Why 4/4 Time Dominates in Pop

The vast majority of songs in Western pop music are written in 4/4 time. And by that, we mean more than 90 percent; depending on the subgenre, this number can be even higher. 4/4 time rules supreme – but why? Are we born with it, is it acquired through cultural learning, or are we just a bit simple-minded? Let’s dive into it!

4/4 time: Pop music’s favourite time signature demystified

The pianist, YouTuber and composer David Bennett wondered why we love 4/4 time so much – especially in pop. To find the reason, he collected information, analysis, and opinions from various sources and summarized his findings in a YouTube video. To cut a long story short: While he didn’t find a definitive explanation, the results are quite fascinating.

David Bennett Piano – Why is 4/4 so common?

David begins by explaining 4/4 time. As per usual, the upper number indicates the number of beats per measure, while the lower number states that the basic pulse is a quarter note. Thus, there are four quarter notes in each bar of the piece of music. And as the beats are divisible by 2, we speak of a “simple meter”. You can easily hear this in Queen’s classic „We Will Rock You”.

Queen – We Will Rock You (Official Video)

Hundreds of pop songs analyzed

For his research, David analyzed 440 pop songs from the past years and found that 94 percent of them are written in 4/4 time. This time signature is so dominant that it’s also called “common time” in music theory. This is why 4/4 time can also be written with a „C” instead of a fraction at the beginning of the staff. While this is proof of its dominance, it doesn’t explain the reasons. To find them, David had to dig a little deeper. So he turned to Reddit and received about 300 responses from the community. What’s striking is that the opinions mainly fall into two categories. Some think that we’re born with a preference for 4/4 time, while others believe that it’s an acquired taste.

These boots are made for walking (and dancing!)

According to David’s research, one possible explanation for the popularity of 4/4 time could simply be that humans have two legs and two arms, the heart beats in double pulses, and many of our bodily functions are two-fold. Strictly speaking, though, doesn’t that mean that we should be born with a preference for 2/4 time? That time signature, however, is mostly used in brass band and marching music and seems a bit too restrictive for pop. 4/4 time is more complex, more varied, and has less of a marching feel to it, all while leaving more room for dynamics despite the symmetrical feel.

Culturally acquired listening preferences

The dominance of 4/4 time is actually most pronounced in Western music. In contrast, the traditional music of India, the Balkans, Greece, Romania, Turkey, and many other regions of the world is a completely different story. In these cultures, asymmetric meters like 7/8, 9/8, and many others are more widespread. Since all music is rooted in tradition, these culturally acquired preferences also affect the popular music of these regions. How we grow up and which music we’re exposed to also affects our own musical taste. In the West, complex rhythms and asymmetrical time signatures are mainly used by musicians exploring their artistic boundaries through experimentation, for example in Jazz, Fusion, or Progressive, but also in classical compositions and film scores.

Stresses as a genre-defining feature

The fact that 4/4 time is currently so dominant doesn’t mean that it’s interpreted in the same way in all musical styles. One of the most recognizable differences is the distribution of stressed and unstressed beats. In most pop songs, the second and fourth beats are stressed. In African music, it’s the first beat, while Reggae music has a stress on the fourth beat. And if you don’t know how to groove, you clap on 1 and 3. It’s obvious that 4/4 time offers much more possibilities for creative variations than 2/4 time in this regard.

Master KG – Jerusalema (Feat. Nomcebo)

Bob Marley & The Wailers – I Shot The Sheriff (Live at the Rainbow Theatre, Londen / 1977)

Ironing out 9/4 time

One example of how deeply 4/4 time is ingrained in us is the song “I Hung My Head” by Sting. While the song is written in 9/8 time, the Memphis Horns play their parts in 4/4. And curiously enough, it still fits, because they count with a pickup beat. The legendary Memphis Horns have played on recordings like “The Dock Of The Bay”, “Knock On Wood” and “Hold On I’m Coming” and have performed with Elvis Presley, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, and many others. And when artists like Johnny Cash and Bruce Springsteen later covered Sting’s song, they played it in 4/4 time, simply dropping the ninth eighth note.

Sting & The Memphis Horns – I Hung My Head (Lake House – 1996)

Aretha Franklin und The Memphis Horns – Knock On Wood – (Live at Fillmor West, San Francisco)

Sam & Dave mit den Memphis Horns – Hold on I’m Coming

Johnny Cash – I Hung My Head

Bruce Springsteen – I Hung My Head

Synergy of pretty much everything

David Bennett ultimately comes to the conclusion that there is no single reason for the dominance of 4/4 time. Instead, he thinks that it’s the result of a multi-faceted development and a symbiosis of multiple explanations. What do you think? Why is 4/4 so widespread in pop music? We’re looking forward to a lively discussion in the comments. 😉