I don’t usually do ‘Song for Sunday’ type posts, but felt inspired today.
I was listening to Broadcasting House, the Sunday morning magazine programme on BBC Radio 4 this morning, and there was a feature on why Baby by Justin Bieber is a classic pop song. It has all the hallmarks – being written in E flat major – a classic key, and featuring the The Doo-Wop chord progression as used in Ben E King’s sublime Stand by me and also by Mozart in La Clemenza di Tito. That descending bassline is great; Baby may be a well-crafted pop-song, but it doesn’t do it for me, and I don’t believe it’ll have any longevity beyond being the Beibster’s first big hit.
I could offer you Procul Harum’s wonderful A Whiter Shade of Pale (based on Bach of course), which goes down the whole octave in its chord progressions – a ground bass. Instead, I offer one of my favourite pop songs of all time, which shares the same bassline, but has wonderful over the top orchestration and the wonderfully ironic dead-pan delivery of Neil Tennant’s singing. I love this song so much, it might even make my fantasy Desert Island Discs.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you It’s a sin…
A great post and an important point! Interesting also to note the use of the minor descending bass line, as in Dido’s aria ‘When I Am Laid In Earth’ from Purcell’s opera Dido and Aeneas, and songs like ‘Feelin’ Good’ or Bastille’s Overjoyed 🙂
Hi Toby, thank you. Those descending basslines really hook you don’t they – love the Nina Simone, and amazingly am familiar with the bit you’re referring to in Dido and Aeneas, but don’t know Bastille at all – a band to check out maybe.
Thank you for reminding me how much I love Neil Tennant’s voice….!
He’s not a natural singer, but it really works!
yes it’s a sin is a classic pop song I love there stuff clever pop they have always been underrated IMHO ,all the best stu
Bach started it all with Air on a G string, or perhaps Pachabel did it with his “Canon”.
My vote is for It’s a Sin – a great song in my book. Interesting post – thanks for sharing