Hooks (continued)
Many people feel that a melodic hook is the most powerful of the two. It’s that melodic motif that you just can’t get out of your head and makes you want to go back and hear more as you find yourself humming when you leave the theater or on your way into the house from the car. A good example would be the outro or the na na na part of the Beatles’ song “Hey Jude”.
The lyrical hooks on the other hand, quite logically hooks the listener with the words. It’s often the title of the song that is an excellent way of reminding the listener of what the song’s title is. Sometimes a lyrical hook is a creative twist on words, other times. It often accomplishes its goal by repetition.
It’s the combination of both that creates the most powerful hooks. When the repetition of the lyric is combined with a catchy melody it’s pretty hard to forget. All the great songwriters are masters of this.
Advertising jingles are often about the hook because they want you remember the product.
Hooks usually involve repetition and the purpose of the repetition is to make sure that it sticks in the listeners head. How do you identify the hook? It’s easy. Think about one of your favorite songs. Now think about the catchiest part of the song and you’ve found the hook.
Does a great song need to even have a hook? No, it doesn’t. Does a commercial song need to have a hook? Almost always the answer is ‘yes’.
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Jim Bruno's Songwriting Class 