I see the term used often. But I’m not a musician and I’m not sure what parts of a song are the “hook”. Here is a quote from Wikipedia about the Stones’ song, “This could be the last time”
“A full live performance is also prominently featured in the 2012 re-edit of the 1965 documentary Charlie Is My Darling. The footage confirms that the rhythm chords and guitar solo were played by Keith Richards, while the song’s distinctive hook was played by Brian Jones.”
Can one of you musicians link to a recording of the song and list what time the hook is played? Or any other song you like.
A song can have multiple hooks, but I would call that riff played in the intro, like literally right when the song begins and is repeated through the song, is the main hook.
“Hook” by Blues Traveler is an interesting song. The chord progression matches Pachelbel’s Canon’s, one of the catchiest songs ever. Basically the entire song is a one big ‘hook’ from start to finish. And the lyrics mock the listeners for being so easy to manipulate into liking the song.
The main hook in the OP’s song is the guitar lick played right at the beginning.
In general, the hook is the part you find yourself humming when you have the song playing in your head. Some songs can have multiple hooks - often described as a “hooky” song. The opening guitar lick in “Layla” for example, is a great hook.
I always considered Blues Traveler’s “Hook” as being somewhat ironic, in that it doesn’t have a real hook to my ears. Just a very catchy melody and very famous chord progression. Basically Popper just saying he can write just about whatever he wants on top of those chords and you’ll tap your feet and hum along and love it.
I just realized that the “hook” is the (usually guitar) lick that “hooks” you, and gets you into the song.
.
At the end of Licks Off Of Records, from back in Martin Mull’s stand up days (no, he was America’s first “Sit Down” Comedian), he plays a series of famous hooks. The point is he has no innate talent: “They’re just Licks Off Of Records that I’ve learned.”
The first one he does is the beginning of Sunshine Of Your Love by Cream, then Satisfaction, then different performances had different hooks added.
eta: Oops, on the brilliant version he does with Glen Campbell they make up their own licks at the end. Well, still a funny funny song!
Listen to the Cure’s “Just like Heaven”, the guitar hook comes in at 0:25. That’s a hook. But what’s fun about this song is that there is another hook, a keyboard hook, that starts around 1:30 but becomes prominent in the bridge at 2:11.
Classical music can have hooks, as well. Consider the first four notes of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, which keep popping up throughout the entire piece. Of course, since it’s classical music, we call it a motif.
I would say that the “hook” is the part of the song that, when you hear it, makes you go “Oh, it’s that song”. It’s typically right at the start, but sometimes a song starts off relatively nondescript and only has the distinctive hook some ways in.
John Williams movie themes are good examples of songs with hooks. They are usually the 3 to 10 note string someone could play on the piano or hum that would make you say “oh, that’s Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, Star Wars, etc.”
I got it! So it can really occur anytime during the song. I was thinking it was the long musical solo about 2/3 of the way through many songs. “Green Grass and High Tides” has that fantastic long musical part that really gets frenetic about 5:55. But that song has so many different melodies going on it’s hard to say which one stands out the most. Maybe even the first 45 second of deliberate picking. I can only imagine what the crowd at a live show does when they start that song! Simply the best Southern rock song ever.
