Hooks & Memes

The “hook” of the song, is the catchy part of the song. It is that part that you think of first when someone asks you to sing the song. The hook is usually found in the chorus, and it is sometimes also the title of the song.

Think of the Beatles’ song “Love Me Do”. Where is the hook? You’ve guessed it, it is the “Love Me Do”-part. What is the hook in the song you introduced as your favourite song?

A “meme” is a piece of cultural information that easily spreads within a community. Some short video clips on the Internet that people forward to each other are a form of memes. The phrase “Why so serious?!” from the movie Batman: The Dark Knight is a very famous meme.

Certain tunes, and often the choruses of popular music, can be a meme. Frequently the hook of a very popular song can also become a meme. Have you ever whistled or hummed a part of a song, and then suddenly a friend that overheard you starts to whistle or hum it too? That is a meme in action -- a piece of cultural information moving from one brain to another brain.

As you can see hooks and memes have a close relationship. The most famous songs are those songs that have become popular memes.

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