It’s been playing crazy on the radios. Everyone’s talking about it. Downloads are soaring high up the charts. CDs are running out of stock. Names have been emerging here and there. Such things are the effect of releasing a hit song.

Before popular songs became mass favorites, do we know anything about the concepts behind these singles?

Here are some songs that reached the peak of the charts and the background that took part of their success.

Everyone is dazzled (or at least, aware) of the iconic song “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” by superstar Beyonce. The theme of the song emphasizes women empowerment through its catchy hook and chorus. However, it was the video that actually made the whole song a worldwide craze, which was inspired by a 1969 performance of Gwen Verdon in a hit TV show. Beyonce stated that she saw the video of the performance and would like to incorporate its elements on her own video.

Taylor Swift’s “You Belong With Me” also has its back story. According to Taylor, the concept of the song came from a guy pal who’s talking on the phone with his girlfriend which ends in quite a messy argument. Thus, the first few lines of the song emphasize the scenario. Consequently, the whole crush thing just came to life. Basically, it tells having a crush with someone who’s committed to another, who in turn doesn’t even like him/her for who he/she is.

Lady GaGa’s “Paparazzi” doesn’t really tackle much about the media stuff. According to GaGa, it’s a song about choosing between love and fame, and how this concept catches hordes of paparazzo. The chorus of the song is actually ironic because GaGa inserts that she’s a big fan of a paparazzi, which in reality is possibly the other way around.

These songs prove that popular songs are made, not born.

Tags: Behind, Beyonce, Elements, Fame, Favorites, gaga, Girlfriend, Gwen Verdon, Hook, Hordes, Love, MOST, Pal, Paparazzi, Popular, Popular Songs, Radios, Rationale, Single Ladies, Singles, Songs, Stock, Superstar, Today’s, Worldwide Craze