[Smt-talk] Popular Songs with 3 or more modulations?

[Devin Chaloux]

Greetings list,

Listening to Beyonce's 2011 single "Love on Top" from the album "4" has
prompted an inquiry to those on this list. For those familiar with the
song, the end features four successive modulations of the chorus up by a
half step (thus moving from the initial key of C major to the final key of
E major). It's a particularly striking example of modulation in pop music,
especially recent Top 40 hits. I'd venture to say that even finding two
modulations in one pop song is a fairly rare occurrence in the last 10 or
so years of Top 40 radio...let alone three or four.

I seem to recall Brian Hoffmann presented at least one example at the
recent MTMW meeting, but the name of the song is escaping me at the moment.
Are there any others that you can think of?

Best,

*Devin Chaloux*
Indiana University
Ph.D. in Music Theory (enrolled)
University of Cincinnati - College-Conservatory of Music
M.M. in Music Theory '12
University of Connecticut
B.M. in Music Theory '10
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