Magical "Math" Moments in Pop Music History :

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That part in Blondie's "Heart of Glass" where the post-chorus bridge only goes for SEVEN beats...

it sneaks up on you BOO it says!

― Dom iNut (donut), Thursday, 12 January 2006 00:12 (twenty years ago)

otm

― GET EQUIPPED WITH BUBBLE LEAD (ex machina), Thursday, 12 January 2006 00:14 (twenty years ago)

47 is a magical number.
47 plus 2 equals 49.
47 times 2 equals 94.
49 and 94.
94 and 49.
47.
47 is a magical number.
47 plus 2 equals 49.
47 times 2 equals 94.
49 and 94.
94 and 49.
47.
Relationship between 47 and 2
is magic.
Relationship between 47 and 2
is magic.
47...
47 is a magical number.
47 plus 2 equals 49.
47 times 2 equals 94.
49 and 94.
94 and 49.
Relationship between 47 and 2
is magic.
47...
49 and 94.
94 and 49.
It's magic!
47...
Isn't it a coincidence?

― Adam Bruneau (oliver8bit), Thursday, 12 January 2006 01:06 (twenty years ago)

surprisingly, the ramones do this quite a bit.
certain riffs that are a couple bars short, or missing a beat.
can't think of any examples off the top of my head though.....

― m0stly clean (m0stly clean), Thursday, 12 January 2006 01:36 (twenty years ago)

Is this like how the beat "reverses" when Ric Ocasek sings "wasting all my time time" near the end of The Cars' "Just What I Needed?"

― Tony Bleach (blackshoeswhitesocks), Thursday, 12 January 2006 01:47 (twenty years ago)

that bit in "feed me with your kiss" where they play 4 beats, then 5, then 6, then 8. and longer at the end!

― zappi (joni), Thursday, 12 January 2006 02:02 (twenty years ago)

the extra beat ("bouncin on 24s") in remix to ignition bounce bounces your head

― dan (dan), Thursday, 12 January 2006 02:31 (twenty years ago)

I think "Feed Me With Your Kiss" goes 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 beats in the finishing sequence.

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Thursday, 12 January 2006 02:35 (twenty years ago)

Obvious, but glorious and pertinent to the Pop-piness of this thread: "Hey Ya!"'s infectious elevens.

― C.D., Thursday, 12 January 2006 03:14 (twenty years ago)

Notorious BIG:

"I got 7 mac 11's, about eight 38's, nine 9's ten mac-10's the shit never ends."

― tylero (tylero), Thursday, 12 January 2006 03:46 (twenty years ago)

Not quite the same thing as the other ones mentioned here, but I've been waiting for quite some time to share this mathemadelicious verse from They Might Be Giants' version of "It was a very good year":

When i was the square root of a negative number /
It was a very good year /
It was a very good year /
For dodecahedrons /
In a state of quantum incertainty /
We were having sexual intercourse /
While at the same time /
We were not having sexual intercourse /
It was a very good year /
It was a very good year.

― Herr Fahrstuhl, Thursday, 12 January 2006 10:35 (twenty years ago)

i is always the square root of a negative number. Or at least, it's always in there somewhere.

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 12 January 2006 10:52 (twenty years ago)

The opening of "The Jessica Numbers" on the New Pornographers' Twin Cinema is a series of guitar strums in a reverse Fibonacci series: 5, 3, 2, 1. It reoccurs throughout the song.

surprisingly, the ramones do this quite a bit.
certain riffs that are a couple bars short, or missing a beat.
can't think of any examples off the top of my head though.....

"Teenage Lobotomy?"

― phil d. (Phil D.), Thursday, 12 January 2006 16:48 (twenty years ago)

"Sister Jack" by Spoon. Sometimes it feels like it's skipping, particularly on the outro where I'm sure there are something like 9 beats in a bar.

― Wogan Lenin (dog latin), Thursday, 12 January 2006 16:55 (twenty years ago)

I like the easy ones, like "200 Bars" by Spiritualized.

― Mitya (mitya), Thursday, 12 January 2006 17:02 (twenty years ago)

"just for a moment" by ultravox. i can't remember how or why it works, but for such a simple song there's some weird time-signature shit going on there.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Thursday, 12 January 2006 17:14 (twenty years ago)

The Pretenders - The Phone Call. you know...

― D.I.Y. U.N.K.L.E. (dave225.3), Thursday, 12 January 2006 17:14 (twenty years ago)

I thought this thread was going to be about stuff like
Now if six
Turned out to be nine
I don't mind
I don't mind

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 12 January 2006 17:21 (twenty years ago)

The opening of "The Jessica Numbers" on the New Pornographers' Twin Cinema is a series of guitar strums in a reverse Fibonacci series: 5, 3, 2, 1. It reoccurs throughout the song.

My mind = blown

― Jimmy Mod (I myself am lethal at 100 -110dB) (The Famous Jimmy Mod), Thursday, 12 January 2006 17:33 (twenty years ago)

Three is a magic number,
Yes it is, it's a magic number.
Somewhere in the ancient, mystic trinity
You get three as a magic number.

The past and the present and the future.
Faith and Hope and Charity,
The heart and the brain and the body
Give you three as a magic number.

It takes three legs to make a tri-pod
Or to make a table stand.
It takes three wheels to make a ve-hicle
Called a tricycle.

Every triangle has three corners,
Every triangle has three sides,
No more, no less.
You don't have to guess.
When it's three you can see
It's a magic number.

A man and a woman had a little baby,
Yes, they did.
They had three in the family,
And that's a magic number.

3-6-9, 12-15-18, 21-24-27, 30.
3-6-9, 12-15-18, 21-24-27, 30.
Multiply backwards from three times ten:

Three time ten is (30), three times nine is (27),
Three times eight is (24), three times seven is (21),
Three times six is (18), three times five is (15),
Three times four is twelve,
And three times three is nine, and three times two is six,
And three times one is three of course.

Now take the pattern once more:
Three! . . .3-6-9
Twelve! . . .12-15-18
Twenty-one!. . .21-24-27. . .30

Now multiply from 10 backwards:
Three time ten is (30 - Keep going), three times nine is (27),
Three times eight is (24), three times seven is (21),
Three times six is (18), three times five is (15),
Three times four is twelve,
And three times three is nine, and three times two is six,
And three times one...
What is it?!
Three!
Yeah, That's a magic number.

A man and a woman had a little baby.
Yes, they did.
They had three in the family.
That's a magic number.

― National Roffle Association (Paul in Santa Cruz), Thursday, 12 January 2006 17:40 (twenty years ago)

"Take Five"

― Mike W (caek), Thursday, 12 January 2006 18:26 (twenty years ago)

i love how that slint song "nosferatu man" is in 5/4, or maybe just has that extra beat at the end... mathy indeed.

― Todd Pontius (tee pee), Thursday, 12 January 2006 18:38 (twenty years ago)

Not much of a song, but I enjoy this explanatory bit from "Toads Of The Short Forest" by Frank "You Just Haven't Heard The Right Albums!" Zappa: "At this very moment on stage we have drummer A playing in 7/8, drummer B playing in 3/4, the bass playing in 3/4, the organ playing in 5/8, the tambourine playing in 3/4, and the alto sax blowing his nose."

I never noticed the precise accumulation of beats in "Feed Me With Your Kiss."

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Thursday, 12 January 2006 18:40 (twenty years ago)

The clsoing 'doo-wop' section of Happiness is a Warm Gun uses the classic C-Am-F-G chord sequence in 4 time, then moves into 3 -- with Ringo carrying on in 4. And it's probably on purpose!

Equally, the first track of NY City Ghosts & Flowers is in 5 with the drums playing in 4.

Does anyone know the timing of Krusty by Papa M? Now there's a question.

― Wax Cat, Thursday, 12 January 2006 18:42 (twenty years ago)

Not really pop, but I love the beginning of "Mr. Evil" by Live Skull. Opens with a bass line, the drummer comes in one beat early and inverts the bass line. Pure magic.

http://s62.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=02P5JPM5OAR0Y3LFUJAR2TZA3K

― Edward III (edward iii), Thursday, 12 January 2006 18:42 (twenty years ago)

What the hell is going on in the verses of "Yawn, Yawn, Yawn" by Les Savy Fav? Is it 7/8?

http://s52.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0FHJ2UVZPBZNM2NBQDKHLR2JWY

― Mike W (caek), Thursday, 12 January 2006 18:50 (twenty years ago)

Six layer cake

I’m up &
you’re up with me this time
You’re up &
I’m still in the shine
pullover, you’re getting dressed
all touching . . . all the right

65543221. 654322 layer
65443221. 654321 layer cake

I’ve called you with my head
My fingers, your lips to my hand
Front Royale, big kitchen day
My fingers . . . all over

655632 layer
Sixteen fingers 8 feet high
10 7854321. 654422 layer cake.

One layer, on Halloween
no hands where they ought to be
In pockets, keeping this in
In pants and
I’m so so . . .

10 6 10 676 layer
10 676 10 6 high
10 6544321. 10 9876543 cake.

Fingertips show the way
relax on, USMA
Pullover, you’re getting dressed
all touching . . . all the right

666666 layer cake!

with my
I’ll give you a slice of mine.

― don't start a RYE-OTT! (plsmith), Thursday, 12 January 2006 18:52 (twenty years ago)

The Les Savy Fav is 7/4. Is he saying 'The late David Beckham'?

― Wax Cat (Wax Cat), Thursday, 12 January 2006 18:56 (twenty years ago)

Two divided by love
Can only be one
And one is a lonely number

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 12 January 2006 19:00 (twenty years ago)

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