Computer scientist and musician Dr. Mick Grierson looked at "best-of" lists compiled by major music publications, then examined 50 songs that showed up the most frequently and studied what features they shared.
...the most significant thing these songs have in common is that most of them use sound in a very varied, dynamic way when compared to other records. This makes the sound of the record exciting, holding the listeners attention. By the same token, the sounds these songs use and the way they are combined is highly unique in each case.