Most of you might still know the KLF. I found the Book “how to write a number 1 hit” right here
shit, I think I was the only one who knows about that…
Writing a number 1 hit is easy:
Catchy baseline, catchy percussion line + catchy melody -> good audio engineer to mix and master the concept -> Good marketing department to bloody advertise the song to every corner of the world.
Though, it is not cheap 
You cynic you! 
But you’re right. Oh, and you need half-naked girls. Or a magic melody sung by a beautiful person promoted to every corner of the world.
Aha! It finally surfaces on this board! I read this one a while back, and it really shows you how sick the system was becomming. I think many parts of it our out of date now. Given newer communications technologies such as PDAs and the internet I think ‘The Manual’ could be re-written.
I actually considered following it for a while, but it ate me up trying to write really shallow pop songs. Just couldn’t do it. I’d much rather write complicated soulful pop songs that grow on you like Roxy Music or Kate Bush did. I don’t care anymore if I’ll get successful because I realised I like music too much to make it into a cash cow. I’d much prefer to make art than commerce.
Money and music do not mix.