Final: Introduction to Rock Music Songs
One-Metallica
Contrasting verse-chorus (modified)/simple verse form Instrumentation: electric guitar, bass, drums, lead vocal Highly complex two part form, virtuosic guitar soloing, instrumental interlude that develops each time it appears
Pride (In the Name of Love)-U2
Compound AABA Instrumentation: electric guitar, bass, drums, lead vocal, background vocal Rhythmic guitar with echo, vocal range changes intensity; verse sung lower, choruses sung higher, lyrics address social issues
Like a Virgin-Madonna
Compound AABA Instrumentation: electric guitar, bass, drums, lead vocal, synthesizer Intricate synthesizer work (bas, horns, strings, electric piano), verse 3 is a partial repeat of verse 2, contrast between acoustic drums and synthesized sounds
Shout at the Devil-Mötley Crüe
Compound AABA Instrumentation: electric guitar, bass, drums, lead vocal, background vocal High metal vocals without speed or virtuosity, audibly multitrack guitars and background vocals, anthemic chorus
My Best Friend's Girl-The Cars
Compound AABA Instrumentation: electric guitar, bass, drums, lead vocal, background vocal, synthesizer, organ, handclaps A sections based on contrasting verse-chorus, different musical styles highlighted in guitar (rockabilly), handclaps reminiscent of girl groups
Hold On-Alabama Shakes
Compound AABA (with partial reprise) form Instrumentation: electric guitar, distorted guitar, bass, drums , lead vocals Few chord changes, partial reprise of bridge and chorus, distorted guitar adds tension at dramatic peak
Crucify-Tori Amos
Compound AABA form Instrumentation: bass, drums, lead vocal, background vocal, piano, percussion, mandolin, ukulele Piano enters in first pre-chorus and vocals add echo, odd and electronic sounds during the chorus, stark bass chords to accompany verses
Photograph-Nickelback
Compound AABA form Instrumentation: electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, drums, lead vocal, background vocal Verse-chorus pairs (each A section) are in a simple verse relationship, two distinct melody lines used simultaneously in the bridge, the same line is used to open and close the song
More Than A Feeling-Boston
Compound AABA form Instrumentation: electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, drums, lead vocal, background vocal, handclaps Each A section includes a verse and a chorus, vast dynamics, double guitar solo
Before He Cheats-Carrie Underwood
Compound AABA form Instrumentation: electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, drums, lead vocal, background vocal, piano, fiddle Electric guitar and fiddle announce that the song is modern country, matching the tone of the lyrics, Underwood sings in the lower, more serious register of her voice, return to A includes only a chorus and refrain (no verse)
Rope-Foo Fighters
Compound AABA form Instrumentation: electric guitar, bass, drums, lead vocals Syncopation and anticipated phrasing make counting difficult, use of connective bridge and sectional bridge, chorus extended in final presentation
Feels Like the First Time-Foreigner
Compound AABA form (modified) Instrumentation: electric guitar, bass, drums, lead vocal, background vocal, synthesizer, organ Second A section modified by added bridge with references to classical music, second bridge features guitar solo, lyrics offer a thinly veiled commentary on "romance"
Don't Stand so Close to Me-The Police
Contrasting verse-chorus Instrumentation: electric guitar, bass, drums, lead vocal, background vocal, synthesizer Gradual dynamic increase in intro leading directly into verse 1, verse 2 more intense because vocals are delivered in a higher octave, reggae influence in rhythm
1999-Prince
Contrasting verse-chorus Instrumentation: electric guitar, bass, drums, lead vocal, background vocal, synthesizer Prince performs all instruments, lead vocals alternate between several members of the Revolution, the last two minutes are all extended coda
Pump it Up-Elvis Costello and the Attractions
Contrasting verse-chorus Instrumentation: lead vocal, background vocal, electric guitar, organ, bass, drums, percussion Use of mid-1960s organ sound makes the song as new wave, form might be understood alternatively as simple verse, verses feature small but interesting change in structure
When I come Around-Green Day
Contrasting verse-chorus Instrumentation: lead vocal, backup vocal, electric guitar, bass, drums Based mostly on a repeating 2-bar chord sequence, instrumental texture remains relatively constant throughout, instrumental stop at end of chorus creates emphasis on vocal "hook"
Hurt-Nine Inch Nails
Contrasting verse-chorus form Instrumentation: electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, drums,, lead vocals, background vocals, programmed synthesizers, ambient noise Unmeasured noise used as intro and coda, altered lyrics in final chorus
Color Me Impressed-The Replacements
Contrasting verse-chorus form Instrumentation: electric guitar, bass, drums, lead vocal More intricate chord changes than stereotypical of punk rock, characteristic rough vocals, only one presentation of the chorus
Ashes of American Flags-Wilco
Contrasting verse-chorus form (modified) Instrumentation: electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, drums, lead vocal, piano, auxiliary percussion, synthesized strings, electronic noise Highly modified form that includes a pre-chorus, a floating vamp, and an interlude Verse often feature different arrangements, electronic noise is present throughout the track, and is featured in the final interlude
Sledgehammer-Peter Gabriel
Contrasting verse-chorus/simple verse Instrumentation: electric guitar, bass, drums, lead vocal, background vocal, piano, synthesizer, horns Two large sections (A and B) that use different formal structures, sexual innuendo in lyrics, influence of r&b in horns, rhythmic groove, and vocal improvisation
Other songs to know: "Run, run, run" by Velvet Underground, "Land" by Patti Smith Group, "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, "Feels Blind" by Bikini Kill, "No Place to Hide" by Korn, and "Little Plastic Castles by Ani DiFranco
Look at class notes
Rock Box-Run-DMC
Simple verse form Instrumentation: electric guitar, bass, drums, lead vocal, electronic percussion, synthesizer, turntable Mainstream rock musical track with rap vocals, vocalists alternate solos and simultaneous rapping, rift-based (becomes similar to sample-based hip-hop).
In the Airplane over the Sea-Neutral Milk Hotel
Simple verse form (modified) Instrumentation: acoustic guitar, bass, drums, lead vocal, singing saw, flugelhorn Interlude and bridge share a chord progression but bridge moves half as fast, listen for musical saws, flugelhorn featured as solo instrument
Anarchy in the UK-Sex Pistols
Simple verse form (modified) Instrumentation: electric guitar, bass, drums, lead vocal, background vocal Form modified by inserted bridge, refrain at the end of each verse, intentional guitar feedback throughout the first half of verse 4
The One I Love-R.E.M.
Simple verse-chorus Instrumentation: electric guitar, bass, drums, lead vocal, background vocal Each verse is a small AABA form, listen for several different guitar parts, no changing lyrics for verses
Born in the U.S.A.-Bruce Springsteen
Simple verse-chorus Instrumentation: electric guitar, bass, drums, lead vocal, piano, synthesizer Based on important two-bar melodic figure, Lyrics to verse 4 and 5 are incomplete (depicting abandonment), extended chorus
End of the Road-Boyz II Men
Simple verse-chorus (modified) Instrumentation: electric guitar, bass, drums, lead vocal, background vocal, electric piano, synthesizer strings, french horn, handclaps Verses feature solo vocals and chorus sections highlight group vocal texture, virtuosic and melismatic vocals throughout, spoken vocal section reminiscent of 1950s ballads
All I Wanna Do-Sheryl Crow
Simple verse-chorus (modified) Instrumentation: Electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, drums, lead vocal, background vocal, electric piano, synthesizer strings, percussion, handclaps The music for the introduction becomes the music for the pre-chorus, strings in intro sound like "disco" strings, verses tell stories about Los Angeles from Crow's perspective
Billie Jean-Michael Jackson
Simple verse-chorus (modified) Instrumentation: electric guitar, bass, drums, lead vocal, background vocal, electric piano, synthesizer Pre-chorus offers contrasting material, Jackson performs all vocal parts, repeating bass line is central to the form
Don't Believe the Hype-Public Enemy
Simple verse-chorus form Instrumentation: electric guitar, bass, drums, lead vocal, background vocal, saxophone, vocal samples, turntable Much of the musical material is drawn from samples, Chuck D performs vocals for verses while Flavor Flav performs each chorus, politically charged lyrics
Straight Edge-Minor Threat
Simple verse-chorus form Instrumentation: electric guitar, bass, drums, lead vocals Fast hardcore style, refrain before each verse, chorus expanded in second presentation
Hey Ya-Outkast
Simple verse-chorus form (modified) Instrumentation: acoustic guitar, keyboards, programmed instruments The same 6-measure cycle repeats for the entire song (28 times), instruments build throughout the arrangement (sent bass, was-wah keyboard), call and response between men and women in verse 3
Show me the Way (Live)-Peter Frampton
contrasting verse-chorus Instrumentation: electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, drums, lead vocal, background vocal Voice box changes leading guitar sound, extended guitar solo, false ending to keep listener paying attention
Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang-Dr. Dre (featuring Snoop Doggy Dogg)
simple verse form Instrumentation: electric guitar, bass, drums, lead vocal, synthesizer, percussion, turntable Note that the rapped vocals are sometimes double-tracked, high keyword sound characteristic of Dr. Dre "g-funk," main staple taken from Leon Haywood's "I Wanna Do Something Freaky to You."
Loser-Beck
simple verse-chorus form Instrumentation: lead vocal, backup vocal, acoustic guitar (with slides), electric guitar, sitar, bass, drums, percussion Entire song built on one chord, use rapped vocals in verse and sung vocals in chorus to establish contrast, instrumental parts come in and out of texture according to 4-bar structure
Smells Like Teen Spirit-Nirvanna
simple verse-chorus form (modified) Instrumentation: electric guitar, bass, drums, lead vocal Contrast between verse and corpus (instrumentation and vocals), 2-bar phrase in the instruction is the basis for the song, short and contrasting 4-measure section added to choruses as transition
