Who killed the key change in pop music?
When trouble strikes in music town, there\u2019s one guy who gets the call. That\u2019s me, Joe Treble, forensic musicologist. This week, I've got one of the most shocking cases I've ever worked. Someone killed the key change in pop music, and I\u2019m going to do whatever it takes to find the perpetrator.\nThe key change used to be at large on the Billboard charts. From the 1950s to the 1990s, 20-30% of all number one hits featured one. In Whitney Houston\u2019s \u201cI Wanna Dance With Somebody," the key change hits right before the final chorus. The song\u2019s harmonic center shifts up, raising the pitch of the song, challenging the vocalist to hit higher and higher notes, juicing the big finish with excitement and pep. But starting in the 1990s the key change virtually disappeared from the Hot 100. Now, hit songs start and end in the same key, and no one seems to have even noticed. Except for me.\nThis investigation will bring me face to face with a rogue's gallery of suspects and sources: Chris Dalla Riva, music and data specialist; Brandon McFarland, alias 1-O.A.K., producer; Emily King, singer and songwriter. Each interrogation brings me closer to revealing the murderer, but will I be able to handle the terrible truth? Tune in as I tackle the hardest case of my career: the case of the missing key change!\n\nSongs Discussed\nEmily King - Georgia Sleepwalker, Medal, The Way that You Love Me\nYG, Kamaiyah, RJ, Mitch, Ty Dolla $ign - Do Yo Dance (feat. Kamaiyah, RJ, Mitch, Ty Dolla $ign)\nBeyonc\xe9 - Love On Top\nBon Jovi - Livin' On A Prayer\nWhitney Houston - I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)\nFrank Sinatra - Strangers In The Night\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices