A hook is a musical idea, often a short riff, passage, or phrase, that is used in popular music to make a song appealing and to catch the ear of the listener. The term generally applies to popular music, especially rock, R&B, hip hop, dance, and pop.

What does hook mean in a song?

The term hook likely goes back to the earliest days of songwriting because it refers to the part of the song intended to hook the listener: a catchy combination of melody, lyrics and rhythm that stays in the listeners head -- something that songwriters from the dawn of time have wanted to achieve.