"Rain On Me" - Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande, 2020

I am increasingly curious about the music of 2020.  As we are only just halfway through the year, I think it would be prudent to get an entire year of no.1 hits analyzed.  Last time, I checked out "Rockstar" by DaBaby, featuring Roddy Ricch.  What did that song beat out to slide into the no.1 position?

June 6th, 2020 - "Rain On Me" by Lady Gaga &Ariana Grande DEBUTS at no.1 on the Hot 100.  In addition to that impressive stat, Lady Gaga and Ariana G both have slews of other chart topping accolades that are worth looking into. [1]  Unfortunately for Gaga and Grande, they only last one week, a trend throughout the spring of 2020.

The song came into existence after the singers bonded over persevering through loss and heartbreak.  The song is certainly reflective of two strong women proclaiming their power despite negative forces against them. [2]  Impressively, the two share writing credits on the track, along with the several others.   

This one has a logical form:  Verse (A) followed by a pre-chorus (B), then the chorus (C) then a post-chorus (D).  This 1-2-3-4 punch keeps the song feeling varied, despite the (essentially) same chord progression throughout.  

The bridge comes in at the most opportune time, truly bridging the first ABCD statements with the ending, a final statement of the chorus and an outro section, which is an inventive variation on the chorus (hence B').  The song ends as it begins, with Gaga providing the melody.

Stylistically, this is an upbeat dance tune with disco elements.  There are layers upon layers of synth accompanied by drum programming you would expect for the genre.  The bass pops and slaps some funky lines that help keep one foot in the highly produced dance world and the other in the organic music realm.  

Chord Progressions

The entire song consists of only 4 chords, relying primarily on a 2 chord sequence.  We hear the base progression up front, in the first verse, played by a guitar and synth combo:

Opening - base progression

In the key of C# minor, this plays out to be:

C#min7     Amaj9  / (Amaj9)      /  C#min7   Amaj9  /  (Amaj9)  Badd4

i                  (b)VI  /  (bVI)          /   i             bVI      /   (bVI)       bVII

For the third analysis in a row we see a minor i to bVI progression carrying the song.  Popular progression indeed! 

As the pre-chorus flows out of the verse, we hear additional syncopated synth elements (1st and 3rd measures), as well as a transition chord to get into the chorus: 

Pre-chorus rhythm

The F#min11 chord, or iv, happens quickly, yet offers a different tone color to get back to i.  In examining all the chords, the unifying pitch would be B, as is serves as the minor 7 of C#min, 9th of A and 11th of F#minor.  

The bass comes in on the prechorus, holding down sustained roots.  In the chorus, the bass moves to this syncopated line:

chorus 1 and 2, verse 2 and (last 4 of) bridge bass

When the post-chorus kicks in with all its disco glory, the bass goes full on, adding in octave pops:

post chorus, chorus 3 and outro bass

There are two places with slight variation to this main 4 bar loop.  (1) The ends of the chorus stays on Amaj9 instead of returning to the C#min7 in the second half of the 2nd measure.  (2) The bridge features a harmonic rhythm variation:  two and half measures on C#min7 followed by a measure and a half of Amaj9, which is followed by 4 complete measures of C#min7 before returning to the base 4 bar progression.  (see bridge "Melody").  

Melody

Though the entire song is based on the same chord progression, each section has a unique vocal presentation.  As sections repeat, they feature much melodic variance.  This type of evolution, a hallmark in many no.1 hits, is clearly exemplified throughout "Rain On Me."  You hear the same sections multiple times without ever hearing exactly the same thing.  

Lady Gaga begins the song with the first verse, introducing a melodic motif that starts on repeated B's, beginning on the + of beat 1.  She then descends a 5th to E, followed by a minor 3rd to C#, singing through the C#min7 arpeggio, excluding the 5th.  She ends the phrase by repeating the previous 2 notes and going down one note further to B.  Her second and fourth phrases repeat this, extending the ends to complete the C#min7 arpeggio.  

Verse 1

Compare Gaga's verse to Grande's verse.  Here, we see similar rhythmic entrances, on the + of beat 1.  Ariana chooses different notes, beginning the first and third phrases on G# and working only as low as E, in stepwise motion.  Her second and fourth phrases are more sparse, using only F# with varied endings.     

Verse 2

This evolution of melody also occurs in the pre-choruses.  In the first, Lady Gaga sings solo, laying out in every other measure.  She introduces a new rhythmic theme, answering the synth part established while she rests.  Her melody covers the G#min7 arpeggio and concludes with a definitive return to the C#min7 with the minor 3rd, E.   

PreChorus 1

When this section comes around again, Ariana fills in the previous spaces with similar syncopation.  Her notes cover the C#min7 arpeggio while Gaga sticks with the G#min7 arpeggio, allowing each singer to occupy a slightly different melodic space.  

PreChorus 2

The choruses also follow suit in their melodic evolution.  Lady Gaga sings the first chorus solo, another outline of the C#min7 chord.  Her entrance is higher than her verse, starting on an E before working her way down to B and then back up to E.  Her repeated "rains" constitute the hook.  She ends the choruses with spoken "rain on me."  

Chorus 1

The second and third choruses feature Grande adding close harmony.  Starting off a third lower and getting as close as a 2nd apart, the different timbres keep it consonant and it flows together nicely.  The ending features Ariana interjecting some powerful C#'s (roots) between Gaga's spoken passages.  

Chorus 2

The post chorus creates a lot of space and features repeated "rains," first introduced in the chorus.  This section also includes a funky E major guitar line.  Like the other sections, the post chorus ends up being different the second time around, featuring some diva-esque ad-libing from the ladies. 

Post Chorus 1

The bridge slows things down in the first four measures with affected traded vocals.  We also see the change in harmonic rhythm and pacing.  Then, we get Gaga speaking all her lines with Grande joining in singing, every other bar.  Most of these melodic passages are in the C# minor space, introducing the 9th at the end of the tenth bar.  The section ends with Grande climbing high to the sustained G#.

Bridge

The outro of the song, a new melody, borrows from the chorus.  The first measure, the chorus harmony alone, evolves into a variation on the chorus syncopation.  This part also contains the highest notes in the song, an exuberant "woooooo hoo" provided by Gaga.  Not to be outdone, Grande answers with a melisma on the C# minor pentatonic.  The song ends, fittingly, with Gaga's spoken secondary hook "rain on me."  

Outro

Musical Sticking Points

This entire song is an illustration of musical evolution.  For three minutes, the same four chords are contorted in five different ways.  Not only that, vocal melodies are repeated and varied to get the most out of a small amount of musical information.  

To me, the bridge is the most creative part of the tune.  Here, we see a brand new harmonic rhythm on the same harmony feels completely different.  The first four measures augment the rhythm, stretching things out and delaying the switch to Amaj9.  Then, it stays on C#min7 for four entire measures, the longest stretch on that chord, before switching back to the original progression.  It effectively breaks up the song without adding additional base material.

The production is also second to none.  There are layers of swirling synth parts, percussive elements and sounds that sit way back in the mix to create atmosphere.  The drums are well done, leaving plenty of space and readily changing the texture with their presence (or absence).  

The melodic content is varied just enough.  It changes, but never feels out of place.  The two singers compliment each other well and even flaunt their differences when Gaga speaks in low tones against Grande's lines.  They each have the ability to add nuance and variation in their lines, allowing the same melody to feel different on each repeat.  While neither do anything technically crazy, they play their strengths well.  

Lyrics

As mentioned, this song is about persevering through the heartbreak.  The rain, an analogy for all the bad juju, is taken on bravely.  The pre-chorus says it best:

It's coming down on me

Water like misery

It's coming down on me

I'm ready, rain on me

In Gaga's commentary on the song [2], she offers some insight into the line "I'd rather be dry but at least I'm alive," equating the word dry to being sober and how tough times often result in the use of alcohol to "numb the pain."  I like the multiple layers and room for lyrical interpretation.

Overall, the lyrics are fine.  The verses are competent and the delivery in the other sections makes up for the overall sparse content and minimal approach (55ish repeats of "rain").

Common Threads

In this round, "on the 0's," I have compiled a list of common musical elements present in no.1 hits across decades.  Let's see how many boxes "Rain On Me" checks.

• Repeated melodic motifs - Absolutely!  This song does a great job of borrowing melodic and rhythmic ideas from different sections and reusing them in a new way....just look at the outro!
• Strong harmonic motion from V to I  - No V-I motion, but this is the third song in a row to bank on i - bVI - bVII as part of the primary progression.  In the wrap up, this point will have to be flushed out.     
• Background singers contribute to melodic/harmonic texture - These two women are not singing backup for one another, but they certainly contribute to the texture throughout, especially in the combined spoken/melodic parts.  
• Modulation -  
• New material presented at the end 
• Hook that uses the title of the song   
• Contains a lyrical refrain  - Potentially, "rain" could be considered a refrain, as it appears in each post-chorus section.  

5/7 common elements are present in "Rain On Me."  It's not surprising.  This song is a stereotypical pop song, for better or worse.  It has that "no.1 song" sound, and after analyzing the music, it's clear as to what that might mean.  

Final Takeaways

This song is fine.  I like it.  I don't love it and will probably not go out of my way to listen to it, unsolicited.  That being said, it's very well done.  The vocal performances are excellent and the composition of the song is worthy of study (the bridge is compelling).

I don't really know much about Ariana Grande and this is her only song I could name.  I am a fan of Lady Gaga and like many of her other songs better than this one.  When I mentioned this song to my wife, she even commented that this is not "prime Gaga material."

What do you think of "Rain On Me?"  How do the artists' other songs stack up to this one?  Leave me a comment!

Next time.....couple of things in the hopper.  First, I have finished my song inspired by lessons learned in this project.  I plan to present that in the next entry.  

I am still officially awaiting the charts for August 8th to cement my "first week in August" plan for this round "on the 0's."  While waiting for that, I checked into all the no.1 hits, so far, in 2020.  I think I will slowly make my way through them, which will be an interesting set of data points on their own.  So much music to cover and I am looking forward to it!

[1]https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/9394719/rain-on-me-debuts-atop-hot-100-lady-gaga-ariana-grande

[2]https://www.elle.com/culture/music/a32632038/ariana-grande-lady-gaga-rain-on-me-lyrics-meaning/

"Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini" - Brian Hyland, 1960

A novelty song is performed for comedic effect.  The lyrics are goofy and the subject matter is probably about a current trend or fad.  When I think novelty songs, instantly I conjure  "Purple People Eater," "Monster Mash" or anything by the "Chipmunks."  It's not terribly surprising that a novelty song would gain so much traction that it reaches no.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart, selling more copies and being played on the radio more than any other song.

Novelty songs were running rampant in the late 50's and 60's and many of them did attain no.1 status.  My criteria for choosing songs to analyze is by date.  I look at the no.1 song during the first week of August, in 10 year intervals.  Today, we land on August 8th, 1960.  The song in question?  The first novelty song encountered in this project!

Despite the silly lyrics and "campy" music, does this song contain common musical elements found in other no.1 hit songs through the decades?

August 8th, 1960: "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini" by Brian Hyland takes the no.1 position for 1 week!

I like to start by examining the form, or the overall structure of the song.  The "typical" song structure generally entails Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Bridge, Chorus, or ABABCB.  There are numerous variations on this paradigm, but those are the basic building blocks of pop music.

"IBTWYPB" has all of these elements with a few twists.  First notice the ending of the song.  The outro, or C section, presents different melodic/harmonic material at the very end.  Usually, a new section would "bridge" the first set of verse/chorus to the final statement.

While this new part serves as an epilogue to the story of the song, it strangely makes me want to go back and listen again.  We saw the presentation of new material in songs like "Hello, I Love You (1968)," and "Old Town Road (2019)."  It's an interesting way to leave the listener with a question rather than an answer, musically speaking.

Another twist that sticks out is the length of each section.  Generally, music is grouped in 4 bar statements, resulting in 8, or sometimes 12 bar sections.  Here, we see several 10's and a few 9.5's!

10 bar phrases - The verse itself is a clean 8 measures (not counting pickups), but each ends with a 2 measure spoken narration: "2, 3, 4, tell the people what she wore!" 

9.5 bar phrases - Again, the chorus is a clean 8 measures....sort of.  The end of the chorus ("she wanted to stay") contains a measure of 2 beat, instead of 4 (hence the .5).  This is immediately followed by more spoken narration: "2,3,4, stick around we'll tell you more."  This is the first song analyzed that features mixed meter, or changing time signatures.

Chord Progressions

The chord changes utilize the popular ii-V7.  The verse is:

D / Emin A7 / Emin A7 / D / D / G / D A7 / D

I  / ii        V7  / ii       V7/  I  / I   / IV/ I  V7/  I

Aside from the ii-V7, the changes have a children's song quality.  That's not necessarily bad, it's just predictable.  As seen before, people generally like the familiar, as long as it comes with a few small surprises.  I think the 2/4 measures, and some other elements, deliver those surprises here.

The chorus is simplified, alternating between V7 and I:

A7/ D / A7 / D / A7 / D / A7 / G walk down to D  

V  / I  /  V  /  I  / V  /  I  / V   /  IV walk-down to I

The walk down from IV - I gives closure and makes it feel "finished," just before we hear the spoken refrain.  These changes are also used again, sans walk-down, in the outro section.  Either way, the constant V7 - I motion gives a sense of finality when then last I chord is finally played.

The rhythm section lays down an interesting groove throughout the verses.  It is kind of Reggae and definitely 50's pop rock.

Rhythm Section example

The organ is playing all upbeats while the guitar plays a syncopated pattern of 2 (3)+ (4)+.  There is this wash of 8th notes at the beginning of the bar and when the upbeat syncopation lines up, it sticks out.

The bass moves along in the two feel, sticking to roots and 5ths.  The bass finally breaks away from this in the outro with a more syncopated line. 

Outro Bass example

The drums keep things simple throughout and present two different feels for the verse and chorus:

Drums - Verse and Chorus

 These patterns are not wildly different, but the shift of the 8th notes from beat 2 to beat 3 gives the chorus a sense of forward motion.  Combined with the 8th notes in the melody, it energizes that section perfectly.

The intro of the song features full band unison going up the I chord arpeggio into a walk-down on the V chord.  Again, the walk-down really helps in pulling the ear to the I chord. 

Intro

 If you notices the key signatures above, there is a modulation in the song, which happens in the 3rd statement of the intro.  The singers immediately shift up 1/2 step to Eb, where the song remains until the end.

Melody

The melody really makes me think of children's music.  There is a classical nature about it too, in the way the pitches lead from one chord to the next.  The opening bars set up a 3-4-5 pattern on D.  When the chords shift to Emin, the 3rd of D (F#) is lowered to E, which also serves as the 5th of A7, ushering in the next pattern - 5-6-7 on the A7 chord.  

verse 1

It then returns to the 3-4-5 pattern, this time with a leap up to the high D and a walk-down (lots of walk-downs in this tune) that leads to B, the 3rd of the G chord.  He then goes chromatically back to A (5th of D) before twisting around the 3-4-5 pattern to get to another walk-down to the root D.

Verse melody - 3 note ascending patterns centered around chord tones, connected with descending patterns to the next chord tone.  

The verse also features background harmonies throughout with syncopated "ba ba da's."  The female singers enhance the texture throughout and are a contrast to Hyland's voice.  We saw this texture contrast of singers work well for Elvis, just one year prior to this.

The chorus melody uses similar conventions.  This time, we start with a walk up (in the last bar of the verse) to get to C#, the 3rd of A7.  Here we get a 3-2-1 pattern (on A) which after shifting one note, morphs to a 8-6-5 pattern on D.  When the chord returns to A7, we hear the 3-2-1 again, only in a different rhythm, leading back to D where we get shades of the verse with 5-3, passing through 6 instead of 4.

Chorus 1

After retreading the same ground in the second 4 bars, it ends with, wait for it....a walk-down back home to D.  This is also where we see the 2/4 bar to accommodate the spoken part, hastily eager to "tell us more."

The verse and chorus repeat a total of 3 times each, with the last repeat up 1/2 step to the key of Eb.  The ending of the song presents this new melody:

Outro 

Starting on b2 with repeated 8th notes, we hear a new melodic rhythm.  We also get the widest leaps in the song, a minor 6th from the 3rd (D) to the chord root (Bb).  The next line insinuates Eb, going from G to Bb, with a bump to C, then back to G, the 3rd of Eb.  After another repeat of the first 2 bars, we end with.....a walk-down!  The band hits the final chord on beat 3, sending us home for good.  

Musical Sticking Points

There is, seemingly, not a whole lot happening in this song musically.  On the surface, the changes are predictable, the melody sounds like a kid's song and the silly lyrics take center stage.  There are, however, some key elements found in many no.1 hit songs.

There are repeated melodic motifs throughout.  Diatonic descending lines, from chord tone to chord, are running rampant!  They push the melodic momentum forward and help cement the home key.  Strong V7-I motion is a hallmark of all music and this melody plays on that human precondition.  

The sections are odd lengths, thanks to the spoken parts, but they don't sound odd.  I have heard this song several times prior to this analysis and never once questioned the presence of a random bar of 2/4.  These little changes are sneaky good and give the song this sense of depth that is not instantly recognized.  

There is a modulation in the tune, and it comes out of nowhere!  Modulations are a great way to break up potential monotony and "IBTWYPB" throws one in at just the right moment.  Because it comes out of nowhere, and occurs on a familiar part, it doesn't sound out of place.  

The outro presents completely new melodic material, begging for another listen.  I like when a song says what it has to say and then at the very end, whispers a little tease, as if to say "listen again, maybe there's something you missed" (even though that's the exact opposite of what is being said lyrically).  I wish the outro was used earlier in the song as a proper bridge.  The contrast of the bass line is enough to peak my interests.  

Lyrics

As a novelty song, the lyrics are not supposed to be groundbreaking or poetic, or have any real substance.  In this case, the story goes that one of the songwriters, Paul Vance, observed his 2 year old daughter trying out her new yellow polkadot bikini.  The scene inspired him to write the tune. [1]  (Paul Vance also suffered a case of mistaken death and contention over the song writes to this song....pretty wild stuff)

The girl in the song is very self conscious of her new suit and gradually maker her way from the locker room to her towel and then into the water, where she refuses to come out, even though she's turning blue.  The bikini was still a little risque in 1960, so I'm sure the story was relatable to young woman eager to sport the new fashion.

The story told in the song is humorous and succinct.  It has a clear beginning, middle and end and includes an epilogue to remove all doubt of the sequel.  People generally love stories, so the lyrical content certainly accounts for this song's initial popularity.  As stated above, the music adds to the package and holds the attention of the masses.

The spoken parts could be labeled as ""refrains."  Each verse ends with "2, 3, 4, tell the people what she wore," and each chorus ends with "2, 3, 4, stick around we'll tell you more."  This repeated lyric, among changing lyrics, qualifies as a type of refrain.  

Common Threads     

How are the no.1 hit songs connected musically?  Check out my "Round 2 Wrap Up" entry to see what the previous 14 analyses had in common.  For now, I'm going to start fresh and see what common themes emerge.  Here's what sticks out so far:

• Repeated melodic motifs - Descending diatonic scales from chord tone to chord tone are scattered throughout the song.  I will be on the look out for use of recycled melodic material.
• Strong harmonic motion from V to I
• Background singers contribute to melodic/harmonic texture
• Modulation
• New material presented at the end

This list will no doubt change as the round 3 analyses (1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, 2020) continue.

Final Takeaways

I don't hate this song.  I don't love it, but can certainly tolerate it.  It's fun and light hearted, telling an innocent story of self conscious behavior, which we can all relate to.  

I am intrigued by Brian Hyland, who is still writing music.  He was only 16 when he recorded this song and remained popular throughout the 60's.  He also had the burden of being typecast as "the itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polkadot bikini" guy.  The fact that he was able to change his writing style and find success after this song, with other types of music, is somewhat remarkable. [2] 

What are your thoughts on "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini?"  Does the notvelty of the lyrics outweigh the subtle musical variance happening throughout?  Leave me a comment! 

Round 3 continues!  Up next: July 25th - August 15, 1970, a 4 week run at no.1, "(They Long To Be) Close To You" by the Carpenters!  The 70's are filled with musical variance, this one should be fun! 

[1]https://www.songfacts.com/facts/brian-hyland/itsy-bitsy-teeny-weeny-yellow-polka-dot-bikini

[2]http://www.brianhyland.com/theartist.html

Round 2 Wrap Up

What information do you really think you'll find by analyzing a random sample of no.1 hit songs in 10 year intervals?

Common musical elements in each song, across decades.  Surely the cultural trends of the time influence a song's ascent to no.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart, but music is a strong force on its own.  Tickling the fancy of a fad is not enough for a song to gain widespread popularity.  No.1 on Hot 100 means your song has been played (radio and streaming) more and you've sold more digital and physical copies than anyone else.  Surely there is some substance behind the musical side of the song!

That musical substance is exactly what I am hoping to flush out.

I have gone through 7 decades, twice over.  The first round, "on the 8's," analyzed no.1 songs in the first week of August for 1958, 1968, 1978, 1988, 1998, 2008 and 2018.  The second round, "on the 9's," followed suit, analyzing no.1 songs in the first week of August for 2019, 2009, 1999, 1989, 1979, 1969 and 1959.

The biggest commonality appeared in the arrangement: Every song analyzed EVOLVES.  What exactly does that mean?  Throughout the arrangement, nothing every stays exactly the same.  If you hear the same section three times, by the third time, there is an element present that was not there the first two go-rounds.

Most of the time, this is done with the addition of instrument parts.  In the 80's and before, this often happened in the horns/orchestra.  As music technology progressed, this is covered by keyboard synth lines.  No matter what instrument does it, the result is very similar.  The song evolves from a basic musical idea to a full fledged presentation with bells and whistles (literally, a whistle in the case of "Bad Girls").  In no.1 hit songs, the texture of the music landscape is ever evolving.

Another unifying factor of every song analyzed is repetition.  Melodic and harmonic ideas are best served repeated.  This one is sort of a no-brainer.  Think of any song, and it probably has a section and or melody that repeats.  This paradigm was set up way back when, in the most primitive musics.  It feels good to hear something multiple times because it becomes familiar and our brains love to process stuff we already know!

So why mention it?  Many of the repeated elements in these songs are not as cut and dry as "here's the chorus again." Rhythmic patterns that are found in the verse are also present in the chorus.  Melodies found in the chorus may reappear in the bridge.  Most often, this manifests as rhythmic placement of melodic entrances (more often than not, 1.5 - .5 beats before beat 1) or frequent use of the same interval (usually 2nds, we LOVE scalar motion!).

Sometimes repeated material is the chord progression.  Many songs use one set of chords for the verse and chorus, and sometimes even bridge!

I have taken all 14 songs analyzed and prepared a chart to show some data points pertaining to each song.

Some statistics jump at at me:

• 5/14 (36%) in a minor key 
• 4/14 (29%) have a tonal center of Ab (G#)
• 8/14 (57%) utilize one primary chord progression for the entire tune
• 10/14 (71%) contain more than 2 sections
• 2/14 (14%) have verse only
• 2/14 (14%) have verse and chorus only
• 7/14 (50%) contain at least one bridge section
• 6/14 (43%) utilize the bVII chord
• 11/14 (79%) utilize the IV(iv) and I(i) chords*
• 13/14 (93%) are in duple (2/2 or 4/4) meter
• 10/14 (71%) feature a male lead singer
• 13/14 (93%) use the title of the song in the hook
• Average length - 3:55       

*"In My Feelings" is IV / iii.  The iii chord can be considered a sub for I

What data points stick out to you?  Leave me a comment!

Composition Experiment no.1

As a ridiculous experiment, I decided to isolate the hook of each song.  I wrote them out in the key of C, or A minor depending on tonality.  My goal was to compose a song that utilizes each hook.  Sometimes, I found the hooks flowed seamlessly into one another, thanks to the rhythmic spacing.  For example:  "In My Feelings" and "Right Here Waiting" matched up nicely to create this:

Similarly, "I Gotta Feeling" and "The Boy Is Mine" fit together pretty well, thanks to a common pitch:

One trait of songs "on the 9's" was a layering approach, resulting in the textural evolution of a song.  For this experiment, I took that approach and tried sprinkling in various elements.  At times, this comes in the form of another hook (mostly "Poor Little Fool"), or the sweet muted guitar part.

Harmonically, I put the song in minor, anticipating the major melodies would work better over minor than a minor melody would work over major.  Noting the frequency of the IV chord, I decided to add that in as well.  So, the majority of the tune is built on a Amin / D (i / IV) progression.  

Three songs presented problems to this harmony though.  "I Gotta Feeling," "The Boy Is Mine" and "A Big Hunk O' Love" all ended up resting on an F, a dissonant sound for both Amin and D.  To accommodate those, I shifted the progression to include an F major 7.  

I did break the repeated chord progression rule and added a third part at the end: Amin / F / Dmin / C.  Here, each hook is revisited in quick fashion over the same progression.  Maybe I should have gone with this one from the start?  I'm mostly happy with this funky little dance number though.  Can you pick out all 14 hooks both times they happen??

  "Decade Hit Mega Mashup" 

Moving Forward

The Decade Hit Analysis project must continue!  It's time for round 3: "On the 0's."

I will kick things off with the no.1 hit in the first week of August, 1960.  Then we will visit 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010 and hopefully land right on time in August 2020.

Up next time: August 8th, 1960: "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini" by Brian Hyland.  I have indeed heard of this song.  I was surprised to find that Brian Hyland had 22 chart appearances throughout the 60's, including 3 top ten hits.  This is his only no.1, and it only lasts for one week.

Judging by the gimmicky title, I would say this song's popularity may have been magnified by cultural trends at the times.  However, consider the fact that Mr. Hyland has a slew of other hits.  Surely there is some musical substance?  Stay tuned to find out! 

"In The Year 2525" - Zager & Evans, 1969

The 60's were a unique time both musically and culturally.  One of the aims of this project is to uncover musical elements that contribute to a song's success.  While cultural elements are undoubtedly a factor in how high a song reaches on the Billboard Hit 100 chart, I am choosing to gloss that part over, believing that a good song is indeed a good song, regardless of when, why or how it became popular.  Which brings us to "In The Year 2525."

On the first listen (and the 2nd through 8th), I was perplexed as to how this song could have possibly reached no.1 and stay there for 6 weeks!  In part, the cultural climate of the times, I am certain, played a large role in this song's popularity (more on that in Lyrics).  But as I started to transcribe vocal parts and listen close to what was actually happening, the musical picture became more clear.  "In The Year 2525" utilizes musical techniques we have seen in so many other no.1 hit songs.  As I uncovered these techniques, it's easy to see why, musically anyway, this song made such a big impact.

July 12 - August 16, 1969: "In The Year 2525" by Zager & Evans strikes fear into the heart of man, going on a six week run at no.1 and then disappearing from the charts shortly there after, never to be heard from again. 

Upon first glance, the data for this song does not look unusual.  There is about an octave vocal range, familiar intervals, typical instrumentation for the times and a form with multiple sections....oh wait.....12 verses!?!?!

This song is a classic example of strophic form, or singing every verse of the text to the same music.  To be fair, there are slight variations in the melody, but for the most part, we get the same thing 11 times (the 12th time fades out quickly, but it's there).

How can you keep a song with the same music interesting for 11+ verses???  Zager & Evans accomplish this in a few ways.  First, the song starts in a free, rubato tempo.  Then, the band kicks in for the interlude (I) to set up the groove we hear for a majority of the tune.

Another way they keep things moving are through key changes.  This tune modulates through 3 different keys, each maintaining the same chord progression.  This happens in the second and third interlude sections.  The modulations up a 1/2 step really help to build tension, playing nicely off of the lyrics.

In verses 9 and 10, the drums cut out and we return to a free feel, similar to the intro.  This free tempo section is actually more rushed than the intro, so even though it feels like we are slowing down, the sense of urgency, again playing off the lyrics, keep the suspense high.  These two verse (V'9, V'10) are unique also due to the lyrics; the only verses in the song to not use the hook of "in the year ____."

To follow up on a topic I have traversed in other analyses ("Old Town Road," "I Gotta Feeling," and "Genie In A Bottle"), we could argue the song has a refrain.  A refrain could indicate a repeated section of music or a repeated lyric.  Think of "this land was made for you and me" being the refrain in "This Land Is Your Land," occurring in both the verse and chorus sections.  "In the year ____" is sort of a refrain, repeating 10 times throughout the song.

Chord Progressions 

Like so many songs "on the 9's," this one is made up of one unchanging chord loop.  We hear it in the intro played freely on a Mariachi sounding guitar and then more rocking in the verses.  Here is the start to verse 2, in tempo, set up by the guitar:

verse 2 -5 changes

This progression is a minor key staple!   i - bVII - bVI - V

There many songs that use this, like "All Along the Watchtower (Dylan/Hendrix)," "Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin)," "Stray Cat Strut (Stray Cats)," "Love Song (The Cure)," and many many others.  The strong V- i motion keeps the tonal center intact among the other chords.

The bass line propels the song with pulsing 8th notes and a sly little turnaround:

bass line example

Each chord gets this basic treatment.  There's chromatic motion at the end of the first bar, replaced with pentatonic motion before moving to the next chord in the second bar.

The song modulates twice, going up to A minor and then Bb minor, maintaining the progression.  We have seen repeated chord progressions in nearly every song analyzed.  Modulations do not happen so often though.  In fact, "Hello, I Love You" by the Doors, no.1 just a year prior to this song, used a modulation to break up the repeated chord progression.  60's music man, so trippy!

Melody 

Strophic form can get redundant, using the same melody and chord progression, changing only the lyrics.  While this song certainly has lyrics that keep one engaged, the melody helps the cause with a few interesting nuances.

The song starts freely with guitar, strings, trumpet and vocals.  Here is the first verse, which has a call and answer between the vocals and trumpet:  *note:  all vocal parts are written out 1 octave higher than they sound.....who wants to look at a bunch of ledger lines??

verse 1

The melodic motif is set up clearly, with this R - 2nd - min3rd pattern, answered by the trumpet on the upper part of the scale.  On the F# chord, we hear 3rd - 2nd - R - 3rd, a reverse of the opening statement.  The E chord gets the same treatment (3-2-R-2-3) with a similar trumpet call on the upper scale notes.  The D# chord gets away from opening intervals and hits A# -B- A#, 5th, b6 and 5th of D#.  He does dip down to the G natural (F double sharp), or major 3rd of D# here, which pulls up to the tonal center for the 2nd verse. 

When the band kicks into verse 2, we hear a great harmony that enhances the hook.

verse 2

The 2nd verse begins the same as the intro, but then develops rhythms and melodies.  Over the F# chord, we see use of the 3rd and 5th, instead of 3-2-R as in the intro.  the E chord uses 3-2-R with the D# focusing again on the 5th of the D# chord.

Also notice above the 4th and 6th measures.  In m4, the melody lowers down to the F# and in m6, it goes down to the E.  Now look at the 4th and 6th measures in verse 3:

verse 3

 Here, the phrases end on A# and G#, higher than in the previous verse.  This subtle nuance gives the melody a flowing feel, preventing things from going stagnant.  As we head into verse 4, we see a mix of these melodic choices from previous verses in m4 and m6.

verse 4

This tweaking of pitch and rhythm happens through each verse.  When we arrive in verse 8, the melody climaxes with the highest notes in both lead and harmony vocals:

verse 8

 The end of this verse also contains a "whoa oh oh," which happens previous to this in verses 7 and 5, another example of a small change that keeps the melody fresh.  These "whoa oh oh's" occur before each modulation and before the 2nd rubato section.

Musical Sticking Points

This song masterfully takes repeated material and enhances with the addition and subtraction of musical elements.  This technique has been seen in just about every song analyzed "on the 9's."  Here is a verse by verse breakdown of those elements:

V1 (2525) - Freely - trumpet, strings, guitar

V2 (3535) - Tempo - + bass and drums

V3 (4545) - + sustained strings following chords

V4 (5555) - + Horns sustaining chords

V5 (6565) - + syncopation through the chords (strings or horns?) + "whoa oh oh"

verse 5 syncopation

Interlude - 4 measures - up 1/2 step in the second half.

V6 (7510) - + more developed horn syncopation

verse 6 horns ex.

V7 (8510) - Horn syncopation develops further + "whoa oh oh"

verse 7 syncopation ex.

Interlude - 2 measures, up 1/2 step

V8 (9595) - horns and strings continue to develop in rhythm and dynamics + "whoa oh oh"

V9/V10 - free tempo - guitar, bass and vocals with drums simmering in the background

V11 (2525) - Full elements

V12 (3535) - fades early into 3rd bar

Though each verse is similar, no verse is exactly the same.  The element of continuous development help to keep this relatively simple song progressing towards the finish, sneakily mixing around melodic and rhythmic elements the entire time.

Lyrics

In my opinion, this is the musical element that puts this song over the top in.  I suggest you watch the lyric video linked above or view the lyrics here.

The basic gist: what will life be like in the year 2525?  How about 3535, ad so on and so forth?  With the passing of each millennia, man's prognosis grows more grim.  In this bleak future, machines and science take credit for most of our human-like activity and we completely deplete Earth's resources.  Eventually God makes an appearance and contemplates some sort of Judgement day level event.

These lyrics are completely terrifying in their Orwellian prophecies of doom.  Just as "man's reign is through" and you think the doom is over, it restarts with "in the year 2525," begging our attention and making us rethink choices to prevent this future.  Though in a few instances, there are actually moments of proven prophecy.  Consider the 5th verse:

In the year 6565

Ain't gonna need no husband, won't need no wife

You'll pick your sons, pick your daughters too

From the bottom of a long glass tube

All of these societal choices are certainly common place in 2020.  Let's hope in the next x-1,000 years we will still be utilizing our teeth and eyes.

I would imagine the in your face nature of the lyrics, at a time when people where questioning man's motives in the wake of war and the Hippie movement in general, would have gotten many interested in the song, which apparently, is exactly what happened.    

If "In The Year 2525" came out today,  I think lyrically, it would be a huge turnoff.  These lyrics would probably be deemed "too cliche" and "too niche" in our hyper-categorical views of everything.  Musically though, it might have a chance.  It's fun to think of the question "if song ____ came out in the year ____, would it still be popular?"  That's a blog for another day!

Common Threads

Comparing "In The Year 2525" with other songs "on the 9's," we see several commonalities.

• Hook that uses the title of the song
• Repeated melodic themes
• Texture changes through instrumental additions and subtractions

This song is notably similar to others in this round for the use of extra musical elements throughout the arrangement.  Like so many other songs, little instrumental bits are sprinkled in to make similar sections feel different.  Musical development through slight variation has been a unifying factor in all songs analyzed.  People love surprises, but only if they are not too surprising.   When songs slightly vary some aspect, this type of sweet spot surprise is achieved.  

So even if this song is lyrically way out there, musically it's not so different.  It's popularity,  though largely influenced by the current time, has to be somewhat rooted in familiar musical sensibilities that people can connect with. 

Final Takeaways

Zager & Evans are a bonafide one hit wonder.  They hit no.1 in the US and UK and never charted on the top 100 again.  They tried, but their other songs, dealing with rape and religion, did not take off. [1] I guess the old adage "timing is everything" is true.

I like this song on many levels.  I enjoy the lyrics as they paint a dystopian picture that modern society perpetuates in TV and movies all the time.  This is a slightly different take on some common tropes and caught me off guard.  I also like the music.  The theme I have been observing "on the 9's" involving layered instruments over a single chord progression are front and center in this one.  There is so much evolution of melodies and instrument parts as well as tempo shifts and moments of tension.  

The hook in this one is very strong.  I asked a few people who would have been youngsters when this song came to sing a bar.  All of them instantly came out with "in the year 2525," sang at full tempo with wreckless abandon.  It's interesting to me that this lyric happens once in the beginning, at the slow tempo and again at the very end.  I guess the year doesn't matter, just the simple minor scale setup. 

What do you think of "In The Year 2525?"  If you have never heard it, please listen and give some thought to the lyrics.  I'm still floored this song sat at no.1 for 6 weeks!

Up next time, the last stop in this tour of "the 9's."  August 10th - 17th, 1959 - "A Big Hunk O' Love" By Elvis Presley and the Jordanaires.  

I am certain I do not know this song.  I have expected to see Elvis pop up on this list and am moderately excited to digging into "The King of Rock and Roll."  Stay tuned!

  

[1]https://www.waybackattack.com/zagerandevans.html

"Right Here Waiting" - Richard Marx, 1989

If I say "repeat offender," what are some word associations that come to mind?  Two words that do not come to my mind are 'Richard" and "Marx."  "Repeat Offender" was the second album from Richard Marx, which featured two no.1 hit singles.  In fact, Richard Marx is the only male artist whose first seven singles cracked the top 5 on the Hot 100 chart.  This impressive feat is topped by his achievement of producing a no.1 hit in each of the last 4 decades.  He also continues to write and perform, collaborating with some big names like Josh Groban and Keith Urban. [1]

When I think Richard Marx, I generally think of 80's light rock, which is exactly where "Right Here Waiting" lands.  This song, however, offers precisely the kind of intrigue I am seeking with this analysis project.  I feel this song features subtle nuances and techniques that evolve into musical styling I have seen in analyses in subsequent years.  Don't sleep on Richard Marx.

August 12 - 26, 1989:  "Right Here Waiting" by Richard Marx lasts 3 weeks at no.1!

There are a few things that stick out in the data.  First and foremost, there are NO DRUMS in this tune.  Yes, this song is a ballad, but even "Three Times A Lady" kept moving with a drum beat.  The only percussive element is a lone shaker, fairly far back in the mix.  The thick layers of synth, strings and surprisingly active bass line keep thing moving despite this glaring omission.

Notice the frequency of the chorus, or A section.  In all, we here this section 6 times throughout, sometimes with vocals, sometimes instrumentally.  In the above "form," C' designates an instrumental statement of the melody while C indicates vocals.  I think the Black Eyed Peas borrowed this strategy, repeatedly returning the chorus in "I Gotta Feeling."

Chord Progressions  

"Right Here Waiting" uses common chord progressions in the key of C with some colorful variations.  The chorus harmony is primarily:

C / G / Amin / F  G or I / V / vi / IV  V   in the key of C.

This 4 bar segment repeats, each time with a slight rhythmic variation on the 4th bar.  In the first two statements of the chorus section, there is a 2 bar extension of an Amin9 (vi) chord.  This buffer provides space and lets the chorus sink in before heading into the verse.

The verse combines the familiar C major tonality of the chorus, with added color.

verse accompaniment 

The core progression is I / IV / ii / V, but the repeated piano figure with sustained D and G offers a nice variation on the chords.  Melodically, the vocals don't accentuate any of these variations, pushing them to the background, enhancing the romantic ballad hue.

The G/B functions as the transition chord to the prechorus, giving a deceptive cadence to Amin9, a chord we sampled during the chorus extension.  The 4 bar prechorus is:

Amin9 / Dmin7 / Amin9 / Dmin7 Dmin7/G   or vi / ii / vi / ii  V

The Dmin7/G functions as the V, leading directly back to C in the chorus.  This part does a nice job to break up the dominant major tonality and provides some tension before the payoff with the chorus hook.

There is a bridge and we get a preview of it in the intro:

Intro

Starting on Dmin7 and moving to an inverted I chord, played rubato, sets a dramatic tone right at the open.  The Fmajor chord, which in the full bridge, gets a major9#11 feel with a sustained B and G, is a another great variation on the IV chord.  The full bridge progression, borrowed from this intro, looks like:

Dmin7 / C/E  / Fmaj9#11 / (F) /  Dmin7 / C/E  / Fmaj9#11 / G7

Again, this break from C major builds the drama before we head back to the hook.  While all of these changes are not as exotic as "Three Times A Lady," these little nuances set it apart and enhance the overall mood.

Melody  

Let's start with the chorus melody, presented both instrumentally and vocally.  Here is the opening piano statement:

opening piano chorus 

 This melody is performed down an octave after the first ending, lowering the intensity before the verse vocal entrance.  Instrumentally, we get this on the piano to open and close the song, and on classical guitar in the middle.  In each of those statements, there is some very subtle variation:

instrumental Chorus variations

These small differences make me curious about the writing process.  Were the musicians using sheet music or playing by ear?  If they were playing by ear, I would imagine the melody evolved naturally and changed as you played it more and more.  In any case, these were some exciting Easter eggs to discover.

  When Richard sings the chorus the first time, it looks like this:

first vocal chorus

The character of this vocal melody is strong.  Phrases start somewhere near beat 2 and include syncopation on the upbeats.  There is a clear descending, ascending, ascending, descending contour to the 4 measure phrase.  The phrases end differently, going down to G in bar 4 and resolving B to C in the 8th measure.  Strong scalar motion with leaps only to chord tones are very satisfying to any ear, which may account for the global popularity of this song.

Like the instrumental statements of the chorus melody, there is slight variation in the vocal delivery:

Vocal Chorus variations

Most are a slight melisma up or down to the next chord tone(s).  The largest departure would be in the 3rd and 4th vocal choruses where Richard sings E B C, instead of C B C, as we heard in previous sections.  Again, I wonder if these nuances were written down or just natural a evolution of singing this great melody several times.  Either way, it keeps it fresh and caught me off guard.

The verse melody is similar to the chorus melody, but more subdued, utilizing the lower notes of the key.  Again, the 4 bar phrases start on or around beat 2 and there is syncopation on the upbeats.

verse 1 and prechorus 1 melody

The melodic contour is similar here, with a steady ascending and descending flow.  We also see several ornaments added to the ends of the phrases, passing through chord tones.  All of these characteristics continue through the prechorus, which in fact, is the same as the open of the verse melody, only getting the the F, instead of the E, a passage we hear at the end of the chorus.

The bridge melody also calls upon the verse melody, this time rhythmically transposing it by a beat and setting it against a 3rd set of chord changes (chorus, verse bridge).

Bridge

The bridge also features the climax of the song, a sustained G and highest sang note.  The sustained proclamation of love leads beautifully into the guitar solo, yet another statement of the chorus melody.

Musical Sticking Points

The entire melody is expertly crafted.  There are little nuances that go largely unnoticed, but absolutely add to the character of this love song.  I love how each section's melody contains pieces of the chorus, yet they feel different.  I remember feeling a similar vibe in "Old Town Road" as each section built upon a melodic idea introduced in a previous part.

The bass line is well crafted and keeps the song moving forward without aid from the drums.  I looked at several digital copies of the liner notes, and as best as I can tell, there is no bass player credited on the track.  It could be a keyboard bass, but it sounds to me like a 5 string fretless bass, or something detuned to grab the low D, in the least.  The bass line very tastefully grabs the chord roots and appropriately walks between them. The strongest of these walks occurs in the bridge, with 8th notes building on a G and the walk up A B C, back to the I chord for the guitar solo.

This tune also reminds me of "I Gotta Feeling," mostly due to the repetition of the chorus.  I find "Right Here Waiting" far more interesting though, mainly because there is more harmonic content to latch onto.  There are also more lyrics to process, which helps to hold my attention.


Lyrics  
Richard Marx wrote this song for his wife, actress Cynthia Rhodes.  He was unable to see her for a few months while she was filming in South Africa.  He wrote this song as a musical postcard, if you will. [2]

The verse rhyme scheme sticks to ABCB and the chorus uses ABB CCB.

There are a few cringe worthy rhymes with "insane" and "pain" as well as "baby" with "crazy."  All in all though, its sentiment is sweet and he gets his message across in a way that anyone can understand.  What a loyal dude. 

Common Threads

I think "Right Here Waiting" has a few common musical elements with the other songs analyzed "on the 9's."

• Hook that  uses the title of the song
• Repeated melodic themes
• Texture changes through instrumental addition and subtraction

 From previous lists, there were two elements that needed to be removed.  The most glaring subtraction was "singular repeated chord progression."  No.1 songs from 2019, 2009 and 1999 all used one chord progression looped throughout the song.  "Right Here Waiting" has a few sections with different harmony, a pleasant departure in this round.

I also removed "Chorus and Refrain Sections."  This song thrives on the repeat of the chorus.  It is a one trick pony, in terms of melodic hooks, which isn't a bad thing!

The last point of "texture changes through instrumental addition and subtraction" is extremely relevant here.  "Right Here Waiting" has layers that build throughout the tune.   By the end, there is a distortion guitar line outlining the chords (last vocal chorus).  The melodic line itself evolves with melodic changes and even a lower harmony added to the guitar solo.

This list of common threads seems much smaller than the last round of analyses, but I feel this list is more potent.  I am looking forward to breaking down round one vs. round two, hopefully yielding some pop music revelations.

Final Takeaways

After a first listen, I was not enthused about transcribing this song.  I was pleasantly surprised, however, to find nuance after nuance and a vocal melody that got stuck in not only my head, but my poor wife's brain as well.  It's one of those melodies that seems like it was always there and just needed to be plucked out of the collective unconsciousness and written down.  Thanks, Richard Marx, for doing just that.

I am actually curious to hear more Richard Marx songs.  After reading his impressive bio and enjoying this song, I'm wondering what other gems his catalog may hold.  I still associate him with 80's soft rock and I'm still not sure for what act he is a repeat offender of (perhaps good song writing?).  Let's hope it's nothing more nefarious than that.

What is your experience with Richard Marx?  Are any of your preconceived notions squashed as a result of this song, or maybe they are enhanced even more?  Leave me a comment!

Next time:  July 14 - August 11, 1979, enjoying a 5 week run to accompany another no.1 hit single, Donna Summer's "Bad Girls" goes on a 5 week run at no.1, cementing her legacy as the "Queen of Disco."

(Full disclosure, this is my favorite part of the entire process.  I review the charts and discover the next song I will live with for a few days.  It's very exciting.)  I am sure I know this tune, but can't really place it.  I am assuming it has a bad ass bass line!  Stay tuned to find out!

[1] http://richardmarx.com/bio/
[2]https://www.songfacts.com/facts/richard-marx/right-here-waiting