There’s a music Ph.D. thesis in here somewhere: an entertaining 5-minute video on how the I-V-VIm-IV chord progression has so thoroughly infiltrated pop music:
This progression is a/k/a “The minor fall, the major lift,” as it’s called in Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” which uses it in places (and which inspired a blog, now defunct but formerly here, of the same name), as does the Police’s “So Lonely” and God alone knows how many others, including roughly 2/3 of the songs currently in Radio Disney’s heavy rotation. Sigh.
I suspect the only chord progression that’s been stolen more often is “Louie, Louie.” And a book has been written about that.
(h/t: Ann Sheaffer Gibert on Facebook)
Good grief. Absolutely splendid. Worrying fact: Margaret’s niece, who does a bit of wedding singing at week-ends, was recently asked by a bride & groom to sing ‘Hallelujuah’ at a nuptials, for heavens’ sake. Had they omitted to listen to the lyrics????.
On a lighter note, my regards to Ann & James . . .
Comment by Nick — Tuesday, December 1, 2009 3:06 pm @ 3:06 pm |
Erm, ‘Hallelujah’ obviously. Even Lennie’s diction’s not that mangled . . .
Comment by Nick — Tuesday, December 1, 2009 3:07 pm @ 3:07 pm |