How To Write Pop in 80s style | Tutorial

Making pop-music like it was done in the 80s is really all about chord changes, modulation and finding a nice melody that flows through the chords. Pretty much the opposite of what pop music is today.
The arrangement where one or more instruments make up a triad chord (three notes, or more) is very important. It's important to arrange those chords so the top note in the chord played (or heard) does not end up on the same note as the vocal melody. That can often sound bland. By carefully laying those chords you will end up with much more texture, tension or mood. All for the benefit of the listener.
By doing transitional chords, often with a root bass up major or minor third step at the end of bar, will often be very effective and "nice" to listen to. A very common way of "moving" around within a bar in the 80s. (it started of course in the 60s and 70s).
If you then also vary minor chords by augmenting them to include 7ths (or 9ths) every so often, you have all the foundations for a trip back to the 80s, if you use sounds and drums to go with it. The same for major chords, add a 7th or 9 to get more texture.
In this tutorial I go through all these techniques described above.

Please remember that the lyrics doesn't necessarily have to be about love. Often the most interesting lyrics are about other things. I tell a true story in the lyrics for this one and I've only exaggerated the narrative for dramatic purposes. ;-)

The released version of the song can be found through the links below.

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Growing up I listened to so much synth-pop and it's only natural that my own music takes inspiration from many of the acts I loved back then. I still love them and listen to them!

Howard Jones, Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, New Order, Erasure, Thompson Twins, Tears for Fears, The Human League, Propaganda. FGTH, Ultravox, OMD, Eurythmics, Duran Duran, Giorgio Moroder, Jean Michel Jarre, Jan Hammer, Alphaville, A-ha as well as loads of artists doing what is now called Italo Disco. And many more great acts like Nik Kershaw, Spandau Ballet, Wham, Dire Straits ++