Why true achievement in music and media requires patience and hard work.
It’s sad to say, but the word “earn” has taken on a negative connotation, hasn’t it? Although it’s often tangled up in debates about entitlements and government programs, I want to explore a different angle by discussing what it means to earn success in creativity.
Years ago, Ryan Tedder—the frontman and mastermind behind the band OneRepublic—taught me what it means to earn success.
A bit of background: Ryan not only wrote and performed hits for his band such as “Love Runs Out,” “Good Life,” and “I Ain’t Worried,” but he’s also responsible for some of the biggest hits of the last 25 years. You might have heard of “Halo” by Beyoncé, “Rumour Has It” by Adele, and “Bleeding Love” by Leona Lewis. Yup, he wrote those.
Despite all that, Ryan still needs to earn hits. How do I know that? He told me himself.
During one of his visits to my radio show, we talked about the success of his song “Counting Stars.” The song debuted at number 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 on July 6, 2013—not bad—but it didn’t peak until it hit #2 on January 18, 2014—SIX MONTHS LATER.
I asked him why such a great song took so long to become “a hit.” Now, Ryan is an astute businessperson and knows how the music industry works. He was pretty frank about it; he said, “We’re not Selena (Gomez) or (Justin) Bieber. We’re not household names that can drop a record, and it instantly goes to the top of the charts. We have to earn our hits.”
What does it mean to earn a hit? It means traveling the globe, hobnobbing with executives, doing meet and greets with fans, and talking to a goofball like me at 8 o’clock in the morning to promote their latest album.
In the spring of 2022, Tom Cruise released what would become the biggest hit of his career, “Top Gun: Maverick”, which went on to gross nearly $1.5 billion at the box office. Like the first “Top Gun” movie in 1986, which was fueled by a hit motion picture soundtrack—”Danger Zone,” anyone?—Tom wanted to recreate the magic with another hit-filled album.
That movie featured the timeless power ballad “Take My Breath Away” by Berlin. This time around, he hired mega pop star Lady Gaga to record Maverick’s love song, “Hold My Hand.” Remember that one? Me neither. It never took off and only hit #49 on the Hot 100.
Now here comes that Ryan Tedder guy again. Cruise needed a song to play during the pivotal beach scene, where all the young pilots bond while playing football.
Reportedly, Tom turned down three dozen songs and reached out to Ryan to see what he could come up with.
Fast forward to June 25, 2022. OneRepublic released “I Ain’t Worried” from the Top Gun: Maverick Soundtrack, but it didn’t peak on the Billboard chart (at number 6) until October 15—FOUR MONTHS LATER.
Sure, we all crave instant gratification—don’t forget to like this post ;)—but often, we need to invest time and effort before seeing results. Whether you’re building an online presence on TikTok or YouTube or establishing thought leadership on LinkedIn or X, sometimes you have to earn it. That’s what it means to earn success in creativity.
And that’s not a bad thing.
If life feels like Groundhog Day, check out the latest episode of my show, Good Listen.
Modern day shaman Lisann Valentin says small changes can create extraordinary shifts ✨ Plus, Lisann shares how she helps guide high-profile leaders to connect with their “Akashic intelligence,” drawing from ancient spiritual wisdom that spans multiple cultures and religions.
Full episode out now on YouTube and your fave podcast platforms.
