Round 1 Wrap Up

What about pop music is so appealing?  Why is pop music popular?

This is the question I have set out to explore by analyzing no.1 hit songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.  Rather than focusing on these songs in order, or even picking and choosing to suit my own tastes (or distastes), I wanted to explore songs in 10 year intervals, hence "The Decade Hit."  (refer to my first post which gives an overview of the project.

I started this leg of the journey with the first no.1 hit, just after the Hot 100 chart, as we know it, was established in 1958.  This happened to be Ricky Nelson's "Poor Little Fool," August 4th, 1958.  After that, I skipped to the first week in August 1968, and proceeded to move through the decades until August 2018.  

After analyzing the first two songs, I made a list musical elements both songs shared.  As I analyzed more songs, I revised the list, rewording or subtracting items to account for musical trends.  Below is a chart summarizing the most commonly found elements and how each song "scored."

No.1 Hits 1958 - 2018, on the decade

Unifying Factors 

These findings are interesting to someone like me: a composer, music educator, performer and avid listener.  Every song checked the box in two elements:

Vocal melodies repeat rhythmic and melodic themes and arrangement evolves throughout. 

At first glance, these are fairly predicable sentiments.  But let's go a little deeper.  The idea that popular songs have repeated themes is itself the very essence of being "catchy."  One of the reasons these songs resonate is partially due to their singability by the casual fan, as well as inherent familiarity.  Those factors enable a melody to get stuck in your head in the first place and will be more readily enjoyed if it plays off information you have already stored in your musical memory.

Familiar melodic content is also an interesting notion.  Scroll through each song on the list and notice the intervalic structure of each hook.  You will notice lots of 2nds and 3rds.  Anything larger than that is generally followed by a smaller interval ("I Kissed A Girl") or a repeated large interval ("The Boy Is Mine").  Perhaps these smaller, diatonic intervals can be traced back to songs you heard when you were a baby.  Think of some standard lullabies: "Hush Little Baby," "Rock-a-bye Baby" or even "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."  The majority of these compositions include stretches of stepwise motion (2nds) after a larger leap.  I'm not likening no.1 songs to lullabies, but pointing out the roots of our collective fondness to such melodic construction.

The other common thread involves the evolution of arrangement.  This makes a lot of sense to me.  People like the familiar, as I just mentioned, but also like to be surprised and crave change, but not too much change where we lose sight of the familiar.  Each song analyzed contains some element that evolves throughout the song.  This is done in a variety of ways but garners the same result: when the song is finished, it has gone through a journey.  A story has been told, often both lyrically and musically.  We hear the same thing multiple times without hearing the same thing.  

Think of songs you enjoy listening to, no.1 status aside.  I am willing to bet your favorite songs contains some variation that happens in one place and not another.  Think of songs you deem as "boring."  Chances are, those songs repeat verse, chorus, verse, chorus without variance between the sections.  I'm going out on a limb, but I highly doubt we will see any Ramones songs at no.1 (spoiler, The Ramones peaked at no.66 in 1978 with "Rockaway Beach").  

Honorable Mentions

There are a few categories that were shared by all songs, except one.  

Melodies Utilize and/or Resolve to Chord Tones

Background/Harmony Vocals featured throughout

Memorable Hook using the Song Title

Lyrics about Love    

4/4 time* (technically "Poor Little Fool" is in cut time, but this is a slight variation on 4/4, so we'll give this category the nod)

These elements are all what I would expect to hear in a popular song.  It's almost more interesting to look at the songs that did not contain these elements.  You can probably chalk that up to the point about song evolution.  These songs have managed to evolve and thrive well past normal pop music conventions.   

Where To Now?

I like to write songs.  I have no unrealistic expectations to write my own no.1 hit song, but the general aim of any creator is to find acceptance and resonance with other in their creative output.  I started writing a song the other day and I was getting stuck trying to remember all of the lessons I have learned in analyzing just these 7 songs.  And that's what they are, lessons in song writing.  I would imagine I will obsessively try to follow some of these paradigms for a few songs and then loosen up and remember my own voice, hopefully finding a healthy balance of personal voice and best practice.  That's a blog for another day though!

What do you think of the commonalities between songs?  Is there an element present that I missed?  I would love to hear in the comments!

The analyses must continue!  This round started in August of 1958 and worked its way to the present, jumping by decades.  For round 2, I will start with whatever the no.1 song is in the first week of August 2019 and work my way down the decades, all the way to 1959.  I will also start fresh with the list of similarities, trying to forget everything I just discussed the best I can.  It will be interesting to see if the new list contains the same musical elements.

So up next: I did not expect this song to come up in my journey so quickly.  With an epic 19 week run at no.1, this song holds the record for longest reigning no.1 hit EVER.  April 13, 2019 - August 17, 2019 "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X, featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, smashes the charts.  Get ready for round 2!

"In My Feelings" - Drake, 2018

We started this leg of journey analyzing songs that reached no.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts on or around the first week of August.  We started off with the inaugural hit, "Poor Little Fool" by Ricky Nelson, in 1958.  Fast forward by decades - 1968's "Hello, I Love You" by the Doors; 1978's "Three Times A Lady" by The Commodores; 1988's "Roll With It" by Steve Winwood; 1998's "The Boy Is Mine" by Brandy & Monica; and 2008's "I Kissed A Girl" by Katy Perry.  Through these analyses, we saw common threads and musical trends that helped explain each song's no.1 accolade.

We have come to the end of this leg, August 2018, where Drake goes on a 10 week rampage with his no.1 hit "In My Feelings."  The song inspired a perplexingly dangerous dance challenge and helped to propel Drake even further into the pop stratosphere.  Will the musical elements in the song fall in line with the other no.1 hits through the decades?

July 21, 2018: Drake's "In My Feelings" jumps from no.6 to no.1!

This is the first song I've analyzed that is comprised solely of electronic instruments.  There are a myriad of samples, synth sounds, programmed drums and low bass frequencies peppered throughout the entire track.  There is some rippin' percussion that appears at the end that according to Wikipedia adaptation of the liner notes, seems likely to be programmed as well[1].

The form to this one is unique to other songs analyzed.  It starts with a section I refer to as the Intro (I).  This four measure section establishes the chord progression and groove and features Drake giving props to his producer and acknowledging his feelings.  This section reappears two more times in the song, with the second time having different lyrics.  So while it's an intro, it's more of a recurring interlude (which also starts with I).  In my simplified form, I labeled it A', representing an extension of the A section (chorus).

Flypaper's Dean Olivet wrote a great article analyzing every song that reached that top 5 in 2018 (a great read!) and he calls this section "P," for "pre/post chorus" which is accurate, save the third time where it neither precedes or follows a chorus [2]. 

The song also has two bridges.  The first one (B1) appears when I would expect to see a second verse.  In fact, I almost labeled it a 2nd verse, but it doesn't share melody or harmony with the established verse.  It also features The City Girls, providing a shift in texture and timbre.  The second bridge (B2) functions more like a traditional bridge both in position and harmonic/ melodic shift.   

The chorus, a grounding and familiarizing element of the song, is not without variation either.  The second chorus features slightly different lyrics and the third chorus is all chopped up, missing 2 bars and cutting off lines of phrases.  Each chorus evolves by sprinkling in different rhythmic and melodic bits each time.  The second chorus even foreshadows the second bridge by including "you're the only one I know" and "let's go."

Chord Progressions  
This is a tough one*.  The 2 chord loop that appears throughout the song is very difficult to pin down.  It is so soft and dreamy that not only is rhythm not clearly articulated, the pitches swirl in the fog of their own overtones.  The top line is the guitar-like sample with the bottom being the hazy keys.

Chord Loop with lead

The first chord is a Db major, supported by the low bass/drum tone.  Bb and G appear in the moving lines, insinuating DbMaj13#11?  The second chord could be called Cmin.  It often functions like the I chord though so it could be viewed as AbMaj7/C (with no root).  While the sample doesn't hit the Ab, the vocal melody does frequently, rooting the song in Ab major.  Either way, iii is a common sub chord for I, so it never comes off as too foreign, again thanks to the help of the vocals.  Both bridge sections hang out on Db before making their way back to the 2 chord loop.

So at its core, this song is just IV / I  ://

*I primarily transcribed this part from the end of the song where it is more exposed. 

Melody
Vocally, this entire song is built on a 3 note pattern, with an occasional detour to 4 additional notes, or an extended stay on one of them during the raps.

Chorus 1

The chorus is built on this continuous pattern of C, Bb and Ab - R, Maj 2 and Maj 3 (Do Re Mi) in the key of Ab.  The detours happen in the chorus where he gets up to the Db a few times and down to G, F and Eb at the end of the 8 bar phrase.  The result is a very catchy line that gets stuck in your head due to its simplicity, unrelenting rhythm and familiar intervalic motion (this down up motion of the first three degrees of the major scale occurs in many children's songs).

Verse 1 - first 4 bars

The only real verse of the song continues to employ the ol' 3 note shuffle, moving back and forth between C, Bb and Ab, this time leaving even less space than the chorus.  Drake showcases his flow, dropping his voice an octave into more of a speaking tone, further differentiating this section from the chorus.

Intro/Interlude (1st and 3rd)

The melodic extended stay happens in the intro/interlude section when Drake raps on a Bb.....which harmonically would adjust the chords to Db6 (as mentioned above) and Cmin7, or Abmaj9/C, whichever you prefer.  I do like this section, as it provides some much needed space after the rhythmically busy chorus and verses.

Speaking of rhythmically busy.....the 2 bridges weave a web of thick rhythms, that on paper, maybe shouldn't breathe as much as they do.

Bridge 1 - City Girls

The first bridge, sung by the City Girls, give us many variations of 8th and 16th note combinations.  The second bridge features even more variation, this time right on top of each other!

Bridge 2 opening 2 bars

The second bridge returns to the main chord loop after veering off the the Db chord.  Here, we get a variation of the opening bars as well as some singing, which sounds fresh after all the rhythmic banter.  This singing part, foreshadowed in the second chorus, is a great contrast to Drake's tone and I wouldn't mind hearing this part further developed.

Bridge 2 - last 4 bars

Musical Sticking Points 
The drum and bass groove throughout is an intricate arrangement syncopations between bass/drum, snare/claps and cymbal tones.  In a way, it foreshadows the rhythmic assaults we will hear later in the song.

opening drum groove

The core of this appears in a few different forms, cut up and altered a bit during the bridges.  The constant, extrapolated from the groove, is the snare/clap pattern that makes its way into every section.

The defining section in the song is certainly the chorus and the short interlude.  Between those sections, we get the hook, the title of the song and the most singable melodic variation, especially for those causal non rappers who like to sing along while walking alongside of their ghost driving car.

In a way, this song is an exercise in minimalism, repeating and exploiting a small amount of musical information and contorting it as many ways as possible without completely alienating the original intentions of the groove.  Who would have thought poor unfortunate little Jimmy from Degrassi High School would be such a musical innovator (I can't imagine anyone refers to Drake as Jimmy anymore, but you know what they say about first impressions).

I did give a quick listen to various samples found within the song[1], mostly used for percussion parts:
"Lollipop" - Lil Wayne 
"Smoking Gun (Acapella Version)" - Magnolia Shorty
"Drag Rap (Triggerman)" - The Show Boys

Lyrics
Drake tries to woo lots of ladies?  He calls out several woman by name, proclaiming that he wants them and needs them by his side.

He does get a little introspective in the verse with "look, the new me is really still the real me, look you gotta feel me before they try and kill me," a possible nod to criticism of his new sound [3].

There's a lot of references in here that are well above my pay grade of jazz/GB musician and elementary school music teacher.  As I was listening, one line from the first bridge stuck out:

Two bad bitches and we kissin' in a Wraith

Kissin'-kissin' in a Wraith, kiss-kissin' in a Wraith

As an avid fan of the horror and fantasy genres, my brain immediately went to "wraith" as being a ghost, or more specifically, "Bog Wraith," a card from the Alpha Edition of Magic: The Gathering.  Boy, was my face red after I learned the Wraith is actually a type of Rolls-Royce......see, well above my pay grade. 

Common Threads
Throughout this project, I have been searching for elements that each of these very different songs have in common.  After making it through six decades, how does Drake match up?  Here is where we left off:

• melodies utilize and resolve to chord tones - Not quite?  That all depends on how you view the Cmin chord.  Come to think of it, most of the phrases resolve on a Bb, which is the min7 of Cmin, and a whole step away from the tonal center of Ab....though the resolutions never come off as dissonant.  
• vocal melodies repeat rhythmic and melodic themes - check  
• lyrics about love - check
• repetitive chord sequences - CHECK 
• memorable vocal hook that uses the song title - Nope! 
• background vocals (harmonies) featured throughout - Not Really
• music evolves throughout - check

There are quite a few bucks to the trend going on here.  The biggest one being the lack of the title in the vocal hook and the lack of background vocals.  Yes, there are times with multiple vocal events occurring, but to my ear, they are more decorative to the sonic landscape than critical to the melodic presentation, like we have seen in all of the other songs.

The melodic resolution is a little marred by the disconnect between the chords and the vocal melody.  The song is definitely in Ab major, but the chords on their own would lead you to believe otherwise.  As a fun exercise, I played an Ab, instead of Cmin, on acoustic guitar while singing the chorus melody.  It gave a very different feel, yet still worked.  In any case, most of the phrases leave the Bb taste in your mouth, an extended chord tone at best.

Final Takeaways

I mentioned at the end of the last analysis that I was unfamiliar with this song.  It turns out I had heard it, only because I was sucked into to watching "Kiki Challenge Fail" videos.  This song has many elements that are outside of my musical comfort zone and lyrics outside of my experience.

There is a familiar quality to this tune though.  Some of the vocal melodies and rhythms in the bridges remind me of childhood playground chants.  I could picture these chants happening during recess, hopefully with some cleaner language.  As mentioned, the use of do, re and mi also help give it that children's song quality, in the most ironic of ways.

Honestly, I am shocked that this song is so popular.  It goes against so many standard pop music conventions.  In a strange way, it gives me hope that mass tastes are willing to accept new and different flavor combinations.

What do you think of this song?  Did the inconsistencies catch your ear or blend seamlessly into the extremely well produced final product?  I would love to read your comments.

Up next time, a recap of the analysis journey thus far.  We have made it through the first round of 7 "Decade Hits!"  I also can't help but be excited for round 2!



[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scorpion_(Drake_album)#Personnel
[2]https://flypaper.soundfly.com/produce/we-analyzed-every-dang-song-that-cracked-the-billboard-top-5-in-2018/
[3]https://genius.com/15085692

"I Kissed A Girl" - Katy Perry, 2008

A decade after Brandy & Monica dominate the Billboard Hot 100 for 13 weeks in the summer of 1998, Katy Perry gets her turn with "I Kissed A Girl."  Perry's rise to no.1 was not as meteoric as Brandy & Monica, but she did last 7 weeks at the top, providing the summer soundtrack.

"I Kissed A Girl" is a pop rock song with new wave tendencies emerging in the choppy guitar rhythms and punkish attitude.  This one offers a few quirks compared to other songs analyzed in this project.  I was familiar with this song, only due to incessant radio play at the time.  Before peaking behind its curtain, I was not a fan.  After seeing how Katy Perry makes her sausage, I have certainly gained a new appreciation for the song, an ulterior motive of this project from the beginning!

July 5th, 2008: "I Kissed A Girl" by Katy Perry climbs to no.1!

The instrumentation in the tune is the standard rock band with lots added keyboard synth things popping up here and there.  The production is slick and gives it its poppy gloss.  The guitars range from light distortion to full on thrash, blending timbres with their synth counterparts.

The form of this song is also standard fare, especially when looking at the simplified form.  A few quirks do appear, with the 2 measure drum interlude between the first chorus and 2nd verse providing a little space to let the chorus sink in.  The bridge is the odd man out, consisting of only 12 measures.  It comes off natural, thanks to a break in the rhythm section before pounding us over the head once more with the catchy chorus.

Chord Progressions
The verse and chorus share the same chord progression, though it is presented very differently.  The verse starts with a cool guitar counterpoint.  The lower line is doubled by the bass and pushed back in the mix, providing a nice base for the more static upper line.

Verse Guitar Counterpoint

   
This song is undoubtedly in Amin, though the guitar never really plays Amin and sticks mostly to power chords.  The C/E chord generally functions like an E7, pulling us back to A (V - I).

In the chorus, the same progression continues, this time with a more syncopated guitar line that sticks to power chords.  The bass in the chorus pedals the A for 8 measures before joining in with the chord roots in the second 8.

Chorus Guitar

It's also worth noting that the eighth notes throughout the song are swung (long - short instead of straight 8th note division), a continuation of the triplet feel established in the verse.

The only time this chord progression ceases is during the bridge.  There, we get some of the same chords in a different order:

                                        F      / Emin / Amin/C  / G/D    ://  Dmin /  /  /  / 

                                        bVI / v       /   i             / bVII   ://   IV      

This variation is a nice detour away from the main progression and the 4 bars of Dmin, capped off with a rhythm section tacet, builds nice suspense for the final statement of the chorus.  The bridge also sees a total shift in texture, with the pulsing bass and guitar being traded for an understated wobbly synth sound to back up the new melody (more on that later).

Melody

The vocal melody in the verse is comprised of four 4 bar sections that have a lot in common.  Each phrase starts with 3 quarter notes, beginning on b2, on the 5th (E).  The first two phrases work their way down to C then leap up a 5th to G, a very common interval throughout the song.  Each phrases also features the F note on b3 of the third bar.  Each phrase also ends with a syncopation in the last bar (1 2+ + +), three of which end on E (the starting note of the phrase), with the last ending on the root (A).  Even looking at the notes below, you can see the compositional discipline inherent in this verse melody.     

Verse 1

The chorus kicks in with the main hook of the song, "I kissed a girl and I liked it."  Working its way from high to low then high to low again before returning to the familiar verse paradigm of three quarter notes and syncopation, this time truncated.  She covers the minor 3rd down to the 5th, leaping up to the minor third again and only getting down to the minor 6th, which covers the root of the F chord.  Then, she sticks to root/3rd over the Dmin and F chords.

The chorus, also in four sets of 4 measures, sticks to the plan of two similar phrases that vary the third and fourth times, ultimately giving us the hook one and half more times, just in case you missed it. 

The second and third choruses also feature some fun background vocals ushering in each phrase:

Chorus 2 - first 8

The third phrase of the chorus is the biggest departure, exploring the Amin tonality, doubled in octaves each time.  On the second and 3rd choruses, we also get a cool descending counter melody that works its way from A to G(min7) to F# (6th) to F (min6) and finally resolving to A.    An interesting harmonic interchange occurs when the F# over the D5 chord gives us a D major sound, opposed to the D minor sound we get during the verses and earlier in the chorus. What a difference a 3rd makes!

Chorus 2 - second 8

The rhythm of the third chorus phrase repeats itself at a much quicker pace than the melodic flow of the verses.  The rhythm is a hybrid of the previous rhythmic themes presented in the verse, covering the quarter note beginning on b2 with the up-beat syncopations.  

The only new melodic content in the song happens during the bridge.  Though it's not particularly memorable, I do like this bridge.  It is understated compared to other moments in the song but gives us just enough established elements to not alienate the flow. 

Bridge

Most of the bridge is two alternating notes, D and A, that cover of a variety of chord tones as it moves through the progression.  The unifying tone of A ensures we never wander too far away from the home key.  The rhythmic arrangement of this melody follows suit to the verse and chorus, giving us the same phrase three times, varying it up and then returning to the theme once more.  

The last phrase really shines as she sings the melody up an octave and then holds out the highest pitch in the song (E), making her way down the scale.  Over the Dmin7, she outlines 9, R, 7, 6 - a cool suspension of just voice and synth before resolving up to the C for the last chorus.  Of the bridges covered in the Decade Hit Analysis Project, this may be my favorite, with a vocal melody anyway ("Roll With It" has a bridge with a killer sax solo!).

Musical Sticking Points    

This song epitomizes pop rock in a few ways.  The mostly static chord progression, fueled by a driving bass and drum groove, cashes the pop check big time!  The slick production gives it an extra kick, varying little elements throughout that help it evolve.

For example, the second half of each verse adds in guitar (or synth?) octave A's on beats 2 and 4, fortifying the I chord and propelling the rhythmic momentum.  The chorus also evolves each time with the addition of the background vocals and the accentuation of the descending line.  The bass pedaling on A for 8 and then playing the chord roots for 8 also help to make each chorus feel like it evolves.

The chorus hook, which Katy Perry says she woke up with one day, is certainly catchy.[1]  Descending from chord to chord tone and then again, with only the slightest variation, is fun to sing.  While the lyrical subject matter helps make it memorable, I think the composition is strong.

I like the disciplined writing of each section.  If you look at the above examples and observe only shapes, you will see well defined patterns and symmetry.  In other songs analyzed this may be an overlooked commonality. 

Lyrics
I do remember this song being slightly controversial at the time and people either loved or hated the message.  I will not comment on that, but will comment on the rhyme scheme!

The verse follows an ABAB rhyme scheme, with the B lines sometimes exploring the outer limits of the near rhyme (behave and obey).  The chorus relies mostly on rhyming "it" with "it" (or chap stick) with a detour to the predictable, yet solid, rhyme of "right" and "tonight."

Common Threads
Now it's time to find the common threads for all the songs analyzed thus far.  There have been a few revisions along the way, but I feel they are warranted.  One of the aims of this project is to uncover commonalities of popular songs.  It's interesting to see what elements have endured since 1958.

• melodies utilize and resolve to chord tones - check
• vocal melodies repeat rhythmic and melodic themes - check  
• lyrics about love - check
• repetitive chord sequences - CHECK 
• memorable vocal hook that uses the song title - check 
• background vocals (harmonies) featured throughout - check
• *music evolves throughout - check

*this one is a newly added common thread.  Looking back, the idea of a song "evolving," or developing elements throughout, has occurred since the beginning of my analyses.  Case in point:

"Poor Little Fool" - the least musical evolution, though the lyrics tell a story that has a twist towards the end.  In the final chorus, there is the one rogue chord change that gives it a sense of finality, just enough for it to qualify as evolution.

"Hello, I Love You" - prominent key change with a variation on the hook ("Hello).

"Three Times A Lady" - The last chorus in the studio version is a literal play on the title (3 statements of the hook) and in the single version, the chorus is truncated, a smart move for keeping momentum in a ballad.

"Roll With It" - The horn section goes from being a mere color to a prominent force in the song.

"The Boy Is Mine" - the vocal sparring throughout the tune changes and intensifies with every statement of the chorus.

Final Takeaways
I was not particularly excited to analyze this song, but once I got into it, I was pleasantly surprised.  It's funny how your memory and/or perception of something can be totally different from what is actually there.  Prior to this analysis, I could not have commented on the guitar counterpoint in the verse.  I was surprised to hear it and memory assumed the entire song would be a more mundane presentation.

I really enjoy the bridge of this song, for its change in texture and momentum, as well the great anticipation it builds to lead to the final chorus.

I am also gaining a new appreciation for pop music and song writing in general.  That is one of my long term goals for this project and I'm glad and I am noticing the results so quickly.

What are your takeaways from Katy Perry's "I Kissed A Girl?"  Does listening with fresh ears, 12 years removed, tell a different story than your musical memory would report?  Leave me a comment!

Up next time: Another summer Sweeper!  July 21, 2018 through September 22, 2018, a 10 week run at no.1.....Drake's "In My Feelings."

Spoiler:  I do not believe I know this song whatsoever.  I am somewhat intrigued by Drake, mostly due to his transformation from Degrassi's Jimmy to the mega pop star he is today.  I am more intrigued by what common musical elements will be shared between Drake and the other songs analyzed on this list!
[1]http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7581625.stm

"The Boy Is Mine" - Brandy & Monica, 1998

Debuting at the end of May in 1998, at the no.23 position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, "The Boy is Mine" skyrockets to no.1, where it sits for 13 straight weeks, a feat shared only with The Beatles' "Can't Buy Me Love" in 1964.  This song exemplifies that late 90's R&B sound.  Brandy Norwood and Monica Arnold, both teenagers at the time, fortify their status as pop superstars with this duet, featured on their respective sophomore albums.  This song is the most successful song analyzed for this project yet, will it hold up musically?

June 6th, 1998: "The Boy is Mine" by Brandy & Monica starts a 13 week reign at no.1!

To me, this song is a defining symbol of "pop music."  It has a strong drum and bass groove that loops throughout the entire song, only interrupted with an occasional stop, predictably leading off a phrase.  It features two talented singers trading melismas, defining a style that would become the standard in pop music.  There's also some deep arranging featuring harp and strings, each element added and subtracted to vary the texture of the repetitious groove.

The form of "The Boy Is Mine" is very simple and resembles Ricky Nelson's "Poor Little Fool" (1958), having no bridge and several verses that relay a story about the perils of love.  The song ends with a double chorus, plus one final 4 bar statement of the hook that I labeled as the outro.

There are a few versions of the song that vary in intro length.  The album versions start with a fun repeated sample of "the boy is mine, the boy is mine, the boy is mine" getting lower in pitch, followed by some dialogue to set up the premise of the tune.  I have linked the "official music video" above, which skips the sample and dialogue and cuts to the chase a little quicker...AND we get the true flavor of the 90's with a Jerry Springer sighting!

Chord Progressions    
This song is comprised of only two chords!  F#min9 and C#min9 repeat with no relent until the end.  We are introduced to this progression by the harp.  This wild 16th note ostinato is interspersed throughout the tune.

Harp Ostinato

The bass and strings join in next, outlining the chords and establishing the feel.  Listen for the funky guitar part, a repeated two note motive that is also present for the entire song.  It blends into its surrounds quite well, bridging the two chords by serving as 5th and 4th to F#min9 and root and min7 for C#min9.  

Opening bass and strings

2 chord songs are nothing new in this project.  "Hello, I Love You" (1968) featured two chords that never got stale with the help of a modulation and varying vocal melodies.  As we will see, this song also varies the texture by subtracting and adding various instruments, dropping out the drums and bass and keeping the vocal melodies varied.

Melody
The vocal melody in this song is fun.  It is the focal point of the entire song and the variation from section to section helps it continually evolve.

The chorus melody is a series of 4 descending steps, ending with a step up.  We hear this going down from the minor 7th E (E D# C# B) and landing on 5th of C#, moving diatonically through the scale.  The second phrase starts on F# and goes down to eventually land on G#, over the C#min9, resulting in another resolution to the 5th.

In the 4th bar, we get the hook: "the boy is mine," intervalically outlining 5, root(C#), 5, min3rd, later varied with a bump up to the 4th (B) before going down to the min3rd (A).

Chorus 1

The vocal rhythm of the chorus is fairly straight ahead, with phrases starting on b3 and ending on b1 of the following bar.  The hook stays on the beat with the 4 quarter notes.  This will prove to be a good contrast to the highly syncopated verses.  

The verses (and chorus) are rhythmically and melodically rich and evolve until the very end.  Each verse sees Brandy and Monica trading 4's, throwing shade on each other in attempt to claim this contested "boy."  Melodically their contributions are similar in each stanza.  On the F#min9 chord, they utilize E, pass through D# to C# and B: the min7, 5th and 4th.  Over C#min9, we get D#, C# and B: the 9th, root and min7th.  

Verse 1

We also see a few rhythmic themes that reappear in each verse.  The 8th/16th note figure will be exploited in various positions, as can be seen in the first 4 bars of verse 1.

Moving into verse 2, the melody is altered slightly by both singers.  Here we see Monica's open to verse 2, exploring the root of the F#min9 chord, going all the way to the high B before working all the way down to the low G#, the 5th of C#min9.

verse 2 opening phrase

 Brandy's answer to Monica, 4 bars later, also looks a little different.  She returns to the initial melodic structure before going rogue towards the end, getting up to the B note once again, but coming down much more dramatically.  This is one of the first big melismas we hear in the song, stretching out the syllable "side."   This melodic excerpt also features the largest melodic leap in the song, C# up a minor 7th to B.

Notice though, amidst the variation, we see the familiar 8th/16th rhythmic figure, even in the melisma!

verse 2, second 4

A musical theme of this song is the evolution of the vocal melody.  A perfect example of this comes in the second chorus.  Brandy finishes her verse contributions and then offers a countermelody to the established chorus.

Second Chorus 

There is so much going on here with some quick echoes and wild melismas seriously shredding some minor pentatonic scales!  

This leads us directly to the third verse, which tones things down a bit, returning to the main verse theme...with some thick background harmony added this time.  The third chorus also features countermelodies and "diva-ing" similar to the second chorus.  The final notes in the song help to dig the ear-worm deep, giving us one last "the boy is mine."

Musical Sticking Points
For a song that has a very simple form and only two chords, there is a lot to process here.  First off, the harp part sets the vibe right up front.  The barrage of 16th notes, across almost 3 complete octaves, caught my ear from the get go.  It is mixed in and out very tastefully, never becoming too cumbersome or heavy, helped by the timbre of the harp.

The primary hook is very strong.  In fact, when I mentioned this one to my wife, who is quickly become the litmus test for the memorability of these songs, she instantly came out with the melody.  Looking at this melody only in terms of its intervals, we hear: up a 4th, down a 5th, up a minor 3rd, down a 2nd....4 notes....two of the 4 notes make up the root and 5th of the tonal center (C#min).  As the two chords go back and forth, it is easy to lose track of the tonal center, so this hook pulling us back there sates our desire to always be close to home.  

As mentioned several times, the evolution of the vocals throughout this song keep it interesting.  As I was transcribing some of these vocal parts, it was slightly dizzying.  There are numerous syncopations and seemingly never ending melismas that weave in and out constantly.  This is one of those tunes that you could listen to multiple times in a row and hear something new every time: Quality arranging that has stood the test of time.

Lyrics 
This song has relatable lyrics that are easy to understand.  Brandy and Monica verbally spar their way to no conclusion as to who gets the boy in the end.  Each singer gets a total of 5 verses to show their stuff, mostly following the same AAAA flow, sneaking in plenty of near rhymes.  One of my favorite stanza comes in the shortened 3rd verse (speaking of near rhymes):

You can't destroy this love I found

Your silly games I won't allow

The boy is mine without a doubt

You might as well throw in the towel  

The proverbial throwing in the towel legitimizes this as a fight, which may or may not have occurred in real life.

Common Threads  

Are there any common threads between this hit in 1998 and the other no.1 hits analyzed from 1958, 68, 78 and 88?  Here is the list we left off with on "Roll With It."

• melodies utilize and resolve to chord roots - Brandy and Monica consistently resolve to chord tones other than the roots, usually the 3rd or 5th.  However, many of the phrases incorporate the tonal center of C# quite heavily.    
• vocal melodies repeat rhythmic and melodic themes - check  
• lyrics about love - check
• repetitive chord sequences - CHECK 
• memorable vocal hook that uses the song title - check 
• background vocals (harmonies) featured throughout - check
• male vocal - This is the first song analyzed to feature female lead vocals!

I think it's interesting to find so many commonalities in such a wide variety of songs from five different decades.  The element of vocal melodies and their resolutions was a shift.  The other melodies consistently returned to chord roots, grounding the ear in the home key.  As mentioned before, this two chord song doesn't have a strong pull to C#min9 because of the two chord sequence blurring the line on where the true home is.  Perhaps this can be amended to: melodies utilize and resolve to chord tones.

Final Takeaways

I have no strong personal connection to this song and while aware of its title and dominance in the summer of 1998, I had no real recollection of it prior to this analysis.  While this has not been my favorite analysis thus far, it is one of the most interesting and challenging.  Transcribing the harp and vocal parts took some time.  Some of the vocal lines would actually make killer guitar solos!

This song is similar to "Poor Little Fool" in form, repetition of chord sequence and lyrical narrative of the perils of love.  It's also similar to "Hello, I Love You," sharing a two chord groove with evolving elements.  

"The Boy Is Mine" is probably the most decorated song analyzed.  Aside from the meteoric ascent on the charts and its staying power, Brandy and Monica won a Grammy for best R&B duo or group vocal in 1999 [1].  I have definitely gained a new respect for this song and I am glad it came up!

Up next time: July 5th - August 16th, 2008 - A 7 week run at the no.1 spot.....Katy Perry's "I Kissed A Girl."  Another summer sweep from a strong female lead!

[1]https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/inside-the-moment-monica-punched-brandy.html/ 

"Roll With It" - Steve Winwood, 1988

The summer of 1988 was a good one for Steve Winwood.  He released his 5th studio album, "Roll With It" in June of '88 and by late July, he would top the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 4 weeks in a row.  Winwood is one of those names I have heard through the years, mostly due to his time in Traffic, the Spencer Davis Group and his own band.  When I first discovered what song I would be analyzing for 1988, I certainly recognized the title of this song, and was even able to sing a few bars, albeit with the wrong words (more on that later).  In any case, this songs brings a new flavor to the "Decades of Hits" and I'm excited to talk about it.

July 30th, 1988: "Roll With It" by Steve Windwood starts its 4 week reign at no.1!

Breaking through the dance pop, soft rock and hair metal that permeated the charts at the time, Steve Winwood offers up this bluesy, soulful number that still manages to rock out and force the cutting of a few rugs.  Unlike "Three Times A Lady," this one has "fun radio song" written all over it.

This song has a very standard form: Verse, Chorus, Verse Chorus, Bridge, Verse, Chorus and fade out, with each section having a mostly predictable number of measures.

The length of this song is a curious note.  The single version runs 4:30.  The album version runs 5:20 and there is even a B side cut that runs over 9:00!  The difference between the album and single versions comes in the length of the ending jam section.  The 9 minute version has an extended intro and extended solos where Steve "testifies."

Chord Progressions
The verse of this song is a modified blues form in G.  It almost wants to be a 24 bar blues (double the length of each chord in a 12 bar blues) but never gets back to the I chord.

The chorus hammers home the tonal center of G, venturing to the IV chord (C) every other 4th beat, for one beat.  It also goes to V on a classic 8th note build up to transition to the following sections.  Harmonically, this tune stays pretty standard but adds a little spice with the bVII to I, going from verse to chorus.

Then we get to bridge.  So far, this is the first real bridge we've encountered in the 4 decades we've analyzed: "Poor Little Fool" (1958) had no bridge; "Hello, I Love You" (1968) had a bridge which was really only 2 chords leading to a key change; "Three Times A Lady" (1978) had a bridge, but it didn't feel like a bridge, using similar harmony and melody from other places in the song.

This bridge visits some brand new territory and bridges the first sets of verse and chorus to a final statement of those sections.   Check it out:

vi        /   vi     / bIII/ bIII/   v     /   v       / bII / bVII
Emin / Emin / Bb / Bb / Dmin / Dmin / Ab / F

There is also a great saxophone solo that navigates those chords by focusing on a chord tone and then resolving to the closest note in the next chord to make it sound cohesive and not too far out, despite the varied changes.

Melody
The vocal melody throughout this tune is a great example of "less is more."  Steve sticks to notes in the G Dorian Blues scales (G minor pentatonic plus a major 2nd and maj 6th):
                                                                           G A Bb (C) D E F. Most phrases start on the b7 and resolve to the root, further fortifying the tonal center of G.  He alternates between a Gmin lick (G, F and Bb) and a C pentatonic lick (E G A D), never actually singing the C.  The chord over the phrase is undoubtedly G, but the piano moves to a C chord in a syncopated pattern that plays over the G chord in the verse.  He sings a lot of 2nds and minor 3rds throughout, keeping things in that small, familiar range.  The largest leap comes on the hook of "roll with it baby," jumping down a 4th, a staple of the verse melody.  

The verse melody features several rhythmic motives that recur throughout the verse. There's this call and answer thing happening, with variations of "roll with it baby" functioning as the answer.  Phrases start on b4 twice, then b3, revealing this short long short motif we we will see many times throughout the verse.  Then the phrases start on b2, several beats after they had been starting.  This is one of the first times we have seen phrases with such varied rhythms evolving throughout a verse....

​The chorus combines elements of the verse melody, utilizing the G minor and C pentatonic licks he established and squishing them together.  The call and answer thing reappears too, this time with harmony on the calls and Steve answering solo.  

The tagline of "roll with it baby" rhythmically and melodically transforms between the verse and chorus.  Both versions act as a catchy hook, exploiting the bluesy/pentatonic nature of the song.  Steve's voice also helps this cause, growling its way to the b3, and lower 6ths, in a quasi sing/speak/shout tone.  His voice is unique in terms of today's pop music environment and something I wish we would see more of.

The other noteworthy characteristic of the vocal is frequent the vocal harmony.  On its own, the harmony uses the same pentatonic sensibility as the lead, but starts a 3rd lower.  There are a few places in the chorus where the timbres of the singers blend so tightly, it's hard to tell who is singing what.  It's just another feather in the cap of the bluesy rock awesomeness in this tune!

Musical Sticking Points:
This song thrives on taking a few key ingredients and mixing them around to create some magic.  A fairly stock chord progression lays the foundation for the verse and gets simplified even further for the chorus.  Small groupings of notes, all derived from the same scale, keep the vocal melody varied yet predictable.    The form, also repetitive and simple (AB), is broken up with a bridge that moves away from home, but not for too long.  This song is predictable, but not without a few surprises along the way.

I would imagine part of this song's appeal was the strong and danceable rhythm.  The instrumentation evokes this feeling that forces you on your feet.  Even as I was listening at home, my wife would wander into the room wildly dancing.  Even if she was trying to be funny, I'm not sure she had a choice.  This song grooves hard. 

Another interesting element that flavors the tune throughout is the horn arrangement.  We get the horns sustaining chord tones in the intro to set up the groove.    In the first chorus, they sprinkle in a little syncopation with some high trumpet notes.  They then sneak in halfway through the 2nd verse, laying down the chords and offering chordal syncopations not matched by the rhythm section.  They lead us into the sax solo and then kick up the intensity with a 16th note syncopation in the 3rd chorus.  In the 3rd verse we finally get the full treatment of melodic backgrounds and all those horny-things (things horns are good at/known for).  They finish the song with a subtler approach over the keyboard and sax solos.  Great arranging!

Lyrics
Lyrically, the message of the song can be summed up by this line from the 2nd verse:
                                                         When this world turns its back on you
                                                        Hang in and do that sweet thing you do
There is nothing too spectacular about the lyrics, aside from the fact that they speak in general times and are easy to relate with it.  The tagline of "roll with it baby" is also highly singable and rolls of the tongue, an underrated quality of musical hooks.

Speaking of rolling off the tongue, Steve Winwood's voice is very difficult to decipher.  Upon a first reading of the lyrics, I believed every lyric website had a typo.  There was no way I was hearing "hard times knocking on your door."  His gruff delivery doesn't help his annunciation.  This plagues him with most iterations of "roll with it," as well.   Even when I read the title, I was inclined to hear "work with it" within my musical memory.  This marks the first analyzed song where the lyrics are not easily understood , a common complaint of any music post 1980?  Sorry grandma. 

Common Threads
Looking back at the previous songs, what are some shared elements found in "Roll With It?"

• melodies utilize and resolve to chord roots - check
• verses employ similar rhythmic themes - ??  This is a tricky one.  The verses themselves use the same rhythmic themes, but as mentioned before, the rhythm evolves, and continues to evolve within the same lyrics in the chorus.  Maybe this common thread could be amended to: Vocal melodies repeat rhythmic and melodic themes
• lyrics about love - Not so much!  This one deals more with overcoming adversity.
• repetitive chord sequences - check 
• memorable vocal hook that uses the song title - check 
• background vocals (harmonies) featured throughout - check
• male vocal - check

I plan to summarize these common threads in a chart after a few more songs.  Seeing these elements graphically laid out and tallied will paint a clearer picture, but I'm very interested in how these points are uncovered throughout the decades!

Final Takeaways
So far, this might be the closest thing to a "standard pop song" analyzed.  When I say standard pop tune, I think of a common structure of verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus and I think of chords that exploit I, IV and V.  "Roll With It" checks all those boxes quite easily.

It's also worth mentioning the music video to this song, linked at the beginning of the article, was directed by David Fincher, a monster director behind such films as "Fight Club," "Se7en," "Alien 3" and "he Social Network," among others.  

What are your thoughts on "Roll With It?"  I can see this one flying under the radar of many.  If you have never heard it, what do you think?  Does it hold up to the other songs?  Does it make you want to move in a dance-like fashion?  Leave me a comment!

Up next time: The summer of 1998 was DOMINATED by a 13 week run at the no.1 spot, all the way from a no.23 debut to no.1 on June 6th 1998, staying there until September 5th, where it was dethroned by Aerosmith!?!?!  That's right:

"The Boy is Mine" by Brandy & Monica 

Bring on the pop music!