Breaking Down The Most Streamed Song Of All Time
TLDRThe video discusses the most streamed song of all time, 'Blinding Lights' by The Weeknd, analyzing its musical components and popularity. It delves into the song's production, melody, and chord progression, attributing its success to its well-crafted structure and nostalgic 80s sound. The video also touches on the importance of ear training and music theory in understanding and creating music, promoting the host's courses for those interested in deepening their musical knowledge.
Takeaways
- 🎶 The most streamed song of all time is 'Blinding Lights' by The Weeknd, with 4.2 billion streams on Spotify.
- 🎵 The criteria for the most streamed artists considered those who haven't released a record in 30 years, excluding active artists like Elton John.
- 🎧 Spotify streaming numbers were used as the metric for determining the most streamed songs and artists.
- 🎼 'Blinding Lights' has a captivating melody and is written with only four chords, making it accessible and appealing.
- 🎹 The song could be analyzed in both a major and minor key, showcasing its musical complexity.
- 🎷 The production of 'Blinding Lights' is praised for its 80s sound, fat synth bass, and perfect reverb on the voice.
- 🎸 The use of pentatonic melody and Dorian mode in 'Blinding Lights' contributes to its unique and memorable sound.
- 🎹 The song's chord progression is F minor - C minor - E flat major - B flat major, creating a sense of tension and release.
- 🎤 The song's success is attributed to its great production, relatable themes, and a strong hook that resonates with listeners.
- 🎧 The video also discusses the importance of ear training and understanding music theory for appreciating and creating music.
- 🎵 The script highlights the power of music to connect with people across different platforms and eras, as evidenced by the enduring popularity of bands like The Beatles and Queen.
Q & A
What is the main focus of the video?
-The main focus of the video is to analyze the most streamed song of all time, 'Blinding Lights' by The Weeknd, and discuss its musical components and popularity.
How does the video address the limitations of using Spotify streaming numbers as a metric?
-The video acknowledges that Spotify streaming numbers may not fully represent all music listeners, as some still use CDs, but argues that not many people listen to CDs anymore and that the numbers are still significant and indicative of the song's popularity.
Which artists were considered in the video for having high streaming numbers despite not releasing a record in 30 years?
-The artists considered were ABBA, Queen, The Beatles, Nirvana, and The Police, with Queen having the highest number of monthly listeners among them.
What are the four chords used in 'Blinding Lights'?
-The four chords used in 'Blinding Lights' are F minor, C minor, E flat major, and B flat major.
How does the video describe the melody of 'Blinding Lights'?
-The video describes the melody of 'Blinding Lights' as pentatonic and mentions the unique use of the D natural note that occurs only once in the verse, which makes it stand out and sets up the chorus perfectly.
What is the significance of the Dorian mode in the song 'Blinding Lights'?
-The Dorian mode is significant in 'Blinding Lights' because it gives the song its minor sound, even though it technically belongs to the E flat major scale. The Dorian mode is associated with the second chord in a major scale and has a natural minor sound.
How does the video discuss the importance of ear training in music?
-The video emphasizes the importance of ear training for recognizing different chord progressions, intervals, and tonal qualities of music. It explains that being able to hear and identify these elements can greatly improve one's understanding and appreciation of music.
What is the role of the song's production in its success?
-The production of 'Blinding Lights' is highlighted as being phenomenal, with contributions from Max Martin and The Weeknd. The video mentions the 80s sound, the fat synth bass, and the perfect reverb on the voice as key elements that contribute to the song's appeal.
How does the video address the concept of 'tamber' in music?
-The video introduces 'tamber' as the tone of an instrument, which is distinct from pitch. It explains that recognizing different tambers can help one identify the type of instrument being used and adds depth to the listening experience.
What is the significance of the song 'Blinding Lights' being in F minor?
-The video suggests that F minor has a particular melancholy sound that resonates with listeners, even those without perfect pitch. It posits that this dark quality of F minor contributes to the song's appeal and emotional impact.
How does the video relate the song 'Blinding Lights' to other popular songs in F minor?
-The video draws connections between 'Blinding Lights' and other popular songs in F minor, such as 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' by Nirvana, highlighting the recurring use of this key in successful and impactful songs.
Outlines
🎶 Analyzing Popular Music and its Impact
The paragraph discusses the analysis of popular music based on Spotify streaming numbers, emphasizing that the criteria exclude artists who haven't released a record in 30 years. It highlights the significant monthly listeners for bands like Queen, The Beatles, Nirvana, and The Police, and introduces a focus on the song 'Blinding Lights' by The Weeknd, which has the most streams ever. The speaker intends to delve into what makes this song so compelling to listeners.
🎵 The Pentatonic Melody and Its Characteristics
This section delves into the musical aspects of 'Blinding Lights,' describing the melody as predominantly pentatonic and how the song could be analyzed in either a major or minor key due to its unique chord progression. The paragraph discusses the significance of the D natural note in the song and its impact on the listener, as well as the importance of understanding modes and the Dorian mode in particular.
🎼 The Power of Chords and Production in Music
The focus here is on the production quality and the melodic power of chords in 'Blinding Lights.' The paragraph discusses the song's transition into the chorus, the effective use of the ninth chord, and the importance of recognizing and understanding these elements for musicians. It also touches on the 80s sound and the synth bass used in the song, emphasizing the perfect production that contributes to its popularity.
🎧 The Role of Ear Training in Music
This paragraph emphasizes the importance of ear training for musicians, using 'Blinding Lights' as an example to illustrate how recognizing key elements such as major or minor chords and intervals can help understand and recreate songs. The speaker also discusses the concept of mono-culture in music and the role of algorithms in creating silos of listeners who may not be familiar with the most-streamed songs.
🎹 Understanding Intervals and Chord Progressions
The speaker breaks down the basics of ear training, focusing on interval recognition and how it can be used to understand chord progressions in songs. The paragraph introduces the concept of diatonic progressions and uses 'Blinding Lights' as an example of a 2-6-1-5 progression in the key of E-flat major. The discussion also touches on the importance of understanding the tonal quality of different chords and how they contribute to the overall mood of a song.
🎻 The Emotional Resonance of F Minor
This section explores the unique qualities of the F minor key, as exemplified by 'Blinding Lights' and other songs like 'Smells Like Teen Spirit.' The speaker discusses the melancholic and dark sound associated with F minor and how it resonates with listeners, even those without perfect pitch. The paragraph also compares F minor to other minor keys and highlights the importance of understanding these differences for musicians.
🎷 The Value of Ear Training for Musicians
The final paragraph wraps up the discussion by reiterating the value of ear training for understanding and creating music. The speaker shares his experience teaching ear training and the importance of recognizing different tonalities, modes, and chord progressions. The paragraph ends with a call to action for listeners to check out the speaker's ear training course and appreciates their engagement in the discussion.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Spotify streaming numbers
💡Abba
💡The Weeknd
💡Pentatonic Melody
💡Dorian mode
💡Ear training
💡Max Martin
💡Tamber
💡F minor
💡Ear training course
Highlights
The most streamed song of all time is 'Blinding Lights' by The Weeknd, with 4.2 billion streams.
The criteria for the most streamed artists were those who haven't released a record in 30 years.
Abba could be included in the list due to their recent record release, garnering over 30 million monthly listeners.
Elton John, despite having 52 million monthly listeners, was excluded due to his continuous music production.
Queen, The Beatles, Nirvana, and The Police are among the top streamed artists who haven't released music in 30 years.
The song 'Blinding Lights' has a fascinating structure that makes it compelling for listeners.
The song uses only four chords, but they create a captivating melody.
The tonic of 'Blinding Lights' could be analyzed in both a major or minor key, showcasing its musical versatility.
The melody of 'Blinding Lights' is predominantly pentatonic, which contributes to its widespread appeal.
The chord progression in 'Blinding Lights' is F minor, C minor, E flat major, B flat major, creating a unique sound.
The D natural note in 'Blinding Lights' stands out due to its rarity in the song, enhancing its impact.
The production of 'Blinding Lights' has an 80s sound, with a fat synth bass and the right reverb on the voice.
The song effectively uses melodic hooks, such as the 'I'm blinded by the lights' line, to engage listeners.
The use of the ad9 chord in 'Blinding Lights' adds a powerful melodic element to the song.
The song's structure and production make it a perfect example of modern pop music.
The discussion highlights the importance of ear training and recognizing minor and major chords by ear.
The video also touches on the concept of tamber, or tone recognition, as a crucial aspect of musical understanding.
The analysis emphasizes the significance of intervals and chord progressions in understanding and creating music.
The video discusses the impact of streaming services on the monoculture of music and how it has changed the way we consume music.
The video concludes by promoting an ear training course that can help listeners develop their musical understanding and appreciation.