The Secret to Musical Success

We've participated in several of the "Dallas does" events by now, which means that we've spent a lot of time learning some of the greatest songs of the 60s and 70s, including "Here Comes the Sun" by the Beatles, "Witchy Woman" by the Eagles, and "I feel the earth move" by Carole King, and I'm starting to see a common thread among all these enduringly successful songs:

They are deceptively simple. 

The songs of the greatest songwriters often appear on the surface to be nothing more than simple, hummable melodies with ordinary chord changes and rhythms. But if you ever sit down and try to play these songs, they are much more difficult than they seem. "I feel the earth move" is bursting with chords that usually only appear in jazz cafes, not pop radio; "Here Comes the Sun" has a bridge with three measures in three different time signatures:  11/8 + 4/4 + 7/8; and don't get me started on "Witchy Woman" -- I've never had such a hard time working out harmonies, and my dad and I are the sort for whom singing harmony parts comes naturally.

So I'm starting to think that I've discovered the secret to long-term songwriting success: a catchy pop facade to reel the listeners in and a deep well of musical (or sometimes lyrical) complexity to keep them coming back for more.

You know what they say about "still waters,"  right? That may apply to the greatest pop songs, too.

What do you think? Can you think of more songs that fit this formula? Adele's music comes to mind, but, surprisingly, so does much of Beyonce's music -- many of her songs have more complex chord structures than you might think. Of course several other Beatles songs fit the bill -- what songs would you add?