Classical composers that would have made great pop songwriters.

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Perhaps those with a gift for facile melodies, economy of expression, good arranging skills.

I nominate Purcell and Bach.

― Amateurist (amateurist), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 04:53 (twenty-two years ago)

And Gluck.

― Amateurist (amateurist), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 04:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Beethoven

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 04:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Pachelbel

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 04:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Please tell us which of their pieces has in it the potential for a great single. I'd say the "Grief for Sin" portion of St. Matthew's Passion (although that title wd have to go).

― Amateurist (amateurist), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 04:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Vivaldi -- the opening movement of the Gloria is all Vegas flash and dazzle.

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 05:04 (twenty-two years ago)

"What Is Life?" (Gluck, fr. Orfeo ed Euridice) as sung by the Righteous Bros. and produced by Phil Spector. Retitled "What Is Love," of course.

― Amateurist (amateurist), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 05:10 (twenty-two years ago)

(Why more pop songwriters don't nick melodies from the classics is beyond me, it's not like they're copyrighted.)

― Amateurist (amateurist), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 05:18 (twenty-two years ago)

This is a fabulous question.

― Melissa W (Melissa W), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 05:40 (twenty-two years ago)

This is probably not that uncommon, but I started to like Henry Purcell because of Klaus Nomi - I like how the "Cold Genius" song works much more when it's out of context and sung really high instead of really low*. And I really like "Past, Present and Future" by the Shangri-Las, but not so much because of the melody. I think I find it a LITTLE disappointing that it wasn't written especially for the song; at least, I'd like to have heard it tried with a melody written especially for it, even if it didn't work and was scrapped.

*note spiffy music terminology (there's more where that came from).

― tom (other one), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 06:02 (twenty-two years ago)

I envision Charles Ives collaborating with Scott Walker.

― Scott Seward, Tuesday, 11 February 2003 06:08 (twenty-two years ago)

I've noticed some outright classic nabbing lately--notably, Nas's "I Can," (Fur Elise) and some Coolio song that used Pachelbel's Gigue & Canon, to unpleasant effect.

― slutsky (slutsky), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 06:10 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm partial to Roger Daltrey's saccharine '70s pop "Liebestraum" adaption from Lisztomania! -- "Love's Dream."

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 06:12 (twenty-two years ago)

satie!

― jess (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 06:17 (twenty-two years ago)

well, he woulda killed in a post-eno/house context

― jess (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 06:18 (twenty-two years ago)

The Satie I've heard isn't very pop.

― Amateurist (amateurist), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 06:23 (twenty-two years ago)

I can't remember the title of the Mark Stewart song that used the melody of the most famous of the "Gymnopedies" (I guess I don't know either, then - maybe it was two other songs), but I didn't think it was a good idea when I heard it.

― tom (other one), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 06:25 (twenty-two years ago)

haha momus to thread

― jess (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 06:27 (twenty-two years ago)

(the cheapie "satie piano classics" cd i have is basically melodic idm without the drum machines, old rolands, or granular synthesis. so yes, maybe not "Pop" but certainly not "Classical" either.)

― jess (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 06:29 (twenty-two years ago)

(and if it's melodic idm it's one step away from neuvo-radiohead)

― jess (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 06:33 (twenty-two years ago)

i think ravel would have made a killer idm artist. he's got everything: melodies that don't quite go anywhere, absolutely gorgeous textures, ambiguous harmonies, escapist themes...

― arjun (arjun), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 07:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Mozart. His last work (a mass choir thingy) is really final proof of this.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 07:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Prokofiev. Schubert.

― Tad (llamasfur), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 07:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Faure & Debussy would have made great ballad writers, & Tchaikovsky...dance music (boom-boom). He did writesome catchy stuff, mind.

― Jez (Jez), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 09:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Bach - Math rock!

― CretanBull (CretanBull), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 10:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Debussy.

Worst pop music ever = Wagner.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 11:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Uh, Borodin much?

TMFTML
http://intonation.blogspot.com

― TMFTML (TMFTML), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 14:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Hector Berlioz (who played guitar, BTW) probably would have been the first emo-rocker.

― j.lu (j.lu), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 15:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Ravel and Bizet were already writing pop songs so they get a headstart with Britney and pals. If it was the 80s, Im sure Wagner could have written some great stuff for everyone from Posion to The Scorpions to G'n'R.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 15:23 (twenty-two years ago)

I can't believe it took three hours until someone (julio) said Mozart! Eine Kleine Nachtmusic is probably the most successful pop tune in human history. Uncounted billions have had that fucker in their heads.

― g.cannon (gcannon), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 15:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Pete Waterman to thread.

― TMFTML (TMFTML), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 15:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Jack Nietszche.

― hstencil, Tuesday, 11 February 2003 16:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Geez, we had to go how many posts before someone said Mozart? Come on, people! He's mister pop!

Plus he totally lived the rock star life. Well, maybe the indie star, but certainly got elevated to godhood posthumously. I'm not saying he left a beautiful corpse or anything (bet his liver looked like the surface of Mercury).

― Matt Maxwell (Matt M.), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 16:33 (twenty-two years ago)

I suppose it's cheating to say Kurt Weill?

Satie was maybe that bit too much stripped-down and pure to be pop, but his wit/anachronism & velvet suits & precarious lifestyle were pure pop star...

Pete Waterman did an article in BBC Music about nicking bits of classical music recently. Apparently the chorus of "Lay All Your Love On Me" is a Bach chorale.

― Kate Dornan, Tuesday, 11 February 2003 17:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Actually, I think what I meant there was not 'pure' but 'timeless' - all those circular pieces with no real beginning & end, not as immediate/intense as most pop.

― Kate Dornan, Tuesday, 11 February 2003 17:20 (twenty-two years ago)

"Whiter Shade of Pale" is partially based upon a Bach piece, so score one hit for Johann.

― earlnash, Tuesday, 11 February 2003 17:23 (twenty-two years ago)

There are at least 10 pop songs based on
Pachebel's "Canon In D," particularly the initial
descending figure. Off the top of my head:
"One Tin Soldier"
"The Hook," by Blues Traveler
"Basket Case" by Green Day

― Squirrel_Police (Squirrel_Police), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 18:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Good thread. I know nothing about it, but good thread.

― gaz (gaz), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 21:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Rodrigo?

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 21:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Another Pachelbel rip-off: "All Together Now," by the Farm. It's ridiculous how blatant it is.

― jaymc, Tuesday, 11 February 2003 22:07 (twenty-two years ago)

+ "Graduation (friends forever)" by Vitamin C!

― Captain Sleep (Captain Sleep), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 22:37 (twenty-two years ago)

"I'm sure you recognize this lovely melody, 'A Stranger in Paradise,' but did you know the original theme is from the 'Polovetsian Dance No. 2' by Borodin? Ah, it's a priceless collection that will enrich every home."

Does anyone else remember this late night TV ad? Alex in NYC, you must.

― Arthur (Arthur), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 23:21 (twenty-two years ago)

one month passes...

Mozart, obviously. Then Schubert, Beethoven and Brahms. The best "melodics" in the history of classical music would of course also make the best songwriters.

Vivaldi would easily become sort of the answer to Procol Harum, his "Four Seasons" being sort of classical music's answer to "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" (that is, his only major "hit", but that one is so huge it is forever a part of the canon).

And then, I guess Handel would be the closest classical music could possibly come to Queen or 10cc. :-)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 19 March 2003 15:29 (twenty-two years ago)

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