Kenny Loggins | This is It

This 1979 release by Kenny Loggins, with co-writing, keyboards, and back-up vocals by Michael McDonald, features the harmonic complexity for which both artists are known. The bridge starts at 2:43, shows signs of a big change on the way at 2:57, and wraps up at 3:06 as the modulation hits.

According to Loggins, the melodic and harmonic ideas for the tune were finished long before the lyrics. The songwriting team had initially focused on a crossroads moment in a troubled romantic relationship. But the topic shifted to an adult son encouraging his ailing elderly father to fight hard for his health in the face of a worsening medical condition — a slice from Loggins’ own life. An unlikely hit, for sure, but it reached #11 and won a Grammy.

Andrea Bocelli | Because We Believe

Bocelli’s “Because We Belive” has a textbook example of a “common tone” modulation: a single note is sustained through key change, thus transforming its harmonic function. And the second, at 4:20, is the rare downward modulation, moving from E to D. David Foster is at the keys (he co-wrote the song with his daughter Amy for the 2006 Turin Olympics).

Hall + Oates | Method of Modern Love

By the mid-80s, Hall and Oates had scored a huge number of hits — more than any other duo in history. While 1984’s “Method of Modern Love” isn’t among the band’s top layer of major hits, it features a fun, goofy video concept, a shimmery modulation at 3:50, and a document of what might have arguably been pop music’s “peak mullet” moment.