Perhaps you think 4/4 is where pop music is at and that 6/8 is only useful if you want to write a waltz. Here’s some great songs that prove 6/8 can produce killer songs that last for a life time.
Queen - We Are The Champions
Few songs in recent rock history are as iconic as this power ballad by Queen.
Everything from the piano arpeggios, the laid back bass and a drum part that feels like it might stop, make this a real banger and proof you can write a seriously huge rock track in 6/8. The bass at the start of the track is beautifully melodic as it dances around the main vocal.
Brian May also delivers with a stack of guitars that cement this as a true power ballad.
The Beatles - Norwegian Wood
The Beatles are the undisputed kings of song writing, so it would be somewhat remiss of them to create such a huge catalog without using 6/8 at some point.
Norwegian Wood is such a cheeky song, “I once had a girl, or should I say, she once had me.” Imagine trying to sing that in any other way but in 6/8.
While the main acoustic plays a loose 6/8 strum pattern there’s a sitar style lead part, listen in headphones. The bass is bouncing along underneath. There’s no drums but later in the track a simple tambourine helps to keep the song moving along hitting on the two and three.
Billy Joel - She's Always A Woman
This Billy Joel classic shows just how powerful a love song can be.
The song opens with a very loose feel as it’s just the vocal and the piano, it would be easy to think this is a simple 4/4 piano ballad. This in itself is the magic of the song because as the syncopation between the piano and the acoustic guitars emerges there’s a playful musical quality sitting underneath some very solid lyrics. This is no unicorns and rainbows love song, it talks about the complexity of a relationship.
It’s another song that relies little on drums and percussion, allowing the rhythm of the instruments to take care of that job. The bass is steady, marking the pace with the odd flourish when required.
Tears For Fears - Everybody Wants To Rule The World
Perhaps the most contentious of all the tracks we are listing here. There’s been a lot of discussion online about the time signature of this song, some suggesting 12/8, some even saying it’s 4/4. You can get the sheet music for this song in almost every time signature!
However, whatever you want to land on we’re choosing 6/8, if for no other reason to keep this song in the list. From the very start of this song the guitar motif and the polysynth get the foot tapping, it’s a masterclass in how a shuffle can deliver a killer pop song that has passed the test of time.
And to prove they still have it, here’s a 2022 performance of them doing the song live!
Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah
A man lost well before his time, Buckley was a master craftsman of a song writer, although this was written by Leonard Cohen.
Hallelujah has been recorded by many since Buckley, but none is as good as this definitive version.
If you’ve ever doubted the power of a 6/8 rhythm, then this song should put that one to bed once and for all. A simple electric guitar and a Buckley’s voice nail you to the wall with this incredible song.
Radiohead - Subterranean Homesick Alien
Were it not for the drums, it could be difficult to make out the 6/8 rhythm of this track, the layers of guitars, keys and bass make it a kaleidoscope of sound.
Of all the elements, the electric piano is one of our favourites, listen in headphones to catch all the use of echos and distortion to great effect.
Another classic 6/8 tune from perhaps one of the best British bands of the last 40 years.
What Have We Missed?
There’s a lot more great songs in 6/8. What have we missed? Let us know in the comments.
Photo by Florian G