Looking for music...

December 26, 2011 2:57 PM

I'm looking for songs that have infectious, surprising hooks. Help!

I'm going through Pitchfork's end-of-year singles list and am loving Katy B's "Broken Record", particularly the hook. I realized it fits two big criteria - its catchy, and the hook is slightly surprising to the ear (in this case, because of the syncopation, but I'm thinking a weird chord progression or an unexpected harmony would serve the same purpose).

Can you name some other songs that fit this bill?

posted by downing street memo to Media & Arts (16 answers total)

It always surprised me when the note went to a C# instead of a C in the Beatles' "Something".
posted by Melismata at 3:03 PM on December 26, 2011

When you say hook, are you talking about the part in the chorus where the snare drum hits off beat 1/8th notes over the words "every breath I take", or the rhythmically loose "like a broken record" part at the end?
posted by klausman at 3:18 PM on December 26, 2011

I thought of Imogen Heap, then Ratatat.
posted by 3FLryan at 3:20 PM on December 26, 2011

Response by poster: Ah, the chorus ("every breath I take").
posted by downing street memo at 3:21 PM on December 26, 2011

Some unusual chord choices that are at first jarring, but that ultimately work include:
Very Best Years, by the Grays
Sometimes it Snows in April, by Prince
Dear God, by XTC
posted by holterbarbour at 3:24 PM on December 26, 2011

It's been mentioned before I know, but Kate Bush's Wuthering Heights has some pretty quirky time signature stuff going on in the chorus.
posted by sleepcrime at 3:44 PM on December 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

dj format-'three feet deep'

robyn-'handle me'

eels-'thats not really funny'
posted by sexyrobot at 3:45 PM on December 26, 2011

With dance music, follow the producers -- in this case, DJ Zinc, who is one of most important EDM producers of the past 15 years, helping to launch two entirely separate music genres -- 2 Step Garage and Dubstep.

Here's his discography.

His most recent big record was Wile Out.

As for EDM acts that sound like Katy B -- try looking up Magnetic Man.
posted by empath at 4:01 PM on December 26, 2011

here's a couple of 'surprise' dance records:

A trak remix of Yeah Yeah Yeah - Heads Will Roll

Jack Beats remix of Project Bassline - Drop the Pressure
posted by empath at 4:11 PM on December 26, 2011

Try Mos Def, "Quiet dog bite hard."
posted by bilabial at 4:27 PM on December 26, 2011

How about this hard-to-find live stripped-down version of Baltimore by Nina Simone?
posted by EKStickland at 5:24 PM on December 26, 2011

"Birdhouse In Your Soul", They Might Be Giants. Unexpected key changes in unexpected places that sound natural enough not to pull one out of the music, but surprising enough to be really interesting. I didn't even know they were there for a few years, but come to find out that's a lot of why that song is so catchy. TMBG is generally good for the hooks, especially songs John Linnell wrote. Jonathan Coulton did a few of those on his new album, too. Both of the Portal songs ("Still Alive", which you have no doubt heard, and "Want You Gone", which you may not have) do that, and I think there may be some others.

So there's your nerd-rock update on this matter.
posted by Because at 6:02 PM on December 26, 2011

Girls' Generation Hoot
posted by needled at 6:15 PM on December 26, 2011

Tori Amos is great for this:
Sleeps with Butterflies
A Sorta Fairytale
Caught a Light Sneeze

Also, I'm not sure if this qualifies as what you're looking for, but for catchy hooks that are surprising because of the harmony, I love the Indigo Girls. When the chorus picks up in Galileo, it still makes my insides jump.
posted by Mchelly at 6:34 PM on December 26, 2011

Almost anything by Fastball, especially the Miles Zuniga songs; the oldest and newest Fastball albums are the best examples. Miles is well-known for his great hooks in the power pop world as a song writer (independent/regardless of his relationship with Fastball).
posted by TinWhistle at 7:07 AM on December 27, 2011 [1 favorite]

Masha Qrella - I want you to know
posted by Ljubljana at 10:25 AM on December 27, 2011