Pleasant Valley Sunday: Exploring the Monkees' Suburban Dystopia

In this video we break down the Monkees' 1967 top-ten hit "Pleasant Valley Sunday," with some background on the group, some musical and lyrical analysis, and a look at the song's broader context.

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The Monkees had six top ten hits and sold millions of records, but they were (and still are) mocked relentlessly. But they were too busy singin' to put anybody down. Even so, they weren't above a bit of biting social comment. Let's take a closer look at one of their biggest and best singles: 1967's "Pleasant Valley Sunday," written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. First we'll explore the origins of the Monkees and their rise to stardom, and then we'll dig into the song itself: its signature Mixolydian riff, its key changes, its dual nature as both exemplar and critique of the American dream and the disposable culture of pop. Check out the links below for more information on some of the subjects discussed in this video.

UPDATES
Several viewers have correctly pointed out that the Monkees' riff was created by session man Chip Douglas, inspired by a different Beatles song than the two mentioned in the video: "I Want to Tell You," from Revolver (1966). And that one is actually in A major. What an omission! I appreciate the correction.

CHAPTERS
0:00 - Introduction
1:42 - Background
4:32 - The Music
5:51 - Personnel
6:30 - The Riff
8:43 - Tool Sunday
9:13 - Modulations
12:22 - The Message
14:34 - Conclusion

LINKS
"Pleasant Valley Sunday"
   • Pleasant Valley Sunday (2007 Remaster)  
   • Pleasant Valley Sunday (Demo)  

Other Monkees Hits
   • Daydream Believer (2010 Remaster)  
   • I'm a Believer  
   • Valleri  
   • Last Train to Clarksville  
   • A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You  

Chromatic Mediants
   • 6 Chromatic Mediant chord progression...  
   • Diatonic Mediant And Submediant Modul...  
   • Music Theory - Chromatic Mediants in ...  
   • Secrets Of FILM MUSIC Composers: Chro...  
   • Songs that key change up a minor 3rd  
   • Songs that use Chromatic Mediant chords  
   • When Chords Won't Share  
   • Why Top Composers Use Chromatic Media...  

The Mixolydian Mode
   • The Mixolydian Mode | THE SOUND OF ROCK  
   • Songs that use the Mixolydian mode  

Of Interest
   • Celebrating "The Stories of John Chee...  
   • Thorstein Veblen: Conspicuous Consump...  

DISCLAIMER
"Pleasant Valley Sunday" was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin and is published by Screen Gems-EMI Music Inc. "Day Tripper" was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and is published by MPL Communications Inc. and Sony/ATV Tunes LLC. "Paperback Writer" was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and is published by Sony/ATV Music Publishing. I do not own the copyright in "Pleasant Valley Sunday" by the Monkees, "Pleasant Valley Sunday (Demo)" by Carole King, "Day Tripper" by the Beatles, or "Paperback Writer" by the Beatles. This video has been produced and published solely for educational purposes. Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976 (https://law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/1..., allowance is made for fair use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, scholarship, and research.

#monkees #60smusic #songanalysis