"Math Rock" (And/Or Songs Containing Numbers or Math Terms)

[millineutron]

This topic is wide open. Could be actual Math Rock, with complex rhythms or weird time signatures, such as the band American Football with their song Never Meant: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_NfnXdXpjL0

OR you could also include songs containing numbers and/or Math terms in either the title or the lyrics, such as Love Minus Zero / No Limit by Bob Dylan.

Whatever! Oh, and no worries if you post something that someone else has already posted here. That would just be Math Rock Squared! 🤓

[millineutron]

@Cirice Another nice one!

Here's a classic ... & the only song I can think of that mentions slide rules (anybody else remember those?):

(What a) Wonderful World  by Sam Cooke, who co-wrote it with Lou Adler & Herb Alpert. Later covered by Otis Redding, "Art Garfunkel with James Taylor & Paul Simon" (who added a verse about the Middle Ages), and Herman's Hermits, who changed the "geography" line to:

"Don't know much about geometry,
Don't know much trigonometry
Don't know much about algebra,
Don't know what a slide rule is for
But I do know that 1 and 1 is 2,
And if this one could be with you,
What a wonderful world this would be!"

[MaVolta]

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@millineutronwrote:

Here's a classic ... & the only song I can think of that mentions slide rules (anybody else remember those?):

(What a) Wonderful World  by Sam Cooke, who co-wrote it with Lou Adler & Herb Alpert. Later covered by Otis Redding, "Art Garfunkel with James Taylor & Paul Simon" (who added a verse about the Middle Ages), and Herman's Hermits, who changed the "geography" line to:

"Don't know much about geometry,
Don't know much trigonometry
Don't know much about algebra,
Don't know what a slide rule is for
But I do know that 1 and 1 is 2,
And if this one could be with you,
What a wonderful world this would be!"

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Good one!

[millineutron]

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@MaVoltawrote:

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@millineutronwrote:

Here's a classic ... & the only song I can think of that mentions slide rules (anybody else remember those?):

Don't know what a slide rule is for

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Good one!

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Thanks! I think I still have a slide rule ... somewhere. That song got me thinking about how a simple T.I. scientific calculator used to cost around $300 back when I was taking biochem classes at UCLA, which is why I got real used to a slide rule! And how a huge refrigerated roomful of linked computers (@ my first job out of college) had way less computational power than an Apple Watch has today. The funny thing is, it doesn't really seem like that long ago. I guess time really does fly when you're having fun! ⏰

[MaVolta]

Three Times a Lady - Lionel Ritchie

[millineutron]

Knock Three Times -- Tony Orlando & Dawn

[l483260l]

"ONE IS THE LONLIEST NUMBER"- 3 DOG NIGHT; "IT TAKES TWO"- MARVIN GAYE & TAMMY TERRELL; "28 OR 6 TO 4-" BLOOD SWEAT& TEARS? & OF COURSE:"NUMBER 9" THE FAB FOUR!

[nyadrn]

Seven Days a Thousand Times   Lee Brice

[mp8908]

                3/5 Of A Mile In 10 Seconds          Jefferson Airplane

[vitom712041]

Forget the downbeats.  I have enough trouble keeping up with the count.

So in the light, how about Take Five by Dave Brubeck?

[millineutron]

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@vitom712041wrote:

Forget the downbeats.  I have enough trouble keeping up with the count.

Thanks for that! Makes me feel a little better about being polyrhythmically challenged. 

@nyadrn wrote: Sounds good to me!

Yay! I'm honored! ❤

@MaVolta

Good one!

@Loulit wrote: There are like a million of these. (Pun intended.)

Haha 🤓love it! So how about this one:

Million Years Ago -- Adele

[mp8908]

                           Million Reasons              Lady Gaga

[MaVolta]

I suspect much of the music by The Beatles would qualify in the changing beat / odd rhythms category! I think it became something of a signature for their music, but I don't know how to figure it out.  These songs change rhythm, and I'm sure there are many others.

I'm Looking Through You

Help

Strawberry Fields Forever  (try figuring that one!)

[GordonBordon]

Happiness is a Warm Gun was absolutely all over the place when it comes to time signature.

[mp8908]

                       1984              David Bowie

[Cirice]

Tubular Bells - Mike Oldfield

[mp8908]

                               99 Miles from L.A.           Johnny Mathis

[MaVolta]

50 Ways to Leave Your Lover - Paul Simon

[Loulit]

19th Nervous Breakdown

The Rolling Stones

There are like a million of these. (Pun intended.)

[Loulit]

409

-- The Beach Boys

[Loulit]

Revolution #9

-- The Beatles

[nyadrn]

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@millineutronwrote:

This topic is wide open. Could be actual Math Rock, with complex rhythms or weird time signatures, such as the band American Football with their song Never Meant: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_NfnXdXpjL0

OR you could also include songs containing numbers and/or Math terms in either the title or the lyrics, such as Love Minus Zero / No Limit by Bob Dylan.

Whatever! Oh, and no worries if you post something that someone else has already posted here. That would just be Math Rock Squared! 🤓

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Sounds good to me!

[vitom712041]

The Eleven ==== Grateful Dead

This song is all about math - and psychedelic, hippie nonsense.  And odd musical time signatures.  Common time in music is sometimes also called 4/4 - that’s 4 beats in 1 measure.  The Eleven is an odd time signature known as 11/12.  They drop the last beat.  So instead of the beat going 1234, 1234, 1234 it goes like this: 123, 456, 789, 10 11.  That drives the beat really fast and the Dead would morph common time into The Eleven and back again over the course of, usually, about 10 minutes.  Lots of fun.

[millineutron]

@vitom712041

Niiiice! I'm pretty sure Mickey Hart was one of the early rock drummers to experiment with polyrhythms etc, and was influenced by the Nigerian percussionist, Babatunde Olatunji, who came to America in the late 50's. Thanks for the great explanation of 11/12 time, although I can't always find the downbeats myself as I'm listening. Tricky stuff! The Eleven: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=J5McdXcZKbw

Another very polyrhythmically talented drummer is Danny Carey of Tool. For example, on their song Forty Six & 2: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=t8CWXPXujXc

[nyadrn]

1-2-3. Len Barry

” 1-2-3, oh, that's how elementary it's gonna be C'mon, let's fall in love, it's easy (it's so easy) Like takin' candy (like takin' candy) from a baby“