10 best melodists in pop music contest

Imagine the world has run out of electrocity. We are left only with some archaic feelings like love, with some out-of-fashion means of locomotion like our feet, with computers made of tissue called brains. And with music that can describe all that. But when you don't have your box of electronic effects, no beats, no discos, you can only pick up some acoustic guitars and use your voice. WHAT SONG CAN STAND THAT? That's a question, don't you think?

I think I’m not the only one, who wonders why some songs just stick and are around for a longer period of time (call it forever!) and the others not. There were many influential artists in the past 50 years, who emerged in the time, when pop music became the leading force in musical industry (I am a great fan of classical music as well, but taking into consideration that I don’t know that much about it, I’ll stick to rock and roll and what follows) but few survived over the years going by. Why there are some songs which became standards and everyone knows them? What is that core of the business that made "Yesterday" like everybody’s song?

I bet you know the answer, because it’s simple, although many “true” musicians refuse to admit that. Composition. Or maybe rather the composition. Melody and harmony in the background make the hits songs. No more no less. Guy Dudgeon (producer of Elton John’s albums) said “there are not hit lyrics, there are hit melodies”. And that’s true. Even if Paul McCartney had released his "Yesterday" as “Scrambled Eggs” you would know this song. Because of the melody. There are just some people who craft melodies effortlessly. And they need nothing more because when the melody is memorable and better, hummable, you don’t have to overdub tons of effects on the record. There are many who hide their inability to write hit melodies with production, beats, arrangements. Yes, I’m a fan of melodies and I always like the song which I can actually sing in the bathroom better than the most progressive but hard to understand piece of music. Although I like these ones too.
Going to the point. I’d like to show you my list of greatest pop music composers. Not necessarily songwriters, mark my words! Some of them have/had the skills to make their songs so memorable they will survive hundreds of years, just like Mozart or Bach. I’m quite certain about this. And one more thing before I start: relative simplicity of pop music do not mean that this is any worse than Mozart. He also wrote pop music. Yes he did.

So today, number 10 on my subjective list:

10. Sting

The man who stands behind the hit singles of The Police. But, what is unusual, he made his own name even bigger than the band’s he wrote for. What is so special about him that he can make a post-punk song like “Roxanne”, a pop-masterpiece “Every Breath You Take” and East-influenced “Desert Rose” become an international Hit? And when I write this, there come to my mind at least 5 more signature tunes from this guy + some memorable instrumental hooks. Here we go with his signature tunes:


(I used to hate this song, it’s so overplayed, dare I say. But anyway it’s so massive with hooks and melody that no wonder that it has been sampled so many times to this day)


(Quite the same story as above – and music shops’ workers are probably sick of the classical guitar hook! ;)


(The song that blend effortless melodic craft with acoustic hook plus orchestra into one more masterpiece about love. And what is very important – the eastern influences are so obvious yet very pleasing. Very personal song to me as well)

Well that’s Sting on spot number 10. Any suggestions of the songs that best show his melodic skills and intuition? Comments appreciated. And watch for no 9!