The six simplest yet most effective songs of all time
Today, we’re celebrating the art of expression. When learning music at school or in a piano lesson, students are cuffed to the boring bannister of music theory. Well, in theory, a band comprised of the most technically gifted musicians of all time should be the best, but as I hasten to inform you, this is not the case in practice. Instead, the world is a place of chaos, disorder and non-conformity. There’s a stubborn hurdle, a bollard between the thighs, the immeasurable and unpredictable meandering that is human taste. As Peep Show’s fountain of wisdom, Superhans, was once quoted as saying: “People like Coldplay and voted for the Nazis, you can’t trust people.”
While, indeed, you can’t trust people to conform to expectations, be that within the realms of musical taste or otherwise, the music that becomes popular becomes so for a reason. To back-pedal slightly on my previous point – and to evade the wrath of music instructors – music theory is very important in understanding the art of composition and mastering an instrument. However, as pop music over the past century has taught us, technical ability and popularity do not correlate.
The Beatles weren’t the most technically gifted band of the 1960s, but they were the “best” because they looked the part, sounded good and grabbed the imagination of a generation to take it for a hell of a ride. I can’t tell you who the most technically gifted band of the ’60s was, and there’s a reason for that.
Moving into the 1970s, rock music began to illustrate more than ever how technical skill wasn’t the golden ticket in the music industry. With the emergence of punk, bands like the Sex Pistols showed that on top of The Beatles’ gift for imagination, a powerfully pertinent political message could go a long way too. Who cared if Sid Vicious used his bass guitar to smack a cymbal? They got people moving.
Without further ado, we’re going to embark on a journey through the six most effective simple songs, or the most simple effective songs, depending on what side of the equator you’re on.
The six simplest yet effective songs of all time:
Creedence Clearwater Revival – ‘Bad Moon Rising’
This Vietnam War era classic rolls breezily from D to A to G in a simple strumming pattern that changes sympathetically with the emphasis of the lyrics. For this reason, this quintessential protest song is a staple among beginner guitarists and campfire enthusiasts.
‘Bad Moon Rising’ captured the anguish of the hippie generation with its expressive lyrics warning of impending “nasty weather,” or “the apocalypse that was going to be visited upon us,” as writer John Fogerty said discussing the song with Rolling Stone in 1993.
Ramones – ‘Blitzkreig Bop’
The Ramones’ most instantly recognisable rhythm is likely one of their simplest. With guitar, drum and bass coordinating with the relentless industrial power of Nazi conquest strategy, the band brought one of the earliest punk sounds to New York.
This highly influential punk staple revolves around four simple power chords that take an atmospheric hiatus for the chorus of “Hey ho, let’s go,” before resuming. With simple yet powerful works like ‘Blitzkreig Bop’, the Ramones inspired a generation of punks to pick up guitars and “go” rather than getting bogged down in the tiresome intricacies of musical theory.
Sex Pistols – ‘Anarchy in the UK’
Much like the Ramones across the Atlantic, the Sex Pistols injected Britain with the youthful energy of anger and anarchy appropriate for a nation of smoke-screened poverty and blind subservience to royals. After the false hope of the hippies encountered a decade prior, the punks had arrived to shake up the system, frightening politicians and parents across the land.
This debut single for the Sex Pistols was simple, succinct and hard-hitting in a place between the ears or legs, depending on your political outlook. Concurrently, prog rockers may have been slaving over perfect melodies, but Johnny Rotten’s lungs carried further.
The White Stripes – ‘Seven Nation Army’
Jack White found the simplest yet most effective bass solo when writing ‘Seven Nation Army’. Those five bass notes are instantly recognisable as they pound like a heartbeat in the track’s opening moments. Then comes Meg White’s simple drum beat that sets the tempo of a battalion marching off to war.
Throughout the song, the duo bring the sound of a band beyond their numbers, thanks to Jack White’s introduction of power chords and solos based around the same five-note progression. The catchy militant power of this 2003 classic has made it an immovable feature of sporting events around the world and even a part of Spotify’s coveted Billions Club.
America – ‘A Horse with No Name’
This mid-west ’70s classic by the aptly named America is a beautifully simple arrangement. It was recorded in the key of E minor, with the only other chord being a D, played with just two fingers at the second fret on the low E and G strings.
Few songs are this vulnerable to the bastardisation inevitable at the formation of a teenage band. The well-written, instantly catchy vocal accompaniment to the chord progression allows the song to linger in the head long after the listen, as Breaking Bad’s Walter White can attest.
The Beatles – ‘Love Me Do’
In the days before yellow submarines, strawberry fields, and lucy in the sky, Paul McCartney and John Lennon mastered the art of making half the global population a little weak at the knees. While their well-kempt hair and lint-rolled suits did some of the leg work, charming little ditties like ‘Love Me Do’ knocked a home run.
The verses undulate between G and C chords with the brief introduction of a G7 in the chorus and a D in the solo break. Meanwhile, the lyrics couldn’t be simpler, with the imaginative rhyming of “do”, “you”, “true”, and “new”. As if that wasn’t enough, the lads from Liverpool also gave everyone a go-to for early harmonica lessons. Thanks to the Beatles’ excellent execution and follow-through, this debut single might just be one of the most simple yet effective songs of all time.
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