What is a hook, and does your song have one?

As musicians, our music is our greatest asset. That might sound obvious, but in today’s music industry—where we’re expected to release songs constantly, manage our own promotion, and compete with a flood of new tracks every week—it’s easy to lose focus on what really matters: the quality of our songs.

We tend to hope that something will click with an audience. But hope isn’t a strategy. To cut through the noise, we need to be intentional—and that starts with making sure each song has something that sticks. Something that hits. Something that people remember.

That something is usually the hook.

Yes, the mystical, overused word we all hear—but rarely know how to define or create. The good news is that it’s not actually that mysterious. Plenty of legendary writers—like Lennon and McCartney, Max Martin, Carole King, Irving Berlin, Prince, Diane Warren, and Smokey Robinson—have figured out how to write songs that stick. And the hook tends to be at the center of it all.

So, let’s break down what a hook actually is—and how you can make sure your song has one (or several).

What is a hook?

A hook is the thing that makes a song interesting. It’s what people latch onto—what Seth Godin might call the remarkable part. The part that gets stuck in someone’s head. The part they sing, hum, whistle, or feel compelled to share with others.

It might be a lyric, a melody, a beat, a riff, a rhythm, or a sound. It could be in the intro, the verse, the chorus, or the bridge. It might be a single repeated line, or a small musical moment that cuts through everything else.

Great songs usually have more than one.

How do you know if your song has one?

Ask yourself:

• What part of this song is memorable?

• Can someone hum or sing something from it after one listen?

• Is there anything that makes a listener say, “Whoa… that was cool?”

If you’re not sure, keep listening. Play it for someone else and see what they remember. Or step away for a bit, then ask: what part is still in your head?

And if nothing stands out—you might not be there yet. That’s okay. Keep writing. Keep experimenting. Keep working until you find it.

Why is it so hard to define?

Because a hook isn’t one thing. It’s not a formula, a specific chord progression, or drumbeat. And it’s not always in the same place from song to song—like the chorus.

A hook works because of the way it makes someone respond. It’s emotional. It catches their attention, sparks curiosity, or triggers a feeling—and most importantly, it makes them want to hear it again.

Can you actually write a hook on purpose?

Again, there’s no formula. No guaranteed method. But there are patterns—and there’s practice.

Some writers seem to have an instinct for what sticks, but even then, it’s usually the result of repetition, experimentation, and a strong understanding of what grabs a listener’s attention.

There are tools like Hooktheory that explore chord progressions and melodies that have worked in popular songs. But you can also just study songs you love—what makes certain parts stand out? What gets stuck in your head?

At the end of the day, it all boils down to this one simple question:

Does it stick?

How to shape a hook as you write

Hooks usually show up while you’re writing—so you need to pay attention. That one phrase you keep repeating? That riff you can’t stop humming? That might be it. Other times, you have to keep working until it reveals itself.

Start by asking: what’s the most interesting part of this song? What stands out, even just a little? That’s where you dig in.

Strong hooks tend to share some common traits:

• Keep it simple. Some of the best hooks are just 3 or 4 notes or a short lyrical phrase.

• Make it singable or hummable. If someone can repeat it after one listen, you're on the right track.

• Rhythm matters. Can you tap it out? Does it make you want to move?

• Aim for emotion. A great hook doesn’t just sound good—it makes people feel something.

• Let it lead. If it feels strong, build the rest of the song around it.

Your hook doesn’t have to be big. It just has to connect.

Hooks vs. Earworms

A hook is any element of a song that grabs attention—something memorable, interesting, or repeatable.

An earworm is the result. It’s what happens when that hook (or several of them) gets stuck in your head for hours—or even days.

Most songs that turn into earworms are loaded with hooks, often stacked on top of each other. The more memorable elements a song has, the more likely it is to get lodged in your brain.

Take these for example:

• “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga – the “rah-rah-ah-ah-ah” and chorus melody are instantly recognizable and relentlessly catchy.

• “Wannabe” by Spice Girls – the rapid-fire vocal delivery and repetitive chorus make it nearly impossible to forget.

• “Baby Shark” by Pinkfong – designed for kids, but impossible to ignore. It’s simple, repetitive, and engineered to loop in your mind.

Earworms often rely on simplicity, repetition, and strong melodic structure. The music is written to be remembered.

If a hook is the tool, the earworm is the outcome.

Wanna dig further?

Here are a few insights that help explain what makes music catchy:

• Catchiness isn't just about melody. It can come from rhythm, lyrics, repetition, production techniques, or even cultural context.

• Common techniques include repetition, hooks, and unique phrasing. A lot of popular songs use repeated phrases to create something memorable.

• “Earworms” have been studied in psychology. Research shows that familiarity, simple melodies, and exposure increase the chances of a song getting stuck in your head.

• Advertisers, pop writers, and even classical composers have all used hooks intentionally. It’s a craft that transcends genre and era.

Neurologist and author Oliver Sacks has writtern pretty extensively about earworms in his book Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain. He described them as a kind of involuntary mental replay—something deeply tied to memory, rhythm, and emotion.

If you're interested in the science, psychology, and cultural reach of catchy songs, Musicophilia is worth a read.

Some common questions

Can you force a hook by repeating a bad idea?
Not really. Some artists believe that if you just hammer a weak idea into a listener's head—by repeating it enough times or hyping it hard enough—it'll somehow become memorable. But repetition alone doesn’t make something good. If the main idea isn’t strong, no amount of exposure is going to turn it into a hook. A great hook needs something compelling at its core—something people want to hear again.

Can your song have more than one hook?
Totally. The more the better. Some songs hit you with a vocal hook, an instrumental riff, and something rhythmic. Each one adds to the mix and creates a different kind of pull. Think "Uptown Funk."

What if you don’t write pop music?
Hooks exist in every genre—they just go by different names: riffs, motifs, heads, drops, vamps. It’s all the same idea: a repeated musical idea that pulls you in and sticks around.

What if your song doesn’t have one?
Keep going. The hook might already be in there—you just haven’t noticed it yet. Or maybe it needs a few more revisions to show up. Sometimes it’s a melodic idea. Sometimes it’s a lyrical thing. Sometimes it’s just the right rhythmic element.

How do you find hooks in other songs?
Practice critical listening. Look at Top 40 charts, or any songs from the artists mentioned earlier in this post. Try to identify the hooks. Is there a part that you find yourself humming or singing? That’s probably the hook. If it’s still looping in your brain hours later, then you’ve found an earworm.

Hooks aren’t magic. They’re not mythical. They’re not reserved for certain writers.

They’re what makes a song worth repeating.

So when you find one? Use it. Repeat it. Let it lead.

Let it do what hooks are meant to do: Stick.