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Modern minor key tracks?


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Old 22-05-2012, 16:08
5FHA
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I like music from most genres, but my favourite songs usually always have a minor key element to them. I want to put together a play-list of minor stuff but when I do a search on the web all that comes up is classical or folky stuff.

Can anyone suggest any modern tracks (past 10 years or so) that are minor key? Genre doesn't matter, and any album track suggestions would be great as I'm less likely to have heard them before. Even tracks that are mainly major but have, say, a minor chorus will also do.

Thanks.
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Old 22-05-2012, 17:49
lumiere
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Not obscure tracks by any means but Gotye's Somebody That I Use To Know (biggest hit of the year so far) is in a minor key. So is Katy Perry's Part Of Me - the minor third fall of the "throw your sticks and stones" bit of the chorus is quite unusual in a pop song. Video Games by Lana Del Rey alternates between major and minor key.
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Old 22-05-2012, 18:35
5FHA
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Thanks! Never realised "Part of Me" had minor parts til I listened to it again just now. I enjoy listening to the composition of a song, and can end up liking a track purely on how it's put together, even if it's otherwise pretty crap.
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Old 22-05-2012, 18:47
Zuree
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I like music from most genres, but my favourite songs usually always have a minor key element to them. I want to put together a play-list of minor stuff but when I do a search on the web all that comes up is classical or folky stuff.

Can anyone suggest any modern tracks (past 10 years or so) that are minor key? Genre doesn't matter, and any album track suggestions would be great as I'm less likely to have heard them before. Even tracks that are mainly major but have, say, a minor chorus will also do.

Thanks.
Not obscure tracks by any means but Gotye's Somebody That I Use To Know (biggest hit of the year so far) is in a minor key. So is Katy Perry's Part Of Me - the minor third fall of the "throw your sticks and stones" bit of the chorus is quite unusual in a pop song. Video Games by Lana Del Rey alternates between major and minor key.
Just curious.. anyone want to explain to me what a minor key is/sounds like?
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Old 22-05-2012, 20:04
Waldstein
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Here a few folkish minor key songs for you

This Old Dark Machine - James Vincent McMorrow
If I Had A Boat - James Vincent McMorrow
20 Years - The Civil Wars
Empty - Ray LaMontagne

Some songs that aren't technically in the minor key but linger a little bit in minor tonality or at least sound minor:

Black River - Amos Lee
Poison and Wine - The Civil Wars
Born and Raised - John Mayer
Cold Water - Damien Rice.

I'm sure I'll think of more so I'll post back.
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Old 22-05-2012, 20:10
Waldstein
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Just curious.. anyone want to explain to me what a minor key is/sounds like?
The simplest way to describe it is that it sounds 'sad' if that makes any sense! If you think of the sound of the piano accompaniment in Alicia Key's Fallin'. The piano is playing minor chords. Or Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata - that's a very famous piece that's minor sounding. Hope this helps.
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Old 22-05-2012, 21:16
Gneiss
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OK not that modern, but as I'm in Rolling Stones mode... Angie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RTWzsGO4Zc
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Old 22-05-2012, 21:18
Kanzi
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Gary Barlow has a penchant for switching to minor key for his choruses.
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Old 22-05-2012, 21:26
Waldstein
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OK not that modern, but as I'm in Rolling Stones mode... Angie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RTWzsGO4Zc
Great song!
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Old 22-05-2012, 21:29
Hotelier
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A lot of rock and heavy metal(especially doom metal), believe it or not is in minor keys.
A good example of a harmonic minor metal song is Sabbaths 'Children of the Grave' or melodic minor, the Pink Floyds 'Brick in the wall'.
MInor keys can be sad or even ominous and 'dark '(especially the Harmonic Minor, hence its popularity in metal.)
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Old 22-05-2012, 21:50
lumiere
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The simplest way to describe it is that it sounds 'sad' if that makes any sense! If you think of the sound of the piano accompaniment in Alicia Key's Fallin'. The piano is playing minor chords. Or Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata - that's a very famous piece that's minor sounding. Hope this helps.
Yes that's probably the best way although it doesn't always work - Hit Me Baby One More Time is in a minor key! As is Hava Nagila. And Yesterday by The Beatles is a sad song in a major key.
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Old 22-05-2012, 22:23
Waldstein
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Yes that's probably the best way although it doesn't always work - Hit Me Baby One More Time is in a minor key! As is Hava Nagila. And Yesterday by The Beatles is a sad song in a major key.
I agree, it's a rather simplistic way of explaining it. It is more complex than this and there are a lot of exceptions like the ones you mentioned.
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Old 22-05-2012, 22:25
5FHA
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Thanks for your suggestions so far- some great stuff.

Yeah, hormonic minor stuff's great.
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Old 23-05-2012, 01:35
marcusgv
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Here's a great explanation of the 'sad' feel to minor keys...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDIip...e_gdata_player
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Old 23-05-2012, 10:58
Mallaha
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A lot of Nine Inch Nails songs are in C minor. Trent Reznor's other work uses that key a lot too.
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Old 23-05-2012, 11:09
Scratchy7929
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Archive http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7rF2EZ0A_0
Lamb http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo8mhJXOHpo
Puscifer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYffGOMCcMQ
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Old 23-05-2012, 11:35
Everything Goes
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Here's a great explanation of the 'sad' feel to minor keys...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDIip...e_gdata_player
Lick My Love Pump

PMSL
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Old 23-05-2012, 11:43
Scratchy7929
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Just curious.. anyone want to explain to me what a minor key is/sounds like?
Watch this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LN4BYZtShEE
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Old 23-05-2012, 15:02
soundstory
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Just curious.. anyone want to explain to me what a minor key sounds like?
Dong
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Old 23-05-2012, 15:02
soundstory
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Moby is a big fan of minor keys
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Old 24-05-2012, 00:31
Gneiss
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Lick My Love Pump

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Clearly inspired by Mozart and Bach...
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Old 24-05-2012, 00:46
kutox
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The simplest way to describe it is that it sounds 'sad' if that makes any sense! If you think of the sound of the piano accompaniment in Alicia Key's Fallin'. The piano is playing minor chords. Or Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata - that's a very famous piece that's minor sounding. Hope this helps.
But there are many 'upbeat' songs in minor keys too - a few ultra-contemporary examples being Lady Gaga's 'Just Dance' (most of her singles actually) and LMFAO's 'Party Rock Anthem'.
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Old 24-05-2012, 01:00
Waldstein
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But there are many 'upbeat' songs in minor keys too - a few ultra-contemporary examples being Lady Gaga's 'Just Dance' (most of her singles actually) and LMFAO's 'Party Rock Anthem'.
Yes there are, and as Lumiere mentioned, Baby One More Time and conversely Yesterday, which sounds sad but is in a major key. Billie Jean is another example. I'd argue that it sounds dramatic or mysterious rather than sad.

I was just trying to explain it as simply as possible. I know that back in the day when I first learned about keys and minor/major chords, that's the way it was explained to me. Obviously, tempo, arrangement and production massively affect the mood of a song also. A prime example is if you compare Britney's Baby One More Time, which is quite upbeat, to the Travis version, which is slowed down and stripped back and sounds 'sadder' and more dramatic.
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