Listening to how great it sounds in Frank Ocean’s ‘Super Rich Kids’ made me realize how underutilized the major 7th chord is in contemporary pop music.  Major 7ths have always had a place in what used to be called soul music, and in jazz, and they still do.  But it’s a sound worth considering in other areas of music as well, partially because it’s been so underused recently that it can feel like a fresh sound.

I think many people feel that major 7th chords are too ‘sweet’ sounding for a lot of music that goes for something tougher and harder, whether in rock and roll, urban music, rap, whatever.  And there’s often truth to this.

But when I think of how Neil Young fearlessly adds major 7ths to his power chords, when I think of how funky ‘Benny and the Jets’ (the father of ‘Super Rich Kids’) is, when I think of how The Red Hot Chili Peppers slipped it into ‘Under The Bridge’, how Marvin Gaye based ‘What’s Going On’ around a major 7th chord…

When I think of the chord sounds in these songs, and many others, I can’t help but think that the major 7th chord in pop music – even harder-edged pop music – is far from done.

Try it, you might like it.