15
votes
Rock songs with repetitive single-note piano line
I have a thing for rock songs that include a piano playing the same note every eighth-note. For example:
- Go With the Flow by Queens of the Stone Age has it going for the entire song.
- The Sweetness by Jimmy Eat World has it at the end.
- Do It or Die by Die Mannequin has it during the intro and chorus.
- In It Doesn't Matter Why by Silversun Pickups, it's not a piano, I'm not even sure what it is, but it's a high pitch repetitive percussive sound.
- Party Hard by Andrew W.K. gets an honorary mention, but the piano note is only every quarter note rather than every eighth note.
Can anyone think of any other songs like this? I know I've heard a bunch, but when I try and come up with any more examples, I can't.
I Wanna Be Your Dog by The Stooges
I think this is called an "inverted pedal point" or an inverted pedal tone. Imo it's more common in the bass where it's just called a pedal point or pedal tone.
Johnny Cash's cover of Hurt is a really strong example. There's a high pedal tone that slowly comes in throughout the song. I think it's a synth pad or string sample at first, then it comes in on piano around 2:50. It really ratchets up the tension in the song.
Also, it's not rock and it's not a piano, but Car Alarm by Too Many Zooz basically has a high pedal the whole song.
Not rock, but the clipping. song Nothing is Safe is built entirely around a repetitive piano note that's meant to evoke horror movie theme songs.
The House Wins by OK Go starts off with just that at quarter-note speed, and then builds up around it (nearly to the point that you can't hear it anymore, but I think it still qualifies).
It's way down in the mix, but you get this in I Turn My Camera On by Spoon during the "You hit me like a tom" sections.
The White of Noon by Starfucker in the intro. Not exactly rock, I don't think, but I immediately thought of it anyway.