I know a few professional disc jockeys and music producers that rely on this method a lot when they are stuck trying to create a really good beat.
It doesn't matter what skill level they were when they did this, all that mattered was that they did this and did it consistently.
Over time your brain will grow allowing you to think of various ways to create your beats in new and unique ways.
First pick your genre of favorite music track that you find catchy or really popular.
Next find a spot where you will not be disturbed for about 10-15 minutes.
Grab a set of decent quality headphones and close your eyes as you listen.
Think about how the sounds are put together.
How do catchy parts of the song sound and what makes them unique or emotionally inspiring? Listen to how it begins, climaxes and ends.
Depending on the length of the song you should do this about two or three time just starting out to find your personal flow within the music.
Some may take a little longer than others but it is the consistency that we are looking for here.
Once you understand what creates really good beats by decoding popular music you will be able to replicate this on your own in your own beats.
It's alright if you aren't good at this starting out.
That's sort of the point of doing it over time.
You want your mental attributes to slowly develop allowing you to mentally see what is good for your beats and what should be left out.
This is a really nifty but over looked process that many of my music production friends have been using for a while.
Its like meditating on the music, which by listening to it analytically, allows you to open up your mind to its uniqueness and ultimately to why it is considered a catchy song.
Though it is important to use this technique, having a music production program suitable for your music is also important.
Sonic Producer is one of the best for starting music producers.
Check it out to further expand upon your own music producing faculties.