Who popularised the 1980s ballad upward key change? - eviltoast

Modulation / key changes have been used in music for ages but the style I’m talking about is the distinctive last verse (or chorus) sudden key change up to power through to the end. Seems to have come about sometime in the 60s/70s and was everywhere in the 80s onwards.

Examples:

Heaven is a place on earth - Belinda Carlisle

I will always love you - Whitney Houston

But who popularised it? What was the first big song to do it and set the style for the genre?

  • jubilationtcornpone@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    2·
    3 months ago

    That style actually pre-dates the 80’s by at least a few decades. In more traditional music, particularly Christian hymns, that’s referred to as a “descant”. It was popularized in church music in the early 20th century by Ralph Vaughn Williams.

    Edit: See comment below.

    • TheRealKuni@lemmy.worldEnglish
      11·
      3 months ago

      That style actually pre-dates the 80’s by at least a few decades. In more traditional music, particularly Christian hymns, that’s referred to as a “descant”. It was popularized in church music in the early 20th century by Ralph Vaughn Williams.

      Descant is a vocal harmony above the melody, whereas in hymnody most harmony is below the melody. They show up in final stanzas, most frequently.

      What they’re talking about here is modulation, where the key shifts by a step or two (or maybe a half step). It’s sometimes seen as a bit cheesy nowadays, but I love a good modulation.