All You Need is Love? Communication Insights from Pop Music's Number-One Hits

In response to calls for further investigation on the role of music and advertising, the authors of the current study analyzed popular music's most successful songs over a 50-year period (1960–2009). The current paper uses a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches to uncover communication themes from nearly 1,000 songs that best resonated with mass audiences. The study identifies 12 communication themes and finds that they are used repeatedly over time; are largely emotional in nature; appear congruent with contemporary societal and environmental influences; and help predict a song's chances of commercial success. The results provide advertising professionals with a repertoire of themes for consideration in advertising and other marketing communications for mass audiences.