Hits

Whether crafted by genius producers, cooked up by barely sane independent record company guys or stumbled upon after one too many beers, the hit record contains a little magic that insinuates its way into the ear, sticking to the relevant brain cells whether wanted or not. There is no formula for making a hit, they just happen, or more often than not – they don’t, for the hit record is a rare thing. Somewhere along the career path of even the most adventurous artist there is almost certain to be a hit record, or at the very least a blatant attempt at one. Though for some that hit was the career. In the Golden Age the hit came as a 45 rpm seven-inch and lasted anywhere from 1:14 to around 2:27. It was this leanness, this lack of excess that made them a delight; it was all over before you had a chance to think about it and left behind a fleeting memory of something wonderful. Of course these old hit records can be pure nostalgia, pushing emotional buttons, throwing you back into the moment, but they are also little works of art, miniature existential miracles and if you don’t have a stack of them in your heart, then something sure is missing.