Tag: rock

Supertramp | Dreamer

The UK band Supertramp created material that’s a bit tough to categorize; their tune “Dreamer” is no exception, landing somewhere between pop tune, nursery song, and schoolyard taunt. “Dreamer,” a pop hit in two different decades (the studio version went to UK #13 in 1975; in 1980, a live version hit US #15 and Canada #1).

The tune starts in D major, dips into a gentler section in C major at 1:25, and finally returns boisterously to D major at 3:05. There are several other passing extra-key oddities here and there, as well.

R.E.M. | Stand

Somewhat unusual among R.E.M.‘s often somber output, 1989’s “Stand” features double direct whole-step modulations (2:30 and 2:48) towards the end of this bouncy, catchy Top 10 hit.

Guitarist Peter Buck described it as “without a doubt, […] the stupidest song we’ve ever written. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though.” He humbly compared the song to The Kingsmen’s “Louie, Louie” in terms of lyrical content.

Garbage | Androgyny

UK/US hybrid band Garbage, led by Scottish vocalist/frontwoman Shirley Manson, had scored several hits by the time it arrived at its third studio album in 2001. In keeping with the band’s history of meticulous arrangements and production, the sound of “Androgyny” alternates between synth timbres on the verses and strong guitar-driven choruses, jumping back and forth between A minor and E minor, respectively. But the bridge (1:57 – 2:17) opens up into a completely different texture, bringing strings to the fore as it jumps to an entirely unexpected tonality (Eb major) before returning to the original key.

Donald Fagen | Tomorrow’s Girls

In 1993, Steely Dan‘s co-writer / keyboardist / lead vocalist Donald Fagen released Kamakiriad, his second solo album, which later garnered a Grammy nomination for Best Album. The album featured the retro-futuristic track “Tomorrow’s Girls.” After Verse 2 and Chorus 2, the bridge starts with a brief, sunny G major bridge (2:00) before a gritty guitar riff marks the return of the original key of Bb minor at Verse 3 (2:44).

The Flaming Lips | Do You Realize

Ranked #31 on Rolling Stone‘s 100 Best Songs of the 2000s, The Flaming Lips‘ “Do You Realize?” (2002) features a rather unorthodox modulation from 2:25 – 2:42 before reverting to the original key.

The Guardian reports on The Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne’s process in bringing the song into being: “It wasn’t too far into making the album that ‘Do You Realize??’ emerged. Steven Drozd, our guitarist, liked the line: ‘Everyone you know someday will die.’ You don’t really know where the song is going until that point. There’s storytelling and it has wisdom, romance, and heartache. It’s gentle but not mellow and has elements of propulsion and triumph even though it’s lazy and sad at the same time. It also benefits from not knowing it’s going to be an important song. That’s the best thing about it. The ‘1, 2, 3, 4’ at the beginning is like the laughter at the end of ‘Within You Without You’ on the Beatles’ Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Anything we could do to lift the song and deliver a great but not heavy message.”

Rick Springfield | Jessie’s Girl

During the summer of 1981, Rick Springfield‘s power pop hit “Jessie’s Girl” completed its climb up the charts, finally hitting #1 in August — six months after its release and just as MTV hit the airwaves. Song of the summer? An understatement.

The bridge, starting at 1:39, transitions with a direct modulation to an instrumental section at 2:00, changing back to the original key at 2:14.

Dave Edmunds | Girls Talk

The 1970s post-punk UK songwriting scene brought to light many dynamic songwriters and performers — including Elvis Costello and Dave Edmunds. The original version of “Girls Talk,” written in 1979 by Costello, clocked in at only two minutes in length, as bare-bones as could be. Edmunds’ cover version, released the same year, added plenty of new features, including a fuller sound and three modulations: the first at the end of the intro (0:11); the second for the duration of an instrumental verse (2:07); and third, returning to the main key at the end of that verse (2:22).

Genesis | Turn It On Again

One of the singles from Duke, Genesis‘ 1980 album, “Turn It On Again” features plenty of modulations — as well as mixed meters! This album marked the band’s biggest departure from its “prog” rock origins towards its later pop-friendly material — all the while never losing its infectious harmonies. Phil Collins serves yeoman’s duty on both vocals and drums.

0:48 transitions up a half step, then back to the original key at 1:03; back up at 1:17, then back to the original key at 1:26. We start the cycle again with verse two at 1:34. Plenty of pedal point on this track, with the bass note remaining static while chords change above.