# Rock or pop songs in minor keys **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 20, 2013, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-or-pop-songs-in-minor-keys/656217 "2013-04-20T14:27:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-or-pop-songs-in-minor-keys/656217/1 "2013-04-20T14:27:06Z")
What are some of your favourite pop or rock songs in minor keys? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-or-pop-songs-in-minor-keys/656217/2 "2013-04-20T15:31:40Z")
Wow. I don’t even know where to start, as most pop songs (ETA2: most pop songs over the last few decades) are in minor keys. I’ll go with an early and somewhat underappreciated Beatles classic to start: “Things We Said Today.” (ETA: Although the bridge changes tonality before dropping back to minor.) ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-or-pop-songs-in-minor-keys/656217/3 "2013-04-20T15:35:45Z")
I don’t have any examples, but your thread title immediately brought to mind a lyric from “Success Story”" _There’s a rock and roll singer boppin’ on the TV He used to be a preacher, but now he sings in a major key_ ---
**Author:** ![DaveRaver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daveraver/32/1078_2.png) [@DaveRaver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveRaver)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-or-pop-songs-in-minor-keys/656217/4 "2013-04-20T18:03:59Z")
“Tragic” by Happy Rhodes ---
**Author:** ![Mixolydian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Mixolydian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mixolydian)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-or-pop-songs-in-minor-keys/656217/5 "2013-04-20T18:24:20Z")
Pandora tells me I like songs in major keys, but I will say that one of my favorites is Otis Rush’s [“All Your Love (I Miss Loving)”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Your_Love_%28I_Miss_Loving%29) which is the only blues (I IV V) tune I know that alternates between minor and major. John Mayall/Eric Clapton covered this on the Beano album as well. ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_Kirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@Capt\_Kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt_Kirk)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-or-pop-songs-in-minor-keys/656217/6 "2013-04-20T18:50:17Z")
“way over yonder in the minor key, ain’t nobody that can sing like me” Woody Guthrie as interpreted by Wilco and Billy Bragg with Natalie Merchant Sorry not much help but that is the first thing that came to mind **Capt** ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-or-pop-songs-in-minor-keys/656217/7 "2013-04-20T19:01:09Z")
Aerosmith’s _Dream On_ is in F Minor. Of course, we all know that [D Minor](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7vk5keNbRc) is the saddest of all keys… ---
**Author:** ![ptr2void](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ptr2void/32/3406_2.png) [@ptr2void](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ptr2void)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-or-pop-songs-in-minor-keys/656217/8 "2013-04-20T19:46:14Z")
Although I’ve spent my life with music, I generally can’t tell by ear whether a song is in a minor key. While it’s not “popular” I love [this current video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8sLcvWG1M4) – and indeed the entire album from which it comes – and can only imagine given its somberness and subject matter that it’s in a minor key. This really may not be what you’re looking for here, but I thought I’d throw it out because…well I’ve been waiting for the opportunity to share this gem. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-or-pop-songs-in-minor-keys/656217/9 "2013-04-20T19:54:04Z")
Stairway to Heaven. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-or-pop-songs-in-minor-keys/656217/10 "2013-04-21T09:17:45Z")
Eleanor Rigby. ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-or-pop-songs-in-minor-keys/656217/11 "2013-04-21T10:15:38Z")
Little Red Riding Hood ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-or-pop-songs-in-minor-keys/656217/12 "2013-04-21T10:34:39Z")
> [@Largo62](#): > > Little Red Riding Hood Interesting coincidence, I just learned to play that on my guitar tonight. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-or-pop-songs-in-minor-keys/656217/13 "2013-04-21T10:45:03Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I’ll go with an early and somewhat underappreciated Beatles classic to start: “Things We Said Today.” (ETA: Although the bridge changes tonality before dropping back to minor.) Good call! That song is a beautiful example of the “natural minor.” “Don’t Bother Me,” “Eleanor Rigby,” “Fixing a Hole,” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” and “Glass Onion” are natural minors too. Beatles tunes using the “harmonic minor” scale: “Michelle” the chorus of “For No One” (the verse is relative major, the song starts and ends major, but the chorus uses a harmonic minor cadence) “I’m Only Sleeping” “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!” “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” “Because” “I Me Mine” ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-or-pop-songs-in-minor-keys/656217/14 "2013-04-21T10:50:19Z")
“Anji”\* for solo acoustic guitar by Davey Graham is natural minor too. \*Paul Simon’s cover of it is probably the best-known version ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-or-pop-songs-in-minor-keys/656217/15 "2013-04-21T14:45:54Z")
“Lick My Love Pump”. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2013, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-or-pop-songs-in-minor-keys/656217/16 "2013-04-22T01:32:59Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > “Lick My Love Pump”. My guess is that post #7 is a cite. (I didn’t check.) ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2013, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-or-pop-songs-in-minor-keys/656217/17 "2013-04-22T02:11:17Z")
Still Loving You, by the Scorpions. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2013, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-or-pop-songs-in-minor-keys/656217/18 "2013-04-22T16:09:24Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > Good call! That song is a beautiful example of the “natural minor.” “Don’t Bother Me,” “Eleanor Rigby,” “Fixing a Hole,” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” and “Glass Onion” are natural minors too. > > Beatles tunes using the “harmonic minor” scale: > “Michelle” > the chorus of “For No One” (the verse is relative major, the song starts and ends major, but the chorus uses a harmonic minor cadence) > “I’m Only Sleeping” > “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!” > “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” > “Because” > “I Me Mine” How about “I’ll Be Back”? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2013, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-or-pop-songs-in-minor-keys/656217/19 "2013-04-22T16:18:00Z")
How about the Tim Finn song “In a Minor Key”? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2013, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-or-pop-songs-in-minor-keys/656217/20 "2013-04-22T17:05:38Z")
> [@Mixolydian](#): > > Pandora tells me I like songs in major keys Presumably with a flat 7. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-or-pop-songs-in-minor-keys/656217.md?page=2)