Why has this one note taken over pop music?

"I would say the overall sound of pop in the last decade or so has been the supertonic.… It's the easiest songwriting trick in the world to just hang out on the supertonic for as long as you want over any chords, and then resolve the tension by just moving up or down one note." 

That's what Andrew Huang says in this video. He not only gives a convincing demonstration with a lot of songs, but also explains why this one note has become ubiquitous:

One of his examples is a Justin Timberlake song I ranked #22 in my list of the best songs of the 2010s.

Previously (2009): "The 2 most overused chord progressions in pop music today."

The 100 Best Songs of the 2010s (21-30)

Some of the best songs of the decade…

(Click here for the whole list so far, with a Spotify playlist.)


30. Taylor Swift — "Don't Blame Me"

(Rock cover with male singers.)




29. Portugal. The Man — "Feel It Still"

(Cover with female singers.)




28. Foo Fighters — "Something from Nothing"

I like how the music reflects the song title by starting with almost "Nothing" (a lightly strummed guitar on its own) and gradually building up to "Something" …




27. fun. (feat. Janelle Monáe) — "We Are Young"

One of the anthemic singalong choruses of the decade.

(Live unplugged.)

(A cappella cover by Pentatonix.)




26. Billie Eilish — "When the Party's Over"

Billie Eilish is not yet 18 years old, but she's captivated the world of pop music. Her brother and collaborator, Finneas, wrote this song of haunting simplicity.

(Heavy cover by Our Last Night.)




25.  Mikal Cronin — "Turn Around"

I first heard "Turn Around" playing in a CD store, and I asked an employee what it was. He showed me the album MCIII, and I bought the CD on the spot. I had never heard of Mikal Cronin before, but this song was that good.

(Live.)




24. Arctic Monkeys — "Do I Wanna Know?"

One of the defining rock riffs of the decade.

(Dua Lipa turns it into a piano ballad.)

(Reggae cover by Groove Da Praia.)

(Classical version by the Vitamin String Quartet.)




23. Tame Impala — "Let It Happen"

Here's the official video with a much shorter edit of the song — but you might not want to watch it if you have fear of flying!

The full version of the song (below) sounds at one point like a CD is skipping over and over. But Tame Impala finds beauty in what might seem to be a mistake.




22. Justin Timberlake — "Can't Stop the Feeling!"

A good pop song needs a good hook. A great pop song like this is nothing but hooks.




21. Fiona Apple — "Hot Knife"

This song seems ridiculously simple, but becomes dizzyingly intricate.

The video was directed by P.T. Anderson, who also directed Boogie Nights (1997) and There Will Be Blood (2007).




<— 31 - 40

11 - 20 —>

The 100 best songs of the first decade of the 2000s (70-61)

(Click here for the whole list.)


70. Ambulance LTD — "Anecdote"

From this overlooked NYC band's only album.




69. The Futureheads — "Robot"




68. Sonic Youth — "Incinerate"




67. The Darkness — "I Believe in a Thing Called Love"




66. Dirty Projectors — "Stillness Is the Move"




65. Daniel Powter — "Bad Day"




64. Okkervil River — "Our Life Is Not a Movie or Maybe"




63. Hot Chip — "Ready for the Floor"

I can't stop watching this:




62. Regina Spektor — "Samson"




61. Justin Timberlake — "Cry Me a River"