80/20 rule of “hits”: does it apply to you?

The Pop music world does one thing well—give the audience what they want.  There are plenty of reasoned arguments against this: that massive radio companies have “pushed” content audiences don’t really want, that record companies have dictated taste, etc.

There _is_, however a  counterargument: The listener has had over 5 years now of Pirate bay, napster, limewire, etc. where they can expose both strangers and friends to all that the world has to offer musically…..

….and pop isn’t dead.

Its not selling as well as it used to–but pop is short for popular–(and I’m including ALL mainstream categories here–rock, R&B, Country, you name it.)–and its still selling strong.  There must be something to that….

Not everybody wants to be Spears, West, or Cash–at least, not in the “paparazzi-chase-me” sense–but most artists would like a piece of that success–the “enough-to-make-a-living-without-a-day-job” sense of popularity.

And that brings us to the 80/20 rule.

You’ve probably heard of the “80/20″ rule–but if not, here’s the basics:

Lat 19th century economist Vilfredo Pareto discovered that 80% of the wealth in his country was controlled by 20% of the people.  He started seeing this 80/20 vibe happening all around him–even the vegetables in his garden (20% of the peapods producing 80% of the peas)!

Other modern examples:

-20% of your carpet probably gets 80% of the wear.

-20% of a businesses customers generate 80% of its revenue.

-20% of your clothes get worn 80% of the time.

Which leads us to the possibility that 80% of your gains as a band (writing, playing out, creating connections with your audience, etc.) will happen with 20% of your actions.

The trick is simple: Figure out which of your actions are in that 20% range–and focus on those.  If your actions fall outside the 20% range–question their utility, and possibly drop them altogether.  The more time you spend doing the things that generate 80% of your gains, the better off you are.  Seems simple enough, right?

This broad principle applies to a host of things–practice time and style, writing, editing, recording, etc.  Nearly all of an artist’s activities  can benefit from the application of this principle.  But there is one area where artists draw the line…ever wonder why some bands tracks “all sound the same”, yet they have hit after hit after hit? Perhaps they found that 20% of their songs accounted for 80% of their hits….and remember…”hit” does not _have_ to mean “platinum record”.  A Hit is what pays the bills, covers travel expenses, etc. But…..

Wait!! Isn’t that like selling out?  Allowing the audience to dictate your art?

It could be–and it might be exactly what you need, or it might break you.  This is a question each and every act must decide for themselves:

What do you want from your music?

If you are making art for the sake of art–if you are working your muse for yourself first, and any audience second–then this idea is anathema.  It would at best give you “stale” results, at worst turn you into a “tool”–something artists (rightfully) fear.  Problem is, unless what you like is liked by a LOT of other people, you are UNlikely to quit your day job.

If you want to be a “rock star” with all the trimmings–then this is precisely the path to follow–in fact, its the ONLY path to follow.  Find a sound that casts as wide a net as possible–and wallow in that sound.  As times change, you follow.  Problem is, you need to be awfully lucky or smart for that one. Those who have morphed their sound (Madonna) or simply ARE a sound (the ‘Stones) have lived the life–and while this is THE lottery win, it happens about as often. Perhaps slightly less.

However–if you are in a compact with your fanbase–if what they like is what you do, or if you strive to give your audience what they want…then perhaps you can take a lesson from Pareto in this most sacred of endevours.  Let the audience tell you what they want–and give them more of it.   Write what you love–find your 1,000 or 5,000 fans, and PAY ATTENTION to them.  Carefully.  Watch your numbers online–pay attention to what gets played.  Which songs give a coherent message to the listener?  Which tunes give them what they need–catharsis, happiness, energy, whatever–so they give you their attention.

Then give them more of it.