Interesting thread . . . . and one to which there will be no solitary answer!

If someone knew the formula, the charts would be full of songs we ALL loved. The fact is, everyone has differing tastes and that will take into account many factors such as.

1. Familiarity and appreciation of artist or style of music
2. Circumstances surrounding the enjoyment or understanding of a song
3. Words and tune
4."singability"
5. Emotive content (to the listener)

Often there can be a an un describable element that lifts a song from pleasant to "classic" An example (to my ears) would be "The first Time Ever I saw your face". I can take or leave Ewan McColl's original, but I would argue that Roberta Flacks version is a contender for the greatest pop love song of all time.

I would offer up John Lennon's Imagine as a similar classic, however in the hands of many others, it frequently becomes a dirge.

Some "great" pop songs never even reach the charts, but seem to be known by millions. I was surprised to here the other day that Albert Hammond's "Southern California" never reached the top 40 singles chart here in the UK. However I would bet that just about everyone over 40 can manage the chorus.

So, no definitive answer. However just one thought. If there is a magic formula to making classic / hit records, lets just hope Simon Cowell doesn't discover it!

Cheers
LL