What makes a good song?

There are a lot of opinions on this topic and no one knows all the answers.  It is subject to many variables. I can give you some of the things I learned as a staff writer for many years.  This won't be an exhaustive list but it will help you get started.

1) Remember you're writing to 5th graders.
2) You must have a good memorable lyrical hook.
3) It also needs to have a musical hook that doesn't sound like everything else on the radio.
4) Be original!
5) Try to keep the song as close to three minutes as possible.
6) Get rid of throw away words like buts and I's etc...
7) The topic needs to be relatable to your audience.
8) Keep it interesting.

All of these sound simple to do but there is a lot more to song-writing. This is a good place to start. At AMP our goal is to take you as for as you want to go as a writer. Come join us and let us walk you the art of song-writing. myamp.org