How do people determine whether songs on a recording artist's album should become a hit or not?

Answer 1

Grr, I misread the question. I hope i have an ok answer.

Anyway, the record label usually has a strategy to pick the singles for a new album by a big artist: First, second, third. Hopefully, there will be a second and a third. It's tricky, because usually they don't put out the best song for the first single, so there will be something great to followup with. But if the first single doesn't do well, then they're screwed.

There was a country album my friend bought and I HATED the first single. And then when we listened to the rest of the album I said Oh I like this one track and weirdly enough the record label picked it as the second single!! I would say I had a good ear, but the song didn't sound great by itself, just better than the other songs on the record.

So it's a tough biz, but someone's gotta do it!!