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  • My own list of songs in odd times signatures

    Jul 30 2008, 21h50 por No-Bullet

    Well, this is my list of songs in odd times signatures. This list doesn't have any references and it's built almost entirety with prog rock songs, and since I don't have any studies in music, if you spot something wrong, or have any contribution, let me know. I consider "odd time" to everything that's not either a 4/4 or a 6/8 time. Although i'm a prog rock fan, this list is not intended to have listed all the meter changes in a 20 minute epic, I prefer this list to have "mainstream songs" that are easier to listen to.

    The list is divided in "septuple meters" (like 7/8 and 7/4), "quintuple meters" (like 5/4 and 10/4) and "multiple meters".

    Septuple meters:
    1971 - "TocarThe Fish (Schindleria Praematurus)" (Yes - Fragile) - 7/8
    1972 - "TocarSiberian Khatru" (Yes - Close to the Edge) - verses: 4 + 4 + 4 + 3
    1973 - "TocarMoney" (Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon) - 7/8
    1973 - "The Ocean" (Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy) - main riff: 4 + 4 + 4 + 3
    1973 - "Tubular Bells" (Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells) - first riff: 4 + 3 + 4 + 4
    1973 - "TocarThe Battle of Epping Forest" (Genesis - Selling England by the Pound) - intro and verses: 7/4
    1974 - "TocarBack in N.Y.C." (Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway) - verses and bridges: 7/8
    1976 - "TocarSolsbury Hill" (Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel) - 7/4
    1977 - "TocarXanadu" (Rush - A Farewell to Kings) - intro: 7/4
    1978 - "TocarCircumstances" (Rush - Hemispheres) - bridge: 4 + 3 + 4 + 3 + 4 + 3 (this song must have more odd times signatures but i'm too lazy count the whole guitar solo)
    1980 - "TocarThe Spirit of Radio" (Rush - Permanent Waves) - bridge: 7/4 + 7/4 + 7/4 + 8/4
    1981 - "TocarTom Sawyer" (Rush - Moving Pictures) - solos: 7/8
    1981 - "TocarRed Barchetta" (Rush - Moving Pictures) - solos: 7/4
    1981 - "TocarLimelight" (Rush - Moving Pictures) - intro and verses: 7/4
    1982 - "TocarSubdivisions" (Rush - Signals) - intro: 7/8
    1982 - "TocarLosing It" (Rush - Signals) - intro and verses: 5/8
    1983 - "Awake and Nervous" (IQ - Tales From The Lush Attic) - intro: 7/8
    1983 - "Changes" (Yes - 90125) - intro and outro: 4 + 3 + 4 + 3 + 3
    1983 - "Cinema" (Yes - 90125) - main riff: 4 + 3
    1985 - "TocarLords of the Backstage" (Marillion - Misplaced Childhood) - 7/8
    1987 - "TocarJust for the Record" (Marillion - Clutching at Straws) - 7/8
    1988 - "TocarBlackened" (Metallica - ...And Justice for All) - intro and verses: 7/4
    1989 - "Superconductor" (Rush - Presto) - verses: 7/4
    1990 - "(En) El Séptimo Día" (Soda Stereo - Canción Animal) - 7/4
    1991 - "TocarOutshined" (Soundgarden - Badmotorfinger) - verses: 7/4
    1992 - "TocarThem BonesThem Bones" (Alice in Chains - Dirt) - 7/8
    1993 - "TocarLeash" (Pearl Jam - Vs.) - measure before each chorus 4 + 4 + 4 + 3
    1993 - "Out of Nowhere" (IQ - Ever) - intro and outro: 7/8 - bridge after the first verse: 4 + 4 + 4 + 3
    1994 - "TocarSpoonman" (Soundgarden - Superunknown) - intro and verses: 7/4
    1996 - "TocarSuperstar" (Soda Stereo - Confort y Música para Volar) - 7/4
    1998 - "The Sense in Sanity" (IQ - Subterranea) - 7/8
    1999 - "Lightning Strike" (Yes - The Ladder) - 7/4
    2002 - "TocarAbout To Crash" (Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence) - intro and first parts: 7/4
    2002 - "TocarSolitary Shell" (Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence) - intro: 7/4 - bridge: 4 + 4 + 7
    2002 - "TocarTimes Like These" (Foo Fighters - One by One) - main riff - 7/4

    Quintuple meters:
    1959 - "TocarTake Five" (Dave Brubeck - Time Out) - 5/4
    1971 - "TocarPlain Truth" (Gentle Giant - Acquiring the Taste) - intro and verses: 4/4 + 5/4
    1971 - "TocarStarship Trooper" (Yes - The Yes Album) - 4 + 5
    1972 - "TocarLiving in the Past" (Jethro Tull - Living in the Past) - 5/4
    1980 - "TocarYYZ" (Rush - Moving Pictures) - intro: 5/4
    1980 - "TocarTurn It On Again" (Genesis - Duke) - verses and chorus: 4 + 4 + 5
    1984 - "TocarPerfect Strangers" (Deep Purple - Perfect Strangers) - bridge and outro: 4 + 5
    1984 - "TocarKid Gloves" (Rush - Grace Under Pressure) - intro and verses 5/4
    1984 - "Resurrection Joe" (The Cult - Dreamtime) - bridge and outro 5/4
    1985 - "Outer Limits" (IQ - The Wake) - verses: 5/4
    1987 - "TocarMission" (Rush - Hold Your Fire) - bridge: 5/4
    1987 - "That Time of the Night" (Marillion - Clutching at Straws) - intro: 5/4
    1991 - "TocarInnuendo" (Queen - Innuendo) - guitar solo: 5 + 5 + 5 + 3 + 3 + 3
    1994 - "TocarLast Exit" (Pearl Jam - Vitalogy) - verses: 5/4
    1994 - "TocarSatan's Bed" (Pearl Jam - Vitalogy) - chorus: 5/4
    1994 - "TocarBlack Hole Sun" (Soundgarden - Superunknown) - solo: 4 + 5
    1994 - "TocarSeven Days" (Sting - Ten Summoner's Tales) - 5/4

    Several signature changes:
    1971 - "TocarPerpetual Change" (Yes - The Yes Album)
    intro: 4/4 + 4/4 + 2/4
    3/4 + 3/4 + 3/4 + 5/4
    verses: 3/4
    bridge: 4/4 + 4/4 + 2/4
    chorus: 3/4 + 3/4 + 3/4 + 5/4
    guitar solo: 3/4 + 3/4 + 3/4 + 5/4
    keyboard solo:7/8

    1979 - "TocarOnce Upon a Time in the West" (Dire Straits - Communiqué)
    most of the song follows this pattern:
    4/4 + 4/4 + 4/4 + 2/4 (x2)
    4/4 + 2/4
    4/4 + 4/4 + 4/4 + 2/4
    4/4 + 2/4
    3/4 + 3/4 + 3/4 + 5/4
    4/4 + 4/4 + 4/4 + 4/4

    1980 - "TocarFreewill" (Rush - Permanent Waves)
    intro: 3/8 + 3/8 + 2/8 + 6/8 + 7/8
    4/4 + 4/4 + 5/4 (x2)
    verses: 4/4 + 4/4 + 6/4
    4/4 + 4/4 + 5/4
    4/4 + 4/4 + 5/4
    4/4 + 4/4 + 6/4
    bridge: 4/4
    chorus: 4/4 + 4/4 + 4/4 + 3/4 (x3)
    4/4 + 4/4 + 4/4 + 4/4
    verses: 4/4 + 4/4 + 5/4 (x3)
    4/4 + 4/4 + 6/4
    4/4 + 4/4 + 5/4 (x2)
    4/4 + 4/4 + 6/4
    bridge: 4/4
    chorus: 4/4 + 4/4 + 4/4 + 3/4 (x3)
    4/4 + 4/4 + 4/4 + 4/4
    bridge: 5/4 + 5/4 + 5/4 + 5/4 + 4/4
    verse: 4/4
    chorus: 4/4 + 4/4 + 4/4 + 3/4 (x3)
    4/4 + 4/4 + 4/4 + 4/4
    outro: 5/4 + 5/4 + 5/4 + 5/4 + 4/4 + 4/4

    1980 - "TocarJacob's Ladder" (Rush - Permanent Waves)
    intro: 5/4 + 3/4 + 3/4
    verses: 5/4 + 3/4 + 3/4 (polymeter with vocals in 4/4)
    interlude: 4/4
    interlude: 5/4 + 5/4 + 5/4 + 6/4
    verses: free time?
    interlude: 6/8 + 7/8

    1985 - "TocarHeart of Lothian" (Marillion - Misplaced Childhood)
    intro / verses: 7/4
    verses (cont.): 5/4
    chorus: 4/4

    2001 - "Eartshine" (Rush - Vapor Trails)
    intro / verses: 4/4
    bridge: 3/4 + 3/4 + 3/4 + 2/4 (x4)
    chorus: 3/4 + 3/4 + 2/4 (x4)
    3/4 + 4/4
    3/4 + 3/4 + 3/4
    3/4 + 4/4
    3/4 + 3/4 + 2/4

    2002 - "TocarCropduster" (Pearl Jam - Riot Act)
    intro: 4/4 + 4/4 + 4/4 + 9/8
    verses: 7/4 (x4) + 4/4 (x4)
    7/4 (x3) + 4/4 (x4)
    chorus: 4/4 + 6/4 + 4/4 + 6/4
    4/4 (rest of the chorus in 6/4, except the last part)
    solo: 7/4
    verses: 7/4 (x3) + 4/4 (x4)
    chorus: 4/4 + 6/4 + 4/4 + 6/4
    4/4 (rest of the chorus in 6/4, except the last part)
    bridge: 4/4
    bridge: 4/4 + 4/4 + 4/4 + 6/4 + 6/4
    outro: 4/4

    2003 - "Bananas" (Deep Purple - Bananas)
    intro / verses: 7/4
    chorus: 5/4

    2006 - "TocarLife Wasted" (Pearl Jam - Pearl Jam)
    intro: 4/4 (x4)
    verses: 4/4 (x7) + 5/4
    pre-chorus: 7/4 + 5/4 + 4/4 + 4/4 + 4/4 + 5/4
    7/4 + 5/4 + 4/4 + 4/4 + 4/4 + 4/4
    chorus: 4/4