The Song Machine: How to Make a Hit

How does one craft a song into a global smash hit, virtually guaranteed to generate millions? Read The Song Machine and discover the secrets.

From the days of Tin Pan Alley and Motown to the contemporary sounds of Rihanna and Taylor Swift, manufactured music has been a constant presence since the very inception of the record industry. But who exactly are these hit-manufacturers, capable of conjuring a tune so incredibly catchy, so wildly addictive, that it embeds itself in the minds of millions of listeners?

In The Song Machine, John Seabrook meticulously dissects the inner workings of this intricate apparatus, journeying across the globe to uncover its hidden formulas and to interview its masterminds — 'the hitmakers' — who stand at its very core. Both hilarious and utterly shocking in its revelations, this book promises to fundamentally alter how you perceive and emotionally connect with music, as well as how you actively listen to it.

Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation, describes it as 'Revelatory, funny, and full of almost unbelievable details,' while The Sunday Times calls it 'As addictive as its subject.'