Retrogressions, Rogues, and Recent Theories of Rock Harmony

John Cotner, Stephen F. Austin State University

Jonathan Bernard ends his review of Everett (1999) and Moore (1999) recognizing the legitimacy of rock music theory, and suggests that the time has come "for a more concerted effort at theorizing than has evidently yet been undertaken. . . ." His observation is a useful platform from which to suggest that such a paradigm shift is fully upon us. Paul Carter (2005) and Christopher Doll (2007) are two emerging msuic theorists whose recent dissertations seek to formalize the unique harmonic vocablulary of much pop-rock music into what Carter has loosely terms a "Theory of Pop Music Harmony." My purpose is not merely to review their work, but to articulate their basic claims, methods, and contribution to the broader discursive tradition of pop-rock critial theory and analysis. To this end, I will focus on both author's view of the cycle of fourths, as well as various related manifestations. Both authors introduce new theoretical vocabulary and fresh analytic methods for reorienting our understanding of so-called "retrogressive" successions such as I - bVII - IV. In light of their work, I revisit Nicholas Cook's (1996) critique of Everett's (1995) analysis of the bridge passage from Here Come's the Sun in order to explore how recent research might infulence future theory and analysis of pop-rock music.