Top 40/CHR: “Love: Attracted To You” (13); “Love: Falling In Love” (12); “Dance” (10); “Love: Choose Me” (10); “Bars & Clubs”(9); and “Love: Young Love” (9).
Urban: “Love: Making Love” (19); “Bragging” (18); “Bars and Clubs” (15); “Money” (14); and “Love: Love & Money” (13).
Although love themes dominated subject matter, 2008 also produced issue-oriented songs. Protest songs came up 10 times including Serj Tankian’s “Empty Walls” and John Mayer’s “Waiting On The World To Change.”
Domestic abuse came up four times, three of them in Alternative, such as Red Jumpsuit Apparatus’ “Face Down.”
While grieving someone’s death appeared in six songs, suicide was noted four times including Disturbed’s “Inside The Fire” and Three Days Grace’s “Never Too Late.”
Songs Featured Product Placement
Product placement in music went mainstream in 2008. 55 songs – for a total of 12% - mentioned specific brands including Patrón Tequila with seven mentions, and Hennessy Cognac and Kodak with three. American Express Red, Apple Bottom Jeans, Gucci, Hermes, iTunes, Louis Vuitton, Nike, UPS, YouTube and even Rogaine all had two mentions in the songs surveyed..
According to greenbookofsongs.com, “Nearly a third of Urban hit songs referred to particular products or brands. Specific car makes and models also were frequently cited last year, with Chevrolet coming up eight times, Bentley/Maybach receiving seven nods, Lamborghini getting five, and Cadillac collecting four. California was the leading state, with three mentions.”
The analysis was conducted by Lauren Virshup and Jeff Green of Professional Desk References, Inc., the publisher of the GreenBookofSongs.com database website and, The Green Book of Songs By Subject: The Thematic Guide To Popular Music.
(Portions from a greenbookofsongs.com Press Release)
