Heavy
Most Popular Style Hard Rock + Hard Rock Hard/Heavy Rock
Rock
Q4 Q3 Comparison Key Points:

Both Q4 and Q3 had their most popular song structures as A-B-A-B-C-B.
The average song length increased in Q4 by 0:11 to 4:19.
The average intro length increased by 0:04 in 0:25
The average outro length increased by 0:03 to 0:27.
The average time that it took for the 1st chorus to hit in Q4 increased slightly (0:08) to 1:10.
The average % in a song where the first chorus occurs increased slightly from 27% to 28% in Q4.
The most popular tempos in Q4 were split between mid and mid/up, compared to mid/up in Q3.
Primary vocal gender remained the same 100% male.
Songs containing a pre-chorus remained the same both at 40% of total.
20% more songs contained a bridge in Q4 than in Q3.
5% more songs contained a solo in Q4 than in Q3.
Love/Relationships became the primary lyrical theme for the first time since Q1.
Q4 saw Hard Rock + other elements (metal, alt, etc) becoming the most popular style.
TREND ANALYSIS: Q1-Q4

This section provides a graphical representation of how key song elements are trending within top 10 charting Rock songs
for each quarter during the year.
Average Song Length:
fter seeing a dip in average song length from Q1 to Q2, we saw a steady increase from Q2 Q4, topping out at 4:19. This
A
is substantially longer than the average during Q2 (+0:30).
Average Intro Length:
Overall average intro length remained in the low mid 0:20 range throughout the year.
Average Outro Length:
s with intros, average outro length also remained pretty much constant throughout the year, starting off at 0:21 during
A
Q1 and topping out at 0:27 in Q4.
Average Time For 1st Chorus To Hit:
fter an initial 0:08 dip from Q1 Q2, the average time that it took for the first chorus to hit within a song gradually
A
increased for the duration of the year, topping out at 1:10 (up 0:17 from Q2).
Average 1st Chorus Hit - Percent Into Total Song:
s with the average amount of time that it takes the first chorus to hit, here we also see a gradual increase in the % into the
A
song where the first chorus occurs.
Songs with a Pre-Chorus:
ere, after a stable run during the first two quarters, we see the percentage of songs that have a pre-chorus as part of their
H
song structure decease by 10% in Q3, remaining constant in Q4.
Songs With A Bridge:
fter a steady Q1 and Q2, we saw a 9% drop off in the number of songs that contained a bridge during Q3. Interestingly,
A
from Q3 to Q4, we saw a dramatic increase in the amount of songs containing a bridge, increasing by 20% to 80% in Q4.
Songs With a Solo:
he number of songs that contain a solo remained fairly constant throughout the year, fluctuating in the low to mid
T
60% range.
TREND RECAP: Q1-Q4
Average song length has been gradually increasing since Q2, from 3:49 to 4:19 in Q4.
Average intro lengths have remained pretty much constant throughout the year, fluctuating between
0:21 and 0:25.
Average outro lengths have increased very slightly in length since Q2, from 0:23 to 0:27 in Q4.
The average amount of time that it takes for the first chorus to hit within a song has been gradually
increasing throughout the year after an initial dip from Q1 Q2. Its increased by 0:17 since Q2.
After a slight dip from Q1 to Q2, the average percentage of a song where the first chorus hits has been
increasing gradually from Q2 to Q4, peaking at 28% of the way into the song.
The amount of songs that contain a pre-chorus decreased by 10% during the last two quarters of the
year, to stabilizing at 40% of total.
After a steady first and second quarter, the amount of songs that contain a bridge dropped off from 69%
to 60%, before sharply increasing in Q4, topping out at 80% of total.
Overall, the number of songs that contain a solo within their structure remained fairly constant
throughout the year, fluctuating between 60% and 65% of total.

Hit Song Deconstructed q4 2010 - Rock Trends

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Hit Song Deconstructed q4 2010 - Rock Trends

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ROCK TRENDS deconstructed

Q4-2010 (October - December)

At-A-Glance: Structure Chart: Page 4

At-A-Glance: Lyrical Theme/P.O.V Page 5

At-A-Glance: Song Titles Page 6

Summary Recap: #1 Hits Page 8

Summary Recap: Non-#1s (#2-#10) Hits Page 9

Summary Recap: All Top 10 Hits Page 10

At-A-Glance Comparison Chart (#1s, #2-#10, All) Page 10

Detail Recap: Song Structure Analysis Page 12

Detail Recap: Song Length Analysis Page 13

Detail Recap: Intro Analysis Page 14

Detail Recap: Outro Analysis Page 15

Detail Recap: 1st Chorus Hit Timeframe Page 17

Detail Recap: 1st Chorus Hit Percent of Total Song Page 18

Waveforms: #1 Hits Page 20

The Ideal Hit Rock Song: Q4-2010 Page 21

New Top 10 Hit Arrivals Chart: Q4-2010 Page 22

De-charted Top 10 Hits: Q3-2010 Page 23

New Q4 Arrivals / Q3 De-charted song comparison: #1 Hits Page 23

New Q4 Arrivals / Q3 De-charted song comparison: All Top 10 Hits Page 24

Q1 Q4 Top 10 Rock Song Quarterly Comparison Chart Page 26

Q4 Q3 Comparison Key Points Page 26

Q1 Q4 Trend Analysis & Graphs Page 27

Trend Recap Q1 Q4 Page 31

#1 Hit Rock Songs (5):

Peak position Song Artist

#1 Another Way To Die Disturbed

#1 Lay Me Down The Dirty Heads

#1 Say Youll Haunt Me Stone Sour

#1 The Catalyst Linkin Park

#1 Tighten Up The Black Keys

#2 - #10 Rock Songs (15):

Peak position Song Artist

#2 Animal Neon Trees

#2 Waiting for the End Linkin Park

#3 Little Lion Man Mumford & Sons

#3 Nightmare Avenged Sevenfold

#3 Radioactive Kings Of Leon

#3 Savior Rise Against

#3 World So Cold Three Days Grace

#6 Kick in the Teeth Papa Roach

#7 Porn Star Dancing My Darkest Days

#9 My Best Theory Jimmy Eat World

#10 Lesson Learned Alice in Chains

#10 The Sex is Good Saving Abel

#10 Undisclosed Desires Muse

BB Peak Song Intro Outro 1st % Into

AVERAGES FOR BILLBOARD #1 HITS 4:17 0:19 0:22 1:10 29%

Animal Neon Trees 2 A-B-A-B-C-B 3:32 0:16 n/a 0:47 22%

Nightmare Avenged Sevenfold 3 A-B-A-B-Solo-C-B 6:15 1:09 n/a 1:41 27%

Radioactive Kings of Leon 3 A-B-A-B-Solo-B 5:05 0:46 0:29 1:24 28%

Savior Rise Against 3 A-A-B-A-B-Solo-B-C-B 4:02 n/a 0:21 1:06 27%

Lisztomania Phoenix 5 A-B-A-B-C-Solo-B 4:09 0:16 n/a 1:10 28%

Love-Hate-Sex-Pain Godsmack 5 A-B-A-B-C-B 5:27 0:46 0:48 1:21 25%

Undisclosed Desires Muse 10 A-B-A-B-C-B 3:56 0:16 0:21 0:50 21%

TOTAL AVERAGES 4:19 0:25 0:27 1:10 28%

Song Artist Primary P.O.V. Lyrical Theme

Another Way To Die Disturbed 2nd Destroying the Earth

Lay Me Down The Dirty Heads 3rd Love/Relationships

Say Youll Haunt Me Stone Sour 1st Love/Relationships

The Catalyst Linkin Park 1st Destruction of Society

Tighten Up The Black Keys 1st Love/Relationships

Song Artist Primary P.O.V. Lyrical Theme

Down slightly from last quarter (@ 47% of the total), the

The majority of #1 intros (60%) are short in nature, landing

Virtually identical to the previous quarter (@ 41% of the total),

Here we see the majority of outros landing in the 0:29 0:29

As with the previous quarter (@ 36% of the total), here we

Again, we see the vast majority of first choruses (39%) landing