One way to write compelling, yet non-repetitive melodies is to delay the point where the tonic (or root) note lands on the tonic chord till the very end of the section. In the key of C major this would mean not letting your melody rest on a C when the chord progression is on a C major chord. This helps the melody maintain a strong forward momentum and seems to work best on slower ballads.This songwriting tip is covered in more detail here.
Hey Jude
Mother Nature's Son
The Long and Winding Road
Also
I'll Never Fall In Love Again (Bacharach/David)
Manhattan (Rodgers/Hart)
Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head (Bacharach/David)
This Guy's In Love With You (Bacharach/David)
See also
Golden Ticket: Keep The Tonics Apart Till The End
Ticket 3: Create catchy, melodic, rhythmic or sonic 'hooks'
Ticket 6: Avoid the root chord
Ticket 7: Avoid using all three major chords early in the song
Ticket 10: Finish on the 6 (vi) chord
Ticket 13: Make the vocal line stay on non-chord tones
Ticket 16: Finish a minor key song on the major tonic (I) chord
Ticket 22: Incorporate 'blue notes' (b3, b5 and b7) into a major key melody
Ticket 46: Finish on an unexpected chord in a major key song
Ticket 50: Keep your melody off the root note
Ticket 56: Write a melody over a chord sequence, then completely change the chord sequence
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