I made this up. It isn't a meme. Yet.

[occultatio]

Here's a fun little game to play for ten minutes when you're bored.

1. Start up iTunes and set your entire library to shuffle.
2. Listen to the first 50 songs (Party Shuffle is a good way to queue this up)
3. Write down any songs in that first 50 that are in something other than 4/4 time.
4. Before you start, guess how long your final list will be.

My guess: 5 songs

My list:
5. "An Extra Girl (Ape)" (Utena season 2 Shadow Girl music) - sorta 3/4, mostly just chaotic
18. "Sensitivity" (Once Upon a Mattress) - 5/4
22. "Medium Shot" (from the Monster OST) - total rhythmic chaos
24. "The Weiner Schnitzel Waltz" (Tom Lehrer) - 3/4
27. "Smoke" (Ben Folds) - 3/4
31. "Nautical Wheelers" (Jimmy Buffett) - Livin' and dyin' in 3/4 time
43. "Little Star" (Stina Nordenstam) - 6/8

So, 7 songs total. I'm honestly surprised there were that many. I may try this again, just to get a comparison...

EDIT: Second run through, I only got 3. So I was right, on average!

Comments

[lord-codfish.livejournal.com]

I like this one, but not enough to do on my own journal, so I'll do it here. :)

So I guessed six, and got 14, including those only partially not in 4/4:

5. "The Impossible Dream (Reprise)" (Man of La Mancha) - 3/4
7. "Golden Brown" (The Stranglers) - mostly 3/4, though the instrumental is weird
9. "One Hand, One Heart" (West Side Story) - 3/4
10. "Finale Ultimo" (Man of La Mancha) - same song as #5, and same t.s.
13. "Where the Columbines Grow" (Colorado State Song) - 3/4
15. "Liaisons" (A Little Night Music) - 3/4, like everything else in ALNM
19. "Funny" (City of Angels) - 6/8
21. "No More" (Tick, Tick, Boom) - "no more" bits are 4/4, "hello to" bits are 3/4
23. "Erkindik Kyrany" (Kazakh Anthem) - 3/4
24. "Embassy Waltz" (My Fair Lady) - 3/4 (it's a waltz!)
30. "Te Atua Mou E" (Cook Islands Anthem) - 3/4
34. "Bui Doi" (Miss Saigon) - a very stylized 6/8, I think
35. "Entr'Acte" (Phantom of the Opera) - starts in 3/4, goes into 4/4
50. "Your Fault" (Into the Woods) - main bit is 4/4, the last midnight is 3/4

That's a lot!

[tiamat360.livejournal.com]

15. "Liaisons" (A Little Night Music) - 3/4, like everything else in ALNM

Since it was deliberately written to be all waltzes...Looking at the music, however, "Liasions" is apparently in 3/2. Not that that's a huge difference.

A couple songs actually aren't in 3/4. "Miller's Son"'s fast bits are in 2/4 and 3/8, and "Weekend" is 6/8.

[dr_whom]

"The Impossible Dream" sounds more like 9/8 to me, I think.... But I'm pretty sure "Bui-Doi" is mostly in 4/4.