What makes a hit song?

Is it the BOOM BAP? Is it the high pitch of a singers voice? Is it the rhythm and soul? Is it the chorus? Or is the word play? Some might say a hit song has all those characteristics but I believe a hit song is one you can relate to and put into the same context of your life. Not just the rhythm, its the sound. A lot of my friends and associates frown upon certain types of music due to the subject matter because they don't listen to the word play or the sound. They tend to follow the masses. Then you have radio playing the same song thirty times a day. Which would lead you to believe that it's a hit song but its really a program director playing what he wants to play or what he's paid to play. Michael Jackson (rest in peace) for instance was a hit maker but he wasn't a talented musician. Vocally he couldn't go over certain levels but he was a great entertainer. But compared to Prince who wrote most of his songs and played almost every instrument, Mike still overshadows him. Who would you choose as the greatest of all times, Prince or Michael Jackson?