Do you know the name of the band that sang “Video Killed the Radio Star”? It was released in 1979 by the Buggles, a new wave band formed in London in 1977, and the group is among the ranks of many who have merited the moniker “one hit wonder.” A list of One Hit Wonders is HERE. I heard a discussion about “one hit wonders” on the radio the other day, so for this week, I thought I would select an unknown work by a “one hit wonder” of classical music. I ran a Google-search on “classical music one hit wonders,” and I found this list from ClassicFM.com, HERE. Can you guess who topped the list? I bet you can. Here’s a hint: the famous piece from this one hit wonder was composed in the 17th century, and it remains popular today -- especially at weddings. Scroll down to see the answer. : ) So who topped the classical music list of "One Hit Wonders"?
Yep. It was Johann Pachelbel, and he certainly deserved the top spot on the list with his Canon in D Major. Surely he wrote other pieces, though (and I promise I’ll stop calling you Shirley). I found this “List of Composition by Johann Pachelbel,” HERE, and I was surprised to read that “approximately 530 compositions have been attributed to Johann Pachelbel.” Say whaaaa??? I even tweeted out that information: “Approximately 530 compositions have been attributed to Johann Pachelbel. How many can you name?” I already knew the answer. Of course, I too could only name one. I perused the list of compositions I found on Wikipedia, and I landed on a piece of chamber music, the Suite in G Major, and I listened to that. The suite includes 8 movements, and the times below correspond to the YouTube video linked at the top of this post.
Sooo...how did I like Pachelbel’s Suite in G Major? It was....okay. Nothing really made it stand out. The melodies are nice, but nothing special. The harmonies are typical, but nothing unusual. The rhythms are standard, and the tempos are steady. The entire suite is pleasant, but there is nothing about it that is truly memorable. Pachelbel's Suite in G Major makes for wonderful background music -- but I suspect that Pachelbel would not be satisfied with that opinion. Hmm...I suppose it would be nice at a wedding too.
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A New Hope:As the header above says, each week I will listen to a piece of classical music that I've never heard before, and then I will report out what I thought about it. Archives
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