Feb 122013
It’s time we determine—once and for all—the Greatest Key Change Deployed at the End of a Song Because It’s Going Nowhere. “Greatest” is defined here as “you know what? That schlock arranger’s trick actually works in this song, and it’s genuinely better for it.”
I was reminded of this on my way into work, when “Living On a Prayer” came on the radio, and I found myself waiting for the schlock key change moment near the end of the song, which occurs here (sneak ahead to the 3:23 mark):
Is there best use of this trick? I’m not sure. I need your help!
This is an open-entry discussion. Make your case. We will tabulate/assess the winner on February 28, 2013.
I’m not sure if the multiple key changes are “genuinely better” for the cause of the Ramones’ “I Wanna Be Sedated,” but they do help me enjoy the song for more than its initial 20 seconds of content. What do you think?
That’s a great one, Mod!
I was going to suggest Nillson’s version of Without You but I just listened to it and the key doesn’t change. The vocals just jump up an octave.
So instead, I’ll suggest every Barry Manilow song ever, starting with I Can’t Smile Without You https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebSYPnllFx8
The FIRST key change is at 1:32. There is at least one or two more key changes.
The song is so integral to my teenage boy life that I never would have considered whether it added anything, but looking back on it, how essential are the key changes to raising the stakes in “My Generation”? Would that song be half the song it is without the escalating verses?
My favorite key change song is “Cruel You” by Shoes because it doesn’t just do it once, but many times, and not in the expected direction, either. Also, I have to mention that my teenage bandmates called this kind of key change a “Cheap Trick” because of the multiple changes in “Clock Strikes Ten,” but even then we knew, as noted above, that nobody did it more often than Barry Manilow.
Changing keys in a direction other than a whole step up is a cool challenge. I’ll have to revisit that Shoes song. The tune is not coming to mind from the title alone.
Good call about Cheap Trick. “Surrender” starts off as an awesome song and turns into a super awesome song after the key change.
REM’s “Stand” does it twice. Here’s a video slightly more amusing the original that does the trick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TA3hvMoMAY At 2:30 and 2:47.
Since the Tornados’ “Telstar” just got nominated in the list of top ’60s instrumentals, I should think it would also fit this list too.
It hasn’t been updated for a long time, but this page is devoted entirely to songs which modulate toward the end in a desperate attempt to keep the listener from falling asleep:
http://www.gearchange.org/
That is awesome! This is a pet peeve of mine which I now have passed along to my son. Problem is, out of context, I can hardly think of any. As much as I like Telstar, I always found that last big key change to be really dumb and unnecessary.
Mod, compare and contrast (?) with that oddity by the Who, “Call Me Lightning,” which on one hand seems to be a self-conscious “My Generation” knock off (complete with bass solo and escalating verses), and on the other hand is, well, I don’t know what. I can’t say it’s a good song but I retain a certain fondness for it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHyAstIIHGY
Note too that the silly promo clip for Call Me Lightning became the silly clip for Cobwebs and Strange in Kids Are Alright. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj9C40sZNSY
I, too, have a soft spot for that song! Hadn’t thought of that one for years.