"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! 

"A Big Hunk O' Love" - Elvis Presley and the Jordanaires, 1959

Elvis Presley's Billboard Hot 100 legacy is quite impressive: 7 no.1 hits, 25 songs breaking into the top 10 and 109 songs making into the top 100 overall.  This is even more impressive, considering many of Elvis's signature hits like "Hound Dog," "Blue Suede Shoes," and "Jailhouse Rock" were chart-toppers before the established Hot 100 chart.  (check out the track listing on "Elvis: 30 #1 Hits")

Elvis is certainly an iconic figure in music.  I admittedly don't know much about him, outside of the previously mentioned tunes, so I was eager to come across this gem from 1959.  As an interesting note, Elvis joined the US Army on March 24, 1958.  In June of that year, he managed to squeeze in a recording session, his last before discharge in 1960. [1]  In that session, we would get this no. 1 hit:

August 10 - 17, 1959: "A Big Hunk O' Love" by Elvis Presley and the Jordanaires lasts two weeks at no.1!

At it's core, this song is a 12 bar blues.  We have seen 12 bar blues in no.1 hits before ("Roll With It" by Steve Winwood in 1988).  Like many no.1 hits, we hear something familiar, like a 12 bar blues, then get a slightly altered version to keep things interesting.

Most notable about "A Big Hunk O' Love" is length of the verses.  Verse 1 sticks to the standard 12 bar blues.  Verses 2 and 3 use a modified 12 bar blues, extended to 14 bars.  Verse 4 further modifies the form with a 16 bar version (more on that in Chord Progressions). 

The verses are interrupted with a standard 12 bar blues bridge, which are instrumental solos!  There have not been too many improvised solos seen throughout this analysis project.  It's exciting to hear both a piano and guitar soloing in this song.  Both seem organically improvised and fit perfectly with the blues/rock&roll styling of the tune.   

The song ends with a tag of the refrain, "just a big-a big-a big-a hunk O' love, will do."  We finally get a proper refrain, a repeated lyric line that occurs in each verse.  This line is very catchy and got stuck in my head throughout my analysis.  For me, the surprising quality of this song gives Elvis a little more credibility, in light of my limited experience with him. 

Chord Progressions

As mentioned above, this song is a 12 bar blues in the key of C.  12 bar blues generally follow the sequence below.  In "A Big Hunk O' Love," we hear this in verse 1, as well as behind both solos.

12 bar blues - verse 1 and solos

In verses 2 and 3, the sequence is extended to include two additional bars on the I chord.  The result is a 14 bar blues that sounds far more smooth that a 14 bar section of music should sound.

14 bar blues - verses 2 and 3

The rhythm section becomes the star in those extra bars, providing a call and answer with Elvis's vocal, which we will examine in Melody.  The 4th verse extends the I chord again, with a different call and answer pattern in the rhythm section, to get a 16 bar blues:

16 bar blues - verse 4

The end of the song "tags" the final 4 bars, repeating the refrain lyrics 3 times before fading out. 

Within the blues progression, there are few funky chord extensions.  The I chord (C) is often heard as a C6, or C with an added A.  In addition to that, we hear the #9, or D# (Eb) on top, giving it that dirty blues feel.  The result is a C13#9 sound.  This occurs in the opening bars:

opening rhythm section

  The upright bass plays a common blues walking line, outlining root, 3rd, 5th and 6th (13).   The guitar (top) plays the 6th and #9, or minor 3rd of C.  The piano connects it all together with a moving line that touches on the #9 as well as 6th.  This pattern is transposed through the chord changes.

Melody

"A Big Hunk O' Love" has 4 verses with 2 different melodies throughout, tied together with the repeated title refrain. 

The first verse kicks things off with a melody we only get once:

Verse 1

Starting on beat 3+, Elvis hits the 5th of the chord and then works down a C minor triad.  The repeated "no's," outline the 6th and #9 and lead to the IV chord.  Over F, Elvis uses the same melodic content, typical of blues based melodies, and outlines the minor triad of the I chord.  In the final 4 bars, we hear the refrain, an outline of the G triad with some chromatic motion to get to the root of the IV chord.  He settles back into the tonal center of the tune with the C on "will do."

The second and third verses, a 14 bar blues, change things up a bit.  Here, he starts on the #9 (minor 3rd), dipping down to the root to cement the bluesy flavor.  The rhythm section play call and answer with a nifty blues scale riff.

verse 2 - bars 1-6

After four bars, he revisits the repeated note motif ("no's" in verse 1), this time hanging out on the minor 3rd before visiting the 6th and 5th, like before.  The rhythm section also accents the chords at an increasing rate, pushing us into the IV chord.

In the second half of this verse, we hear the background vocalists, the Jordonaires.  They were present during the first verse, but stuck to the chord roots, tightly blending with the bass.  Here, we get some annunciated words answering Elvis's calls.

Verse 2 - bars 7 - 14

The background vocals date this song with a doo-wop feel.  The close voicings provide a perfect bed of support for the lead vocal.  Notice how the "no's" use the Eb, minor 7th of F7, and bump it to E natural, the major third of C.  This arrangement repeats in the third and fourth verses.

Speaking of verse 4, it starts like verses 2 and 3.  The rhythm section call and answer is reduced and they take a little longer in their rhythmic build up.  Elvis takes a little longer to get to the "no's" as well.  Before he finally gets to the IV chord, he bumps up, every so slightly, to the E natural, bringing back the C7 sound before we hear more familiar material to lead to the F. 

Verse 4 - bars 1 - 9

This melody is relatively simple, but variation makes it interesting.  In a song with no chorus, it's very smart to vary previously heard material so it always sounds new and fresh. 

Musical Sticking Points

Sometimes less is more.  That's exactly what Elvis gives us throughout this song.  He sings and the rhythm section or vocalists answer him, that's basically it.  In the first verse, we get it with eighth note guitar attacks.  In the rest of the verses, the singers reply with words.  The length of verses gets varied, but it's really just the same thing, only different.

I love the simplicity of the instrumentation and overall arrangement.  Guitar bass and drums handle all of the instrumental load.  Elvis's powerful voice is complimented perfectly with the smooth singing of the Jordanaires.  The instrumental solos a refreshing element in pop music and at the time, pop was not so far removed from jazz and blues traditions.

Lyrics

Elvis really wants a kiss from the woman he is singing to.  His lyrical premise of "hey baby, I ain't asking much of you (A).....just a big hunk O' love will do (B)," sets the tone from the start. 

The first verse follow blues lyric construction: AAB.  The second and third verses feature 3 extra lines with rhyme scheme aab.  This is followed by the AB lines established in the first verse.  The fourth verse adds 4 extra lines with the rhyme scheme abcb before going back to the familiar AB.  The c line above also uses an internal rhyme "you know I'd have all the things these lucky charms could bring."

Once again, we see something that is relatively simple get transformed into something much more complex with a little variation.

Common Threads

Picking up from the previous list, we see these commonalities with Elvis and the others songs analyzed "on the 9's."

• Hook that uses the title of the song
• Repeated melodic elements
• Texture changes

The texture changes in "A Big Hunk O' Love" are not achieved the same way as other tunes.  Here, the rhythm section provides the changes with some stops, call and answer patterns and solos.  In the other tunes, instrument parts changed the texture with a synth part here or a horn part there.

The biggest common thread, though, is the idea of repeated material carrying the song.  This one is probably closest to "In the Year 2525" (1969) in form (all verses).  It shares a little bit with "Bad Girls" (1979) in the way the background vocals answer the lead vocal with repeated musical themes.  It shares the element of instrumental solos with 'Right Here Waiting" (1989).  

Comparing Elvis with "Genie In a Bottle" (1999), "I Gotta Feeling" (2009) and "Old Town Road" (2019), we see the use of a refrain (albeit in slightly different terms), reliance on repeated chord progressions and the use of texture changes and slight variation to keep things moving.  

Final Takeaways

When I recently explained this project to someone, they asked "what are you really looking for?"  My answer was "common musical themes that emerge in no.1 hit songs, regardless of when they were written."  I think that statement is proven relevant in this particular analysis.  If someone asked me what Elvis and Christina Aguilera had in common, prior to this, I might have only been able to answer "they are singers."  

The recurring theme in this round of analyses has been repetition with subtle variance to keep things evolving.  Every song has used a significant amount of repeated material.  There has not been much harmonic variation.  Vocal variation has been running rampant, but harmony has remained largely static.  

So where to next?  A recap common threads found in round 2, compared with common threads found in round 1.  This is what it's all about!  What do these songs, the height of popularity in their decade, have in common with one another?  What musical elements help make a song popular?  Stay tuned to see what musical themes emerge from decades of hits!

[1]https://biography.elvis.com.au/

"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

"Bad Girls" - Donna Summer, 1979

Donna Summer is known as "the Queen of Disco."  As the mere mention of disco instinctually causes most music fans to hold their noses, this moniker is not entirely fair.  Donna Summer is more than disco, she was a trail blazer of dance and R&B music.  Her first appearance on the Hot 100 Chart came in 1976 with "Love To Love You Baby," a shining example of her disco prowess.  She would ride this wave to many more appearances on the charts, 14 of which cracked the top ten, with songs that would continue to evolve all the way to 1999.

By 1979, disco was breathing its final breath.  In walks Donna Summer and releases an acclaimed album, "Bad Girls."  The record had two no.1 hits, "Hot Stuff" and the title track.  These no.1 songs, combined with "MacArthur Park" from November of 1978 and "NO more Tears (Enough is Enough)" with Barbara Streisand in November of 79, would mark FOUR no.1 hit singles in just over a year! [1]

"Bad Girls" provides a defining template for several songs previously analyzed and for many, I presume, we will see in the future.

July 14th - August 11th, 1979: "Bad Girls" by Donna Summer goes on a 5 week run in the no.1 position on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart!

Take a moment to examine the "simplified form."  Essentially, we hear ABC three times, get a new section in D (bridge), and bring it home with one more A.  This strikes me as very "classical" with multiple returns to the A section with plenty of variation in tow.

Now look at "form," a detailed categorization of the sections in terms of modern song structure.  There are a lot of sections, with multiple delineations and variations.  "Bad Girls" takes the "7 Layer Dip" approach I have observed in the past few analyses.  Basically, an instrumental loop is garnished with additional loops that are combined for different textures and timbres.  Throughout the song, the base material remains and different instruments make occasional appearances.

The intro sets this in motion.  Bars 1-4 feature guitars and percussion.  Bars 5-8 add in the bass and piano.  Bars 9-12 feature the first of two prominent horn parts and the police whistle.  Bars 13-16 introduce a vocal ostinato that we will hear throughout the song.

I labeled bars 17-20 "PreChorus" which at this point, is really still part of the intro.  These 4 measures are the first introduction of a second prominent horn melody, a part which will reoccur before every chorus.  Look for more on this part in the "Melody" section below.

After the intro, the horn prechorus is generally preceded by what feels like a more traditional "prechorus."  This part, labeled PC', features some rhythm section "hits," and an altered chord change, which hosts a guitar solo in place of vocals in the back half.  This one was fairly challenging to map out considering it features long sections with lots of substance in each.  The "simplified form" tells the story much more succinctly, yet does not show all the variation this song has to offer.

Chord Progressions 

Like so many songs we have seen, this song thrives on, essentially, a static chord progression.  We hear this through the intro, verse and chorus sections.  The intro sets it up with this contrapuntal guitar web.

Intro Guitars

The signature disco guitar sound on the top sets up the chord progression, I v / iv v in Dmin.  The lower line, a funky muted guitar riff, reinforces the D minor sound with only 3 notes: root, minor 3rd and minor 7 of D minor.

Then, we get a brilliant bass line!  This line uses a main theme that gets a healthy dose of improvisation throughout.  This feature, to me, sets the repetitive nature of this song apart from others.  Even though it's the same chord progression for most of the song, the bass does not play the exact same thing, a clear sign that there are actual humans playing the instrument.

Here is a 4 bar segment of the bass line that occurs from m9 - 12.  Notice the improvised flourish in the last line.  We will hear variations of this throughout the song.  To get a sense of the big picture regarding the bass line,  check out this transcription from Scott Edwards. [2]

bass - m9-12

 The horns serve an important role in "Bad Girls," providing support for the chord progression as well as melody.  In the intro, we hear the first prominent horn background.  Rhythmically and harmonically, they support the guitar vamp.

Horn background 1

All of this is propelled by the drums, a hallmark of the disco sound.  They provide strong downbeats and added support for all those 16th note lines.

drum feel

Aside from the main chord progression, there is the PC' part, featuring full band syncopation that leaves space for some vocal flair and a rippin' guitar solo, later on.  Here's how the horns are added to the mix.

PC'

This part ventures to Bbmaj7 (VI) and Gmin7 (iv) before bringing us back home with the A7sus and A7 (V) chords, leading back to the D minor tonality.  In a way, this part could be called the bridge, as it harmonically bridges sections sections of the song together.  It happens so frequently though, and usually right before a chorus, that I felt it should get a "prechorus" label.  (In the "simple form" this is C)

Melody

The first vocalizations heard in the song come in the form of a spoken vocal ostinato.  This part part has been widely sampled and borrow from in more modern music, including R. Kelly's "Ignition Remix."

Toot Toot Ostinato

 We hear this throughout the entire tune, including acappella in the outro (coda).  This part is fun, sang by the background singers, and gives space for all the other stuff happening, yet fits in with the harmonic rhythm.

The next melody we get is from the horns.  This part, labeled "PC", is also featured throughout the tune and happens during the last vocal chorus at the end.

"prechorus" horn melody

This part is unique in its rhythm as well as note choice.  It works around the minor 3rd of Dmin, pausing on the G and E.  All in all, it gives the D minor feeling with the added flavor of the E, the 2nd of Dminor and the 5th of Amin, the passing chord in the 2nd measure - chord tone/passing tone.

After 2 introductory melodies, we finally get the hook, about 40 seconds into the song.  Like the bass line, the chorus evolves throughout, adding call and response as well as additional flourishes from Summer.  Here is the second chorus.

2nd Chorus

This melody plays in the D minor space, hitting it hard on the root - minor 3rd motion.  The echoes also exploit the minor 7 - root motion, much like the muted guitar in the intro.  There is lots of space in this chorus, which makes sense, considering all the movement in the supporting parts.  ("Genie In A Bottle" has a similar quality but features much less space in the vocal rhythm.)

The third chorus introduces a variation and features the background singers in unison.  They utilize the minor 3rd - root and minor 7- root motion while incorporating the added 4th we will see in the verse and even part of the "toot toot" ostinato.  This part has a "na na naboo boo" quality that makes it fun.

Chorus 3

Verses 1 and 2 are busier than the chorus, which only helps to contrast the 2 sections with similar chord progressions.  The verses feature phrases starting on the 5th (A) and venturing to the upper minor 7th (C) before making its way down to the D.  Some of the syncopation is reminiscent of the horn parts.  We even hear call and response, which increases in the 2nd chorus and 2nd verse.

Verse 1

As in case of third chorus, the third verse also gets a variation.  This section blends elements of the chorus and first verses with a greater focus on root-minor 3rd motion than in the first verse and an increased presence of background vocals.

verse 3 - first 2 bars

PC' features even more new melodic content.  This entire section is sort of a call and response between the horns and Donna Summer.  We get a pleasant ascending and descending contour with some wild melisma to end each phrase. 

PC' melody

We also hear Donna hit the highest note in the song as it moves from PC' to the horn PC.  She throws down some serious D minor pentatonic riffage here, which adds to the stanky funk of the rhythm section.  Over the horn line, she sings a B natural, the only non-diatonic note of the whole vocal melody.  It works though, as she descends slowly down the scale, all the way to the lower root.
She also takes a cue from the horns and accentuates the E during this part, adding to the 9th flavor!

She's not done yet!  More new melodic content happens in the bridge.  Here, she incorporates elements of other vocal melodies heard up to this point.

bridge lead vocal

We get some speaking parts ("toot toot"), phrases focusing around A and the high C (verse 1) and a focus on the high D (prechorus).  This section also features more space than other melodies, helping it to truly feel like a bridge, headed to the last chorus and coda.

Musical Sticking Points

This songs hits the mark, for me on having a great balance of repetition and variation.  The highly varied bass line provides a character that extends well beyond the modern loop equivalent.  There are also a ton of elements that are added and subtracted throughout: two guitar parts, a piano part (that has variation similar to bass), two contrasting horn backgrounds and plenty of auxiliary percussion (shakers and castanets).

Melodically, there are 8 sections that all borrow elements from one another.  Many songs include a verse, chorus and bridge.  Even if you add in an outro, that's only 4 sections of potential melodic content.  "Bad Girls" doubles that with tons of variation.  It comes from the same source material, D minor pentatonic, so it feels familiar and never out of place.

This round of analyses has featured songs with extended runs at no.1.  As we look back through the decades, the amount of time at the top is generally small.  A potential explanation would be the constant output of quality material from artists at the time.  Considering that, Donna Summer's presence on the charts during the year 1979 can be attributed to her musical sensibility.  You can dance to her songs, a plus for the disco enthusiasts.  Even as disco was becoming monotonous, Donna Summer figured out a way to extend her shelf life with danceable rhythms and enough musical substance to sate the tastes of people looking beyond the genre.

Lyrics

This song is also about prostitution.  That's right, the "bad girls" are ladies of the night.  Summer reportedly wrote it after her secretary was mistaken for one of these women, walking down the streets at night, in a bad part of town. [3]  When you take that into account, a lot of the nonsense lyrics make more sense:  "toot toot, beep beep" - cars getting the attention of the women; "hey mista, got a dime?"; and of course, the police whistle.

Summer does raise the societal dilemma of these "sad girls," offering the notion: "now you and me, we're both the same, but you call yourself by different names."  Obviously upset about the unfair stereotyping of her secretary that fateful night, these lyrics are slightly angry yet sorrowful towards the whole scenario.

The rhyme scheme for most sections is AAAB, with some being AAB.  Melodically this flow works great with the first phrases being similar and the last phrases being longer and drawn out, supporting the non-rhyme with flowing melody.


Common Threads  

I'd like to approach this section a little differently today.  This song has so much in common with the other songs "on the 9's,"  they deserve a look individually.

"Old Town Road" (2019) - both tunes share a repeated chord progression.  ("Bad Girls" does have one additional section.)  Both feature a layering approach with instruments that appearing sporadically throughout.  Both feature numerous melodies that borrow elements from each other, including a varied 3rd verse.  Both also have melodies that move step-wise through the mode, though "Bad Girls" relies more on the minor 3rd leaps.

"I Gotta Feeling" (2009) - both tunes thrive on repetition.  They also feature gang background vocals, offering call and response.  Both songs also utilize the layering approach to keep the repetition interesting.  They also feature spoken passages.

"Genie In A Bottle" (1999) - both tunes feature a web of syncopated rhythms right on top of one another.  Both songs have a repeated chord progression, enhanced by layered instrumental parts.  They also feature talented female singers who love to use melisma in their phrasing.  I would imagine Christina studied Donna to some extent.  Like "I Gotta Feeling," both songs feature spoken passages.  They also utilize stepwise scalar motion in a minor key.
   
"Right Here Waiting" (1989) - Both songs feature several statements of the primary melody (though Richard Marx holds the record with 6x).  Both songs also include slight variation in the delivery of musical ideas.  Both songs also feature instruments bearing a significant amount of the melodic responsibility, including guitar solos.

In addition to that, we still see the hook containing the title of the song, repeated melodic content and texture changes throughout.  In terms of common threads, this tune is significant to this project and utilizes many techniques seen through the decades.

Final Takeaways   
I really enjoyed this one!  This tune is super funky, with great instrumental material to latch onto.  I had completely forgotten I arranged this for a horn band I played in.  When I found it, I was definitely excited to see what I had done about 10 years ago.  Unfortunately, I don't think we ever played it at the one wedding we played.....but if we did, it would have killed!

To me, this song is significant to this analysis project.  As discussed in common threads, there are many similarities between this song and others that follow.  I was most taken aback by the technique used in layering instruments.  "I Gotta Feeling" was very "color by numbers," adding the parts in, cut and dry.  "Genie In A Bottle" did that nice trick with fading into the piano arpeggios so the opening felt brand new the second time around.  But this song just has more stuff to process.  The two guitar parts are so funky, and join and rejoin throughout.  The horn lines, three variations in all, provide a nice texture and timbre shift.  And that bass line!

What do you think of "Bad Girls?"  Do you see the common threads between this and no.1 hit songs to follow?

Moving back to the 1960's is an exciting venture as we close out the journey "on the 9's."  This round has been fruitful for discovering some potent music techniques used in crafting no.1 hit songs.

Up Next: July 12 - August 16th, 1969.  "In The Year 2525" by Zager & Evans goes on a 6 week run at no.1, only to be dethroned by "Honky Tonk Women" by the Rolling Stones.  This one I am clueless on.  I am excited to take a trip back to the psychedelic 60's!

[1]https://www.allmusic.com/artist/donna-summer-mn0000661524/biography
[2]https://basslessons.be/transcriptions.php?i=138
[3]https://www.songfacts.com/facts/donna-summer/bad-girls