August 4th, 1958: Ricky Nelson's "Poor Little Fool" gets the nod to being the first no.1 song on the Hot 100 list.
I had never heard this classic and figured it might be an interesting place to start this project. After all, a good song is a good song, right? Back in 1958, I would think the steak was more important that the sizzle, so this song, at its core, might contain the core elements of "good pop music," maybe?
*I am well aware that pop-culture of the time plays a large role in music becoming popular. I will not focus on the cultural factors in play when these songs hit their peak popularity. Instead, I will analyze only the musical elements.
The first thing that struck me about this song was the simplicity of the rhythm section. Acoustic guitar, bass and drums lay the 2 feel foundation and effortlessly coast along throughout the entire song. Garnishing this base is a smattering of electric guitar arpeggios and a piano tinkling out the chords, way back in the mix.
Chord Progression
The chord progression stays static throughout the entire song: I / vi / IV/ V in the key of C (C / Amin / F /G) except for the slightest of variations at the last 4 bars of the entire song C / F / C / C; a change my ear was clamoring to hear at some point in the middle.
Melody
Ricky Nelson is a great singer and it's no surprise, after hearing him, why he was so popular in the 50's and 60's. His style of country meets jazz meets rock and roll creates a pleasant timbre. The verse melody is fairly simple with the pitches staying on chord tones and phrases beginning near or on beat 4.
Chord Progression
The chord progression stays static throughout the entire song: I / vi / IV/ V in the key of C (C / Amin / F /G) except for the slightest of variations at the last 4 bars of the entire song C / F / C / C; a change my ear was clamoring to hear at some point in the middle.
Melody
Ricky Nelson is a great singer and it's no surprise, after hearing him, why he was so popular in the 50's and 60's. His style of country meets jazz meets rock and roll creates a pleasant timbre. The verse melody is fairly simple with the pitches staying on chord tones and phrases beginning near or on beat 4.
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| Verse 1 |
The chorus melody gets a little more adventurous with some step-wise descending motion, exploring the top and bottom of the scale, covering the octave range.
 |
| Chorus |
Don't forget about the smooth doo-wop harmonies sprinkled throughout. They often answer Ricky's sentiments "uh huh, poor little fool, I was a fool oh yeah." They also lay this nice bed of "ooh's" for Ricky to croon over during the chorus.
Musical Sticking Points
I found myself singing the refrain of this song out loud, so frequently, that my kids picked up on it. Mostly spurred by the "oh yeah," which was invariably followed by "I was a fool."
Diatonically speaking - 8va - 6; R-4-6-5
Harmonically speaking (melodic interval compared to the chord) - R-R / 5-R-3/R
Lots of chord roots getting sung over here. More importantly, there are lots of resolutions to roots.
Rhythmically, the melody and chords stay on the beats most of the time. There is that acoustic guitar riff that rolls throughout the entire track though, sometimes mimicked in Ricky's phrasing that ventures into the syncopation realm.
Musical Sticking Points
I found myself singing the refrain of this song out loud, so frequently, that my kids picked up on it. Mostly spurred by the "oh yeah," which was invariably followed by "I was a fool."
Diatonically speaking - 8va - 6; R-4-6-5
Harmonically speaking (melodic interval compared to the chord) - R-R / 5-R-3/R
Lots of chord roots getting sung over here. More importantly, there are lots of resolutions to roots.
Rhythmically, the melody and chords stay on the beats most of the time. There is that acoustic guitar riff that rolls throughout the entire track though, sometimes mimicked in Ricky's phrasing that ventures into the syncopation realm.
 |
| Acoustic Guitar Riff |
Lyrics
I am not really a "lyric guy." I am usually drawn first to musical elements and second to lyrical meaning. Even in the scope of this project, I am more concerned with musical choices that lyrical choices. That being said, I will attempt to analyze some lyrics.
5 verses, each following their own AA rhyme scheme. The chorus, surprisingly, does not rhyme, and is just two phrases answered with the same words.
This song tells an ironic story of the heart-breaker getting heart-broken. It's easy to follow, easy to relate with and uses straight ahead language.....though the opening line may be a bit sophisticated for our time: "I used to play around with hearts that hastened at my call."
Final Takeaways
I like this song. It's easy to listen to, passively and actively, with great delivery. It's not in your face, but leaves a nice lingering taste in your mouth.
How will this stack up to the other no.1 hits in subsequent decades? Will we find melodic and harmonic patterns that carry through the decades?? I would love to hear your thoughts on "Poor Little Heart" by Ricky Nelson. What are the sticking points for you?
Up next time: "Hello, I Love You" by the Doors....Week of August 10th, 1968....my oh my how times have changed!
[1]https://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2013/08/16/207879695/how-the-hot-100-became-americas-hit-barometer
I am not really a "lyric guy." I am usually drawn first to musical elements and second to lyrical meaning. Even in the scope of this project, I am more concerned with musical choices that lyrical choices. That being said, I will attempt to analyze some lyrics.
5 verses, each following their own AA rhyme scheme. The chorus, surprisingly, does not rhyme, and is just two phrases answered with the same words.
This song tells an ironic story of the heart-breaker getting heart-broken. It's easy to follow, easy to relate with and uses straight ahead language.....though the opening line may be a bit sophisticated for our time: "I used to play around with hearts that hastened at my call."
Final Takeaways
I like this song. It's easy to listen to, passively and actively, with great delivery. It's not in your face, but leaves a nice lingering taste in your mouth.
How will this stack up to the other no.1 hits in subsequent decades? Will we find melodic and harmonic patterns that carry through the decades?? I would love to hear your thoughts on "Poor Little Heart" by Ricky Nelson. What are the sticking points for you?
Up next time: "Hello, I Love You" by the Doors....Week of August 10th, 1968....my oh my how times have changed!
[1]https://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2013/08/16/207879695/how-the-hot-100-became-americas-hit-barometer
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