Decade Hit Analysis Project Overview

I am curious about pop music.  This curiosity is itself curious, because I  generally do not like pop music.  I have never been one to subscribe to popular opinions.  The popular opinion, in the case of pop music, is that of the Billboard Hot 100 chart.  Since 1958, Billboard Magazine has tracked and published a list of the most popular songs, determined by radio airplay, physical/digital sales and online streaming:  "The Hot 100."

 What about pop music is so appealing?  Why is pop music popular?

I have set out to sate my curiosity and answer that very broad question with a project called  "The Decade Hit"  I'm sure we all  have a few questions.

What are you going to do?
I will analyze pop songs that have attained no.1 status on the Billboard Hot 100 list.  
Chosen songs will be from the same week of the year, across multiple decades.

What will these analyses entail?
I will analyze melodies, chord progressions, form, tempo, lyrics, texture, etc. - the nuts and bolts of the music.

What are you hoping to find?
Hmm...the silver bullet, the cipher to pop music?  Or at the very least, attributes that make a good song good.  Or perhaps I will find an appreciation for pop music, even if I am not fond of it on a personal or musical level.

Why compare decades?
Comparing songs in ten year intervals will hopefully yield some fruitful revelations.  Songs from the same year will presumably have similar qualities.  What about songs from different decades?  I am interested in what popular tastes are sustained over time.   

What about popular culture?
There is no doubt that non-musical cultural elements help to influence a song's popularity and position on the charts.  Culture influences popularity.  I will not take these factors into account.  I am interested in musical elements.  I believe a good song is a good song, regardless of extraneous factors.  Will this premise hold true through the decades and fads?
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What else?
I write a lot of music in many different genres.  Through my song analysis, I hope to get some insights into my own song writing and push myself past my normal writing limits, conventions and tastes.

I am sure that my premise will go through a transmutation as this project progresses, which will probably be half the fun.  Writing my own personal songs, attempting to conform to patterns and formulas I discover, is something very appealing to me.  I love writing music within parameters.

So I hope you join me on this journey of discovery, craftsmanship and analysis of pop music through the decades.   

What no.1 songs do you love or hate that you would like to see analyzed?  Leave me a comment and I will add it to the list!