The Magic Behind Hits project is the final project for the Undergraduate in Design — Communication, developed in the context of KYRT (Keep Your Radar Turning), based on the theme ‘Missing Stories’. The proposal arose from a desire to explore the world of music, focusing on a little-known narrative: music production. Starting from the question ‘what is behind a hit?’, the project sought to give visibility to the creative and technical process that often remains in the shadow of the big names in the industry. Through the collection and analysis of 351 songs that have marked the last 70 years, it was possible to study variables such as BPM, energy, volume, number of streams on Spotify and number of weeks in the Billboard charts. The support of producer Miguel Pinheiro Marques was essential in deepening the team's technical knowledge and understanding the importance of elements such as vocals and bass in the structure of a song.

The research culminated in two complementary graphic objects: a book and a website. The book presents a chronology of the greatest hits, contextualised by decade, accompanied by texts, graphics and a selection of images that show both the creative process in the studio and the sharing on stage. The website offers an interactive reading of the data, allowing users to compare songs from different eras based on vocals and bass, promoting free exploration of sound possibilities. The Magic Behind Hits does not seek to definitively answer the question ‘how do you create a hit?’, but rather to value the process and spark the public's curiosity about the invisible layers of popular music. The project aims to give a stage to those who rarely have one — the producers — and reinforce that behind every success there is a technical, creative and emotional universe that deserves to be told.