What do the following three songs have in common? It’s a pretty unusual property.

• The Drifters – Under the Boardwalk
• Michelle Branch – Are You Happy Now
• Elton John – I’m Still Standing

You’ll probably get this right away. For some reason I’ve been in music obsession mode the last few days…

I'm totally drawing a blank here. And BTW that I'm Still Standing video... wow, if I wanted to make a cartoon about a stereotype of cartoons about stereotypes about the '80s...

Those songs all have major verses and minor choruses. And I cannot think of any other songs that do this, though of course there must be some.

Yeah, that Still Standing video is over the top. But my favorite video from the 80s has to be this one:

Journey – Separate Ways

I sort of think they were trying to be funny, because I cannot recreate the mindset that would have led someone to make this video earnestly.

Ah, yes. I was so busy looking for out-of-key chords that I didn't even pay attention to song structure at all.

Can't Buy Me Love starts the chorus with a minor, so is at least mostly minor in the chorus. Also unusual in that it starts with the chorus:

The Beatles – Can't Buy Me Love

And "I Get Around" is definitely "more minor" in the chorus, even though it's major (G E7 Am is as close as you could get without actually being minor):

The Beach Boys – I Get Around

Speaking of the Beach Boys, "Dance Dance Dance" has a key change I really like... it's just a standard half-step at exactly the place it always happens (right before the last chorus), but I find it unexpected in a good way:

The Beach Boys – Dance, Dance, Dance (last chorus)

In contrast, "Do You Wanna Dance" has a key change that I think sounds horrible (~1:30) (basically the solo is just over totally random chords, then it goes back to where it started):

The Beach Boys – Do You Wanna Dance (right before the solo)

Also sometimes it's mind-blowing how awkward white people are on stage.

Lesson for Ian: listen to the Beach Boys. That chord progression and the overall structure of I Get Around is simply outstanding.

After listening a bit more I don't think the chorus of I Get Around is that close to being minor. It's I VI ii bVII → V, and without a vi chord or even a III, it's pretty hard to call it minor -- though there is that minor cadence from VI to ii.

By the way, I absolutely love any bVII → V transition. Another song that does this is Bad Medicine, right before the chorus.

I think I was calling VI "kind of minor". In fact I think VI is more minor than vi would be in this context.

Yeah, because you get that minor cadence in the ii key. I'll buy that.