The Killers’ ‘Mr Brightside’ has just overtaken ‘Wonderwall’ by Oasis as the biggest-selling single to never reach number one. ‘Mr Brightside’ has garnered over half a billion streams and sold 1.1 million copies since its release in 2003. Scientists from Georgetown University have dissected ‘Mr Brightside’ to understand why it has stood the test of time. The researchers studied 545 top-selling songs and found that an unexpected chord change existed in many of their verses, a ‘harmonic surprise.’ The surprise of the chorus ending in a different chord, and the verses being more predictable adds balance and unison to the song. Scientists also believe the top pop songs are nursery rhyme-like, making them easier to get stuck in your head.
