Go Away Little Girl

I'm sorry but I can't hear this song without thinking he's singing it about Marie.
Either way, still a great tune.
-Trov

The Happening

I always liked this song but never knew the name of it. 

Key change happens when Diana throws her arms up in the air.

-Tony

Opus 17 (Don't You Worry About Me)

Key change shortly after the saxophone solo, then up a half-step up almost every verse after.

-Joe Bruno 

Little GTO

This is the kind of rock and roll I love.  Commonly misattributed to the Beach Boys, this song rocks hard and drops a bomb ass key change after the guitar solo at 1:40. 
-Nick

Hymn

Epic. and one of my favorite key changes at 3:40.
-Emily

Jump (For My Love)

What a classic example of awesomeness. In a time before digital sampling, the Pointer SIster's sing the hook of this song exactly the same every time.  Amazing.  Key change at 3:15, immediately after awesome Dr. J footage. 

-Nick 

Royals

This cover of Royals definitely has a lot of things going on and a key change is one of them.
Thanks to Dr. Timony for sending this along.

Higher and Higher

Obviously I love the original Jackie Wilson version better but I love this one too.
-Trov

I'm Not Living In The Real World

I love this song by the sad bastards. 

Sweet key change in the middle and the outro might break a key change record. 

-Tony Trov 

Easy Going

The Sesame Street movie Follow That Bird was a big part of my childhood. I think it may be part of why I enjoy road trips so much.  Key change just before 2:00.
-Nick

Down With Love

Here's a video of Sutton Foster performing 'Down With Love'.

Song starts at 0:24, then Sutton gets even MORE down with love at 1:38. (Special mention of the straight-tone-to-vibrato from 1:54-1:56).

-James Brown

Rock Me Amadeus

This classic has a ballin' ass key change at 2:40.
-Nick

Walkin' After Midnight

The cow girl blues can give you goosebumps with the right key change.
-Trov

Five Feet High

Every time the water rises a foot, the key of the song gets a wee little bit higher. Pretty sure that it starts in A, and then goes to C, D, and ends in E. 
-Nick

The Rebel Johnny Yuma

At 1:10, the South rises again!  This time, in the form of a rising key change. 
-Nick

MacArthur Park

When I was a kid I thought this song was so funny being how its a very passionate song about cake.

Whatever the metaphor is really about, there's a great key change starting at the middle groovy part... wait, that's a bad description since there's so many groovy parts...
-Tony Trov

Orange Juice Is Nice

I heard this while watching the film Midnight Cowboy. As far as I can tell this song is from an old radio commercial. The bassoon is my favorite part.
-Trov

Proud Mary

An awesome cover with plenty of changes for the most dramatic effect.
-Tony

If You Really Love Me

Stevie takes it up a half-step from A minor to Bb minor in this Funk Brothers backed, tempo-jumping toe-tapper.
-Al Bruno

I Believe In You and Me

I saw this clip on television a few years ago. It's Levi Stubbs last performance and it makes me break down and cry every time I watch it. Get some tissues for your eyes and watch the most touching song ever posted on this blog.
-Trov

Leave The Biker

I have fond memories of being a teenager and yelling the lyrics "crumbs in his beard from the seafood special" at a festival in the woods of NJ. Key jumped from G to A.
-Joanna

Letting Go

McCartney has been using this largely forgotten mid-70s Wings track on some of his recent tours. It's not his best work -- some argue that he reached that pinnacle on "Bip Bop" -- but the song has a decent bluesy edge, and makes an unexpected key change around 2:56. He can still sing the hell out of it, even at 71-years-old.

-David 

It's A Shame

I went back to my Motown collection (a rather extensive one, though I say so myself).  When I heard "It's A Shame" by the Detroit Spinners (aka the Motown Spinners) for the first time in ages, I suddenly realised why I always loved this song so much.  It must have more key changes in a three minute song than any other big hit in history.  It is an absolute key change rip-snorter.  Enjoy!
-Ian

Life is a rock (but the radio rolled me)

I heard this song while in the dentist office. I thought it was The Monkees' Goin Down at first but realized it was something completely different.

The two key changes are completely perfect but my favorite part of the song is the 4 Tops shout out towards the end.
Also special note the vocalist, Joey Levine sang with Ohio Express's key change song, Yummy Yummy Yummy.
Special thanks to Dr. Timony for helping me figure out the name of this tune.

-tony trov

Passport to the Future

Love this song, love this key change. Thanks to Paul Triggiani for playing it for me.
From the album Moog Indigo, possibly the greatest Moog pun ever.  
-Tony Trov

I Guess I'll Always Love You

I came across another H-D-H favorite of mine the other day with a similar, perhaps even more dramatic key change just before the exit: I Guess I'll Always Love You by The Isley Brothers.  Such a good track.
-Ian Harris 

Elvira

The other Elvira.
-Rahzzah 

Within

Robots engineered a key change even the numbest Humans can feel.
-Dave Kiss

Band of Gold

Listening to some Northern Soul this evening, realised that Band of Gold by Freda Payne has a wonderful key change for the final chorus around 2:20.

 -Ian Harris

Yummy Yummy Yummy

For all the wrong reasons I was thinking about Ohio today, hence this little ditty by Ohio Express came to the front of my brain and would not go away.

It has a subtle but decent key change at about 1:28.  Luverly.

-Ian Harris

Earth Angel

As Marty's parents kiss and his hand becomes solid matter once more, Marvin and the boys kick it up a notch with this righteous key change, recorded live at the 1955 Hill Valley Enchantment Under the Sea Dance.
-Nick

Editors note:

If you love Back to the Future, come see Nick and Trov's tribute to the time traveling trilogy, 
It's Marvin, Your Cousin Marvin Berry at the Art for the Cash Poor event on June 8th, 4:00 PM at the Crane Arts Building in Philadelphia.

It's a free all ages event. We'd love to see you there!
More info.

Maybe I'm Amazed

The intro is a falling bass line over D major which is interrupted by the verse which is in Bb.  The song then goes back to D major for the chorus section and modulates back and forth throughout the song.
-Nick

Village Green Preservation Society

I'm so excited to use this clip of The Kinks, I think it's so much better than the album release but I'm always a sucker for a horn section.
Anyway, whole step jump from the Davies brothers. 

If you like this performance check out The Kinks' whole BBC concert HERE. The rendition of Victoria is one of my favorite things in the whole world. If you happen to have a high quality version of this show, please share with your humble editor.
 -tony trov

Tears Began To Fall

Since yesterday was Mothers' Day I figured I'd post a song by The Mothers.
The outro descends in half steps for the key change(s).

I tried to find a more accurate video but someone's college project is the best that Youtube could provide.
-Trov

Girl Don't Make Me Wait

Philly key change.

-T. Malone

Dim All The Lights

I really love this song despite being a disco hit played at every wedding ever. The build up is really energetic and I think Donna's under water voice is really cool coming in during the instrumental breakdown. Heeyyyybaby!
 -Trov

Bubblegum

I was enjoying Mr. Loco's song Bubble Gum whilst brushing my teeth and realized there is a sweet key change at 2:31.  

It's The Little Things You Do

Delicious and replenishing key change.
-Davey Kiss

Mr Blue Sky

I feel like I'm cheating by submitting this song but the promo video is pretty incredible. Key of F switches to the relative minor for the outro.
-Trov

I Believe I Can Fly

I feel like every 90s R&B song has a key change. Here's one with a half step change.
-Al Bruno

Jungle Drum

The chorus jumps up 2 and a half steps for the outro... ricadumdumricadumdumdum
-Frank 

Please Don't Go

Half step change!
-Elia

Last Dance

What better way to end an 8th grade dance than a key change?
-Nick

Smurf Song

For reasons too complicated to explain, my girlfriend Daisy turned blue last week.  It was a perfectly normal thing to happen in the circumstances, we were informed with calm and unconcern, and she has now reverted to her regular healthy looking colour, pink.

While she was blue, I was naturally reminded of The Smurf Song:

I had forgotten about the extraordinary key change/descant about 90 seconds into this song, so extraordinary that Father Abraham even comments on it during the song and reprimands the offending Smurf for smurfing in that way.  

This song went to number one in many countries in the late 1970s but not in the UK - John Travolta and Olivia Newton John fended off those Smurfs with "You're The One That I Want", so the Smurfs only managed No 2 in the UK.  

-Ian Harris

Some Kinda Hate

Grown up goths bring the key change at 1:20.
-Kevin Cook

Diamonds On The Souls of Her Shoes

The a cappella intro is in E major when the guitar suddenly comes in, they're all of a sudden a half step up in F Major.

-Vivas

For Once In My Life

Girls with out rhythm dance to Stevie Wonder song featuring an awesome key change.
-Trov

Okie From Muskogee

Of course a song about being a proud square in the 60s would have a half step key change. Extra points for the key change.
-Trov

Come Into My Head

Half-step into the first two choruses, then back down out of them.
The third chorus might be up a whole step.
-James L Brown

Raiders March

Watched Raiders the other day and noticed a key change around 2:24 of the theme. 
-Beau

I Swear

Anyone who had to dance while leaving room for the Holy Spirit between 1994 and 1998 knows this song inside and out.  Much like This is How We Do It, No Diggity, Boom Boom Boom, and Let Me Clear My Throat, this song will always remind me of feeling awkward in a cafeteria, watching the other kids have fun.  Unlike those songs, this one has a key change at 3:22 right after the sexy sax solo.
- Nick

Glad All Over

Two wonderful key changes for the last two verses.

This is the 200th song on the KEY CHANGE BLOG!
Thanks to everyone who's ever submitted and thanks to everyone who reads every week.
-Tony

Welcome To The Black Parade

Of course the most glam arena rock song of the 2000s has a key change.
-Trov