All Posts Tagged Groove

Shout Out to My Ex (:48) VS Ugly Heart (:48) [credit to A. Zucker for suggesting this one.]

Coldplay's Hymn for the Weekend (released January 25, 2016) has a similar groove, verse vocal melody, and verse chord progression (relatively speaking) as Groove Theory's mid-90's chart-topper Tell Me (released September 5, 1995). Hymn for the Weekend's chorus vocal melody is also reminiscent of the intro vocal melody to fun's We Are Young, and Fabolous' Throw It In The Bag. Compare the melodies for the lines "[So if by the] time the bar closes and you feel like falling down" with "I-Oh-I-Oh/Got me feeling drunk and high."

Hymn for the Weekend (:44) VS Tell Me (:21) [verse vocal melody and groove]

Hymn for the Weekend (1:48) VS We Are Young (:41) [chorus vocal melody]

Hymn for the Weekend (1:48) VS Throw It In The Bag (Fabolous) (1:37)

One Direction's single History (released November 6, 2015) is reminiscent of Huey Lewis and the News' top-ten 80s hit If This Is It (released July 10, 1984), as well as John Sebastian's Welcome Back (released March 1976), which served as the theme song to the U.S. television series Welcome Back, Kotter. OneD seems to have grafted Welcome Back's handclaps, acoustic guitar strumming, and nostalgic theme onto If This Is It's vocal harmonies, progression, and groove. While History is in the key of Gb, it's only a half-step lower than both Welcome Back and If This Is It (both in the key of G). Likewise, History is in 12/8 time, but the feel is similar to the groove of Welcome Back, and If This Is It (both of which have 4/4 time). History also features a dominant 9sus4 chord (sustained for a whole note) just before the chorus a la If This Is It. Seems an unlikely coincidence.

History (:43) VS If This Is It (1:34)

History (:43) VS Welcome Back (:08)

Honorable Mention:
History (1:34) VS You've Really Got A Hold On Me (:00) (Smokey Robinson and the Miracles)

You'll Be Back from Lin-Manual Miranda's musical Hamilton (released October 16, 2015) is heavily influenced by several Sixties' pop songs including The Beach Boys' God Only Knows (released July 11, 1966), The Beatles' Penny Lane (released February 13, 1967), and the Turtles' Happy Together (released February 14, 1967). You'll Be Back borrows the staccato quarter note keyboard (harpsichord) part from God Only Knows, as well as the Wrecking Crew's muted bass line and bouncy drum groove (present in the Beach Boys' California Girls as well). You'll Be Back's glee club "da da da" vocals in the chorus are also similar to God Only Know's middle section vocals, and Happy Together's "ba ba ba" vocals, while YBB's guitar part (around 3:00) and pizzicato strings are similar to Penny Lane.

You'll Be Back (1:14) VS God Only Knows (1:11)

Honorable Mention:

You'll Be Back (:00) VS Three Times A Lady (The Commodores) (:10) [Chord Progression]

You'll Be Back (:00) VS Mama Can't Buy You Love (Elton John) (:00) [Chord Progression]

You'll Be Back (1:14) VS Plush (Stone Temple Pilots) (2:37) [Chorus Vocal Melody]

You'll Be Back (1:14) VS Never My Love (The Association) (1:11) [Chorus Vocal Melody]

You'll Be Back (:00) VS Through The Years (Kenny Rogers) (:00) [Verse Vocal Melody]

You'll Be Back (:00) VS True Colors (Cyndi Lauper) (:00) [Verse Vocal Melody]

You'll Be Back (:00) VS Goodbye Stranger (Supertramp) (:26) [Chord Progression]