What my uncle Neil Sedaka taught me about the evolution of hit making

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(CNN)A fewer months ago, I was listening to the vigor successful the car with my buddy Noam. He said to me, "Your uncle is acold much respected successful the euphony manufacture than [this artist]."

My uncle is Neil Sedaka. I won't archer you who the different creator helium mentioned was, but he's idiosyncratic with galore fig 1 hits successful the 1970s and has a nickname for his fans.

My infinitesimal with Noam was crippled changing for me, adjacent though person known for a agelong clip that the antheral I cognize arsenic Uncle Neil was famous. I tin callback seeing golden and platinum records lining his apartment. There are photos of Uncle Neil with the feline with large sunglasses successful his kitchen. Not to notation that I've been backstage astatine a fewer concerts.

Still, I hadn't realized however uncommon his occurrence was, truthful I decided to speech with my Uncle Neil and look into however his vocation illustrates the wide arc of the changing euphony industry. You tin perceive to our speech connected this week's "Margins of Error" podcast.

Some of the younger radical speechmaking this whitethorn not cognize who Uncle Neil is. You mightiness confuse him with Neil Diamond oregon adjacent Neil Young, but I stake astir of you volition person heard the phrases "love volition support america together" oregon "breaking up is hard to do." Those were some fig 1 songs successful this country, and Uncle Neil wrote the euphony for some of them.

Uncle Neil is considered truthful timeless that helium was asked to impermanent big connected play 2 of "American Idol" successful 2003. Soon after, contestant Clay Aiken charted with Uncle Neil's "Solitaire" making him 1 of a fewer artists to illustration successful the apical 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 5 decades (1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 2000s).

But what makes Uncle Neil truthful uncommon is that helium some wrote and sung astir of his apical hits. He's 1 of lone astir 80 artists to person partially written and sung astatine slightest 3 No. 1 songs connected the Billboard Hot 100.

And arsenic the "American Idol" quality hints at, Uncle Neil was capable to transcend popular trends and scope occurrence crossed wildly antithetic philharmonic eras. He's 1 lone of astir 10 artists to person 3 No. 1 hits that helium sung and wrote with much than a twelve years in-between his archetypal and past No. 1 hit.

You astir apt admit immoderate of the different names connected that database similar Madonna, Mariah Carey, Elton John and Janet Jackson.

Indeed, Uncle Neil wasn't conscionable astir length, but astir depth. From 1959-1963, helium became the 2nd best-selling creator adjacent to Elvis Presley. Uncle Neil knew helium was connected apical of the satellite erstwhile helium saw his archetypal fig 1 deed (the aforementioned "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do") connected the Billboard Hot 100.

But the existent euphony manufacture is precise different. There are present much Billboard charts than we tin count. In my Uncle's heyday, you listened to songs connected a grounds oregon implicit the radio; determination are truthful galore options astatine our fingertips now. All you request to bash is property a portion of glass.

According to Will Page, a erstwhile Chief Economist astatine Spotify, determination are present implicit 75,000 songs a time being released via streaming and implicit 70 cardinal songs disposable to america astatine immoderate clip due to the fact that of streaming.

These numbers are rapidly changing and are acold antithetic than backmost successful the day.

In the 1970s, astatine spot similar Tower Records, you'd person astir 40,000 albums to take from.

The mode we presumption occurrence for today's artists are overmuch much varied than they were 65 years agone erstwhile Uncle Neil was getting his start.

Is a opus a deed if it is trending connected YouTube? What if it becomes associated with a Tik-Tok meme? The thought of vigor plays and selling songs conscionable doesn't clasp the aforesaid h2o arsenic it utilized to.

Put different way, they don't ever bespeak the wider taste issues and conversations that are happening.

If the Billboard Hot 100 was Uncle Neil's "bible" of success, what are the guideposts today? Are determination any?

You'll person to tune successful to find out.

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