As an artist:
A hit is a song I fall in love with instantly, not one that has to grow on me. It has to be one that i can still listen to 10 years later and feel the same way about, and its gotta have a hot beat behind it. The hook's not as important to me if the verses are hittin strong. ex: Nas - Ether, Jay-Z - Hovi Baby, Styles P - I Get High, etc.
Now as a spectator:
A song can be a hit as soon as the industry deems it as one and everybody else sub-consciously accepts it, no matter if it's good music or not. Once a song is played over and over again on BET, the radio, etc. it's implanted in our minds and because we've heard it so much it. just all of a sudden becomes a "hit" single. It's that simple. For example, look at the Katy Perry song "I kissed a girl". Majority of true music lovers would not consider that good music, but because of the fact that almost everyone has either the lyrics or the melody implanted in their brains from hours and hours of radio and video rotation, she is now famous. That's what I see, I don't know about anybody else.
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