{"id":10080144,"date":"2026-06-16T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/en\/?p=10080144"},"modified":"2026-06-15T09:39:51","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T07:39:51","slug":"10-famous-songs-that-use-odd-time-signatures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/en\/inspire\/10-famous-songs-that-use-odd-time-signatures\/","title":{"rendered":"10 famous songs that use odd time signatures"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When you think about pop music, the first thing that pops to mind is that it’s usually simple and easy on the ears. However, when you least expect it, pop can surprise us with an unusual twist… an odd time signature!

You might be asking yourself “Can pop songs REALLY be written in odd time signatures?” and although it’s not a common feature of pop music, songwriters and composers alike have experimented with odd time signatures. Most of the time, odd time signatures in pop are sneakily put into a bar, disguising as 4\/4 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Big Artists such as The Beatles, Sting and Radiohead have used odd time signatures in some of their best songs!

Here’s a list of 10 famous songs that use odd time signatures! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Dave Brubeck Band – Take Five<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The classic of all classic odd time signature songs, a staple piece of 1950s jazz. Paul Desmond’s famous sax lick is one of the most recognizable ones out there. Even if you don’t like jazz and you don’t know anything about time signatures, Take Five is definitely a keeper.

The song follows a shuffled 5\/4 groove, which feels very hypnotic and is driven by the tasty sax lick and the piano.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2. Seven Days – Sting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Undeniably one of Sting’s most catchy tunes as a solo artist, Seven Days was released in 1993 on Ten Summoner’s Tales. The drumming of Vinnie Colaiuta together with the ostinato strings and Sting’s free-flowing melody create a solid foundation over this jazz-pop song.
Even though the song is called seven days, and maybe you were expecting it to be in 7\/4, the time signature of Sting’s Seven Days is… 5\/4!

Another great thing about this song, is Sting’s interpolation with one of his earlier hits: “Every little thing she does is magic<\/strong>“. At the end of Seven Days, he sings a few lines of the 1981 Police hit!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Peter Gabriel – Solsbury Hill<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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One of the best examples of an odd time signature that doesn\u2019t feel odd at all. Solsbury Hill was released in 1977 and became one of Peter Gabriel\u2019s most beloved solo songs after leaving Genesis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The song is mostly in 7\/4, but instead of sounding complicated or \u201cprog for the sake of prog\u201d, it feels light, uplifting and almost folk-like. The acoustic guitar pattern keeps the whole thing moving forward, while Gabriel\u2019s vocal melody sits naturally on top of the unusual groove.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s the kind of song that proves odd time signatures don\u2019t always have to sound difficult. Sometimes they just give the song a little push, like it\u2019s constantly walking uphill \u2014 which fits the title pretty well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Radiohead – 15 Step<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Radiohead have used odd meters plenty of times, but 15 Step is probably one of their most accessible examples. Released on In Rainbows in 2007, the song mixes electronic drums, handclaps, guitar textures and Thom Yorke\u2019s floating vocal melody into something that feels both awkward and very danceable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The song is in 5\/4, but it doesn\u2019t feel stiff or mathematical. The groove has a kind of bounce to it, almost like it\u2019s tripping forward in a controlled way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes 15 Step so effective is that the odd time signature doesn\u2019t distract from the song. You can enjoy it without counting anything, but once you notice the 5\/4 pulse, it becomes even more interesting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Radiohead – Morning Bell<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Another Radiohead classic in an odd time signature, Morning Bell appears on Kid A, one of the band\u2019s most experimental and influential albums. Compared to 15 Step, this one feels darker, more hypnotic and more unsettling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The main groove is in 5\/4, giving the song a strange circular feeling. It never quite lands where you expect it to, which works perfectly with the cold, dreamlike atmosphere of the track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bassline and drums keep repeating in a way that feels almost mechanical, while Thom Yorke\u2019s voice floats above everything. It\u2019s not the easiest pop song in the world, but it\u2019s a great example of how an odd meter can create tension without needing to sound flashy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. The Stranglers – Golden Brown<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Golden Brown is one of those songs that sounds elegant, mysterious and slightly strange from the very first second. Released in 1981, it became one of The Stranglers\u2019 biggest hits, even though rhythmically it is far from a standard pop song.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The song uses an unusual pattern that can be felt as groups of 3\/4 followed by a bar of 4\/4. This gives the track its distinctive swaying movement, almost like a waltz that suddenly takes an extra step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The harpsichord-style keyboard riff is instantly recognizable, and the odd meter makes the whole thing feel timeless and slightly hypnotic. It\u2019s weird, but in a very classy way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. The Beatles – All You Need Is Love<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The Beatles were masters at making strange musical choices sound completely natural, and All You Need Is Love is a perfect example. On the surface, it sounds like a simple anthem with a universal message, but rhythmically there is a lot going on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All You Need Is Love verses’ use unusual rhythmic groupings, including bars in 7\/4, before moving into the more straightforward chorus which is in 4\/4. This contrast helps the chorus feel even bigger and more direct when it arrives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a brilliant example of how odd meters can be used in pop music without making the listener feel lost. Most people remember the huge chorus and the message, but underneath it all, the song is much stranger than it first appears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Kate Bush – Wuthering Heights<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Wuthering Heights is already one of the most unusual debut singles in pop history. Released in 1978, it introduced Kate Bush as a completely unique artist, with her theatrical voice, literary lyrics and dramatic songwriting style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The song is mainly built around 4\/4, but it doesn\u2019t stay there comfortably for the whole track. At different points, especially around the pre-chorus and chorus, it shifts into shorter bars of 2\/4 and also sections that feel like 3\/4. This gives the song a strange, dramatic sense of movement, as if the rhythm keeps changing shape with the story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The changing meter helps create that ghostly, windswept atmosphere. It feels like the song is constantly being pulled around by the drama of the lyrics, which makes sense considering it was inspired by Emily Bront\u00eb\u2019s novel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. Bj\u00f6rk – Crystalline<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Crystalline is a great example of how odd time signatures can exist inside modern art-pop. Released in 2011 on Biophilia, the song combines delicate electronic textures, unusual rhythms and Bj\u00f6rk\u2019s unmistakable vocal style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parts of the song use very unusual rhythmic groupings, including sections often described as being in 17\/8. That sounds terrifying on paper, but in the song it feels more like a strange natural pattern than a maths exercise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The track keeps building until it suddenly explodes into a chaotic drum and bass ending. It\u2019s not exactly radio-friendly pop, but it shows how odd meters can be used to create something beautiful, futuristic and slightly alien.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10. Outkast – Hey Ya!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Hey Ya! is one of those songs that everybody knows, but rhythmically it is much stranger than people think. Released in 2003, it became a massive hit because of its energy, melody and unforgettable chorus, but underneath the surface the structure plays some clever tricks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The song is mostly in 4\/4, but every now and then it throws in an extra bar of 2\/4, which makes the phrase feel slightly shorter than expected. Some people describe this as 11\/4, but that\u2019s not really the best way to think about it. It\u2019s more accurate to hear it as a regular 4\/4 groove with the occasional 2\/4 bar interrupting the flow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s probably why it works so well. You don\u2019t need to understand the rhythm to dance to it, but there is something hidden in the structure that makes the song feel fresh, exciting and a little unpredictable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Which is your favourite song that uses odd time signatures? Let us know in the comment section below \ud83d\udc47\ud83c\udffb<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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5, 7, 9… ? Some famous songs use odd time signatures without you even noticing, we’ve got you covered, come find out which ones they are!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":10080190,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"0","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tblog_post_audio_url":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10676],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10080144","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inspire"],"category_colors":{"color_key":"inspire","css_classes":{"text":"cat-inspire","text_light":"cat-inspire-light","bg":"cat-bg-inspire","bg_light":"cat-bg-inspire-light","border":"cat-border-inspire","text_on_bg":"cat-text-on-inspire"}},"reading_time":{"minutes":7,"formatted":"7 min"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10080144","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/53"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10080144"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10080144\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10080164,"href":"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10080144\/revisions\/10080164"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10080190"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10080144"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10080144"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10080144"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}