Catchy catchy slowly monkey

"Papz see me up in the vicinity and flash me, I'm the definition of definitive and catchy"

Tinie Tempah

Tell me though, what makes a song catchy? Guitar solos do it for you? Keyboard riffs? Chords? Or even vocals? For me, it is all of them, but when I think of catchy, I put great emphasis on the chords used in songs, and depending on the sequence the chords are used in, it will present itself in a distinctive key. Catchy songs don't necessarily have to be happy tunes that people can bust their best moves to; they can be catchy that they send a shiver down your spine as if the song is massaging you - a digital massage if you will...
Agree with these upcoming choices?

Gary Jules - Mad World

This Tears For Fears cover was used in the cult film Donnie Darko, and gained the UK Christmas No.1 spot in 2003. It is a soft piano cover that is easily one of the most emotional pieces of popular music ever recorded. Set in the key of C Minor with a chord progression of Fm-Ab-Eb-Bb, it doesn't change much throughout the song, but the use of many flat chords makes this song so catchy for me; they're the sort of chords I can listen to all day long. Maybe it also has something to do with the fact that the same chord progression is used in the verses for 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams' by Green Day, which a lot of you will remember was my favourite song for a while. I also love listening to the chorus when the vocoder kicks in on Jules' voice; it's moving to say the least, and in a way, catchy.

Biffy Clyro - Mountains

Choosing this song is based around the chords used once more; most of them are flat. The guitars are detuned to make it easier for the Scottish power-trio to control. The key part for me in this song is the post-chorus part that kicks in precisely one minute in (Ab5-Bb5-F#5-Db5), and especially the second time around when there is an addition of a piano melody to compliment the raw sound being produced. This is Biffy's anthem and no wonder. It's not quite them at their most creative, but it's still identifiable enough to be Biffy Clyro. Mon the Biffy!

Coldplay - In My Place

Throughout my teens, this was one song that I would hear the guitar over and over again in my head but would never remember the name of the song. It finally came to me on the way to a night up town (yeeeeeah) and I was listening to Coldplay play live at Glastonbury 2011 on Radio 1, and then this gem appeared three songs in. After hearing Chris Martin's whispered words of "In my place, in my place, were lines that I couldn't change", I knew I'd found the song. After a decent night up town (yeeeeeah) I proceeded to go on my laptop the next day, YouTube this and listen to it pretty much all day. I shit you not, I must've played it about 20 times on guitar for the rest of the day. I just couldn't keep my ears off the guitar riff, a simple E octave in the key of A Major that also implements a B and a C#. This song will always remind me of the best summer ever: 2011.

Smashing Pumpkins - 1979

Another chance for me to blag about why 90's bands were better than a lot of bands of the Noughties. Take an alternative rock band from America, and give the band permission to use a sampler and you get this. A loop of "ooh", although it's not very distinguishable, is an ever-present throughout the song, and adds to its many licks and gives it an extra attractive quality; the key of Eb Major helps too, leaving a disposal of D, Eb and Bb octaves to be used. Again, the use of chords grabs me, and whilst it took some getting used to, I have now begun to adore it as one of my all time favourites.

Mindthings - Elle

French musician Clement Peres composes atmospheric instrumental music and allows all you lovely people to download his album 'Resonance' free of charge. Sweeping bluesy guitars accompany an Fm-C#-G# chord progression to create an unearthed diamond - it is relaxing as it is catchy. His entire album is made up of similar numbers that create a calm atmosphere to clear the mind and appreciate what is around you. Listen to 'The Colours of Happiness' and 'Artificial World' too - you'll be better off for it.

To summarise, give a guitarist a capo and make him attach it to the first fret, or make him tune it down a semitone, or ask your pianist to use only sharp/flat notes and you have yourself a catchy song in my book (that's just me though - you may or may not concur). This doesn't guarantee success though (having said that, all the songs mentioned have been very successful singles). Yes I love songs with memorable riffs such as MGMT's 'Kids', anything off Deadmau5's 'Random Album Title' or anything that Two Door Cinema Club do, and damn are they catchy, but here are offerings that I consider to be catchy; they are catchy because they keep me wanting more. I couldn't stop listening to all four of these songs when I first heard them, as they'd hooked me in - you might say that I was the catch they caught with their catchiness.