Of course, here’s the article with titles included:
Pop Music’s Revival: Billboard Top 100 Inspiring Today’s Hits
Over the last 15 years, pop music has made a big comeback with the help of yesterday’s Billboard Top 100. What does the Billboard Top 100 of every year have to do with today’s hits?
Producers’ Insights: Drawing from the Past
After interviewing the biggest producers in the music industry, almost all of them confessed that before they create a new song, they often hold listening sessions of Billboard Top 100 of every year. Mainly because they all agreed that it’s the best source of inspiration but most importantly because they love to take old hits and reinvent them. “If it was a Billboard Top 100 of an earlier year than it could do it again,” says super producer Lu Diaz of the Diaz Brothers. He says many producers and writers practice this method. Lu Diaz also said that there is no shame in it: “We are hired to make a hit record. That’s our job.”
Reviving Classics: Past Hits Breathing New Life
Here is a list of songs that have made it into the Billboard Top 100 in the last 5 or so years which were originally hits on yesterday’s Billboard Top 100.
1.) “Right Round” Reimagined: “Right Round,” produced by Dr. Luke, uses the melody and partial lyrics of Dead or Alive’s “You Spin Me Round.” This was a Billboard Top 100 of 1985. It reached the #11 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Doctor Luke says that his team consistently listens to songs from Billboard’s history to inspire song ideas.
3.) “Club Can’t Handle Me”: A Nod to the Past: “Club Can’t Handle Me,” produced by David Guetta, uses the chords of John Lennon’s “Imagine.” Again, another producer, same concept. While listening in the studio to the classic Billboard Top 100 of 1971, David and his producers decided to play the same chords and write a new song over them.
4.) “Good Feeling”: Sampling a Classic: “Good Feeling,” released in 2012, contains a sample of Etta James’s vocals from the song “Something’s Got a Hold on Me.” Produced by Dr. Luke, this song was initially produced by Avicii. Like the rest of the producers mentioned here, Avicii heard Etta James while listening through song after song from Billboard Top 100 of 1962.
5.) “I Cry”: Reviving Brenda Russell’s Hook: “I Cry,” released in 2012, as well contains a sample of Brenda Russell’s hit “Piano in the Dark.” Produced by The Futuristics, they as well found Brenda Russell’s hook from listening to Billboard Top 100 of 1987. The song was turned into a number one smash for Flo Rida.
Continuing the Legacy: Reincarnating the Past
Although we love our favorite artists’ new music, it is hard to ignore the evidence. We can safely assume that our favorite pop artists’ hits not only were inspired by yesterday’s Billboard Top 100 hits but are actual reincarnations of yesterday’s Billboard Top 100 hits.
“This website is a database of every commercial song that has borrowed or sampled another song. Very cool site that shows YouTube videos of both the sampler and the sampled song from Billboard Top 100 songs.
Check it out!”