Tag: ballad

Led Zeppelin | All of My Love

1979’s “All of My Love” by Led Zeppelin is a rock ballad co-written by the band’s lead vocalist, Robert Plant, and Zeppelin’s bassist John Paul Jones. The tune was written in honor of Plant’s son, who tragically died of a sudden illness as a pre-schooler. From PopMatters‘ review: “the saddest and most heartfelt Zeppelin song … which hauntingly enough sounds like a foreshadowing of a band on the path to an impending and unforeseeable dissolution.” Indeed, the hugely popular band broke up the very next year in the wake of drummer John Bonham‘s death.

A direct whole-step modulation hits at the 4:25 mark.

Commodores | This Is Your Life

Busy mod scout JB contributes “This Is Your Life,” a single from The Commodores‘ second studio album, Caught in the Act (1975). Reaching #13 on the R&B chart, the track was written by the band’s most well-known member, Lionel Richie, who later went on to huge solo fame as a performer and songwriter.

After a lush chorus (starting at 2:38) which brings the entire band’s backup vocals into the equation, the modulation is at 3:24. The tempo of this soul ballad is so leisurely that it actually sounds completely plausible when played back at 1.25 speed!

Kevon Carter | The Greatest Love of All

Another unintentionally pitchy performance — redeemed to hilarious effect by the top-drawer musicianship and humor of Kevon Carter. Somehow, he keeps up with many, many modulations per minute, supporting each one with an awesome re-harmonization in the accompaniment.

This time, it’s “The Greatest Love of All,” originally made popular by Whitney Houston and George Benson.

Toni Braxton | Unbreak My Heart

“Unbreak My Heart,” released in 1996 by Toni Braxton, is a Grammy-winning track (Best Female Pop Vocal Performance) written by Diane Warren and produced by David Foster. The tune stayed at #1 on the Pop chart for 11 weeks straight. When Billboard celebrated its 40th anniversary, the track was declared as the most successful song by a solo artist in the Billboard Hot 100 history. The verses are in the key of B minor, with modulations to D minor for the choruses and G# minor for the bridge.

An excerpt from SPIN journalist Charles Aaron’s review: “This exquisitely crafted, heart-pumping l-u-v song has been droning in the produce department of my grocery store for about a year now, but I’d just like to go on record as saying that if it ever stops, I’ll really be heartbroken.”

Tower of Power | So Very Hard to Go

Tower of Power‘s biggest US hit wasn’t one of the powerhouse uptempo funk tracks for which the band is famous. Instead, it was a ballad, “So Very Hard to Go,” which reached #17 on the pop charts in 1973. The verse and pre-chorus are in Bb major, but a modulation to G major hits at the chorus, reverting back to Bb major for the second verse, and so on.

Kelly Rowland | Stole

After gaining fame as part of Destiny’s Child, vocalist Kelly Rowland released “Stole” in 2002. The lyrics detail the anguish of multiple young lives lost to violence. The tune was a smash hit in the UK and Australia, but didn’t perform nearly as well in the US.

The form alternates between an intro and verse built around a Cmajor/Asus2 vamp and a chorus with a repeating Gmin/Dmin/Cmin pattern (first appearing at 0:45).

Mariah Carey | I Don’t Wanna Cry

One of Mariah Carey’s early hits from her debut album, 1991’s “I Dont Wanna Cry” (co-written by Carey and Narada Michael Walden) made it to #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 charts. Carey’s first four singles performed identically, making her the first female artist and first solo artist to have all four first four singles reach #1 (The Jackson 5 did it first, as a group). After a big bridge, the modulation is at 3:25, made all the more powerful by compound chords at the transition.

Howard Jones | One Last Try

“One Last Try” was a 1992 release by UK New Wave/pop artist Howard Jones, perhaps best known for his 1984 hit “Things Can Only Get Better.” The tune shifts keys quite a few times, including E minor during the first verse, a clear shift to G major during the chorus at 0:38, and some E major during the instrumental bridge at 2:17, which features some lovely arranging for clarinet choir(!) and French horn.