By Ian Murphy

When you look at what constitutes a truly great pop song, you need to ask yourself: what are the criteria? For me, it has much less to do with historical significance or chart position but has more to do with the caliber of composition and what is actually going on in the song itself. The level of musicianship doesn’t necessarily have to be elite, but competence, flow, and performance are key. A classic example of a nearly flawless pop song is Heart’s “Straight On”, originally off of their killer 1978 album Dog and Butterfly. The version I personally prefer is the live rendition off of 1995’s acoustic album The Road Home, and this is the version that we will examine below.

This song excels on a many different levels. Firstly, “Straight On” is a tight band performance, and it shows how well bassist Fernando Saunders and drummer Denny Fongheiser gel as a unit. The extended intro in the live version showcases Saunders’ bass-line as particularly noteworthy. It just slides and jumps over Fongheiser’s simple opening beat, setting a funky tone to a forceful and demanding song. The solid rhythm is a recurring theme as “Straight On” progresses, climaxing in a syncopated jam at the very end.

In regards to song-craft, “Straight On” is a thoughtfully arranged piece, and subtly complex. As simple as the song is initially, it builds and grows into a funky masterpiece punctuated along the way with guitarist Nancy Wilson’s signature jangly chords. As great as the song is crafted, with its seamless transitions and fantastic melodies, the tour de force of “Straight On” is (naturally, of course) Ann Wilson’s vocal performance, which is incredibly powerful and effective. Wilson’s delivery and emotion really compliment the strong rhythm and melody. So, in essence, what we have is a rhythmically strong, lyrically relatable, subtly melodic song with a very catchy hook.

What makes “Straight On” a good example of a perfect pop song is its balance, tastefully arranged song-craft and its stylistic versatility. There is a little of a lot of styles present here. There is a little disco bounce, some funky syncopation, a little jangle guitar and some seriously powerhouse vocals. This is a song that you can dance to and also appreciate the melody. While not a classic and timeless piece like “Candle in the Wind” or “Superstition”, “Straight On” is an excellent representation of quality composition and tasteful arrangement.

[si-contact-form form=’3′]