"Creep" by Radiohead

The texture of the piece influences the listener to experience a dark, depressive mood, and this texture is consistent throughout the song. Melancholic, sorrowful, almost cynical moods are communicated to the listener. The guitar melody adds a specific creepy tone to the verses.

When the chorus kicks in, the mood of the song does not change, but instead seems to become simply intensified. In this way the previous verses play the role of a tension builder, expressing a character whose suppressed rage is appearing as cynicism and dark unpleasantness. This rage is then fully expressed in the chorus, mostly thanks to the powerful execution of chords on the electric guitar, G-B-C-Cm. 

The specific polyphonic combination of the bass and guitar is what gives this song its unique mood. I can also see a metaphor expressed in the contrast between the guitar melody of the verse, and the louder guitar chords of the chorus. The guitar tones played during the verses are quiet and distorted, giving them an ominous feel, and a creepy atmosphere is added to the piece. It is like the rage that the singer feels is a monster that could leap out at any moment. Then, during the build up to the chorus, a very powerful guitar technique is used. The chords are rapidly played with no sustain, like the beast is banging on the cage that is trapping it to let itself out. When the chords are played loudly and sustained during the chorus, the anger of the singer is fully expressed. It is like the beast has been set free.

Although the song is consistent in terms of its dark emotionality, the music essentially takes you on an emotional roller-coaster ride. The cynical, lazy guitar tones and rhythm of the intro eventually builds up to what sounds like an emotional breakdown, with Thom and the guitar screaming in despair and anger. The song is a brilliant expression of emotional turmoil through the medium of sound, with the timbres setting atmosphere and unique character to the song, a rhythm expressing a depressed mood well, and a simple chord sequence made powerful through an excellent combination of musical elements.

Analysis of Yesterday by The Beatles

For the intro, a simple melody is played on the acoustic guitar. This instantly sets the mood for the rest of the song. Any specific emotions that the song communicates are difficult to define, as is the overall mood of the song, and I think it is this ambiguity that made the song so popular, as it makes it open to individual interpretation. I personally got a sense of melancholy dreaminess, however, the emotional atmosphere of the song is very much open to personal interpretation, giving the song a wide audience. It is the mixture of minor and major chords that McCartney uses that creates this unique emotional context to the lyrics.

Another thing I think contributed to the songs popularity was its simplicity. There are only three different timbres in the piece: the acoustic guitar, McCartney's vocals, and a violin. There is a memorable and relaxing rhythm to the piece, which is not created by a drum pattern, perhaps to keep a sense of calmness in the song. The song is also lyrically simple, with relatively few lyrics for a song, that are repeated. In the end, I think this lack of complexity makes this song very accessible to a wide audience.

The rhythm is also consistent throughout the song, making it a unique rhythm that can easily be identified as belonging to that song. All this gives it an iconic like quality, a quality that is common in popular songs. These elements, combined with the unique and interesting emotions it communicates, it what made this song stand out so much and become so widely acclaimed.