Gotye ft. Kimbra — Somebody That I Used to Know (2011)
That opening descent — Dm, C, Bb, C — does something quietly devastating before a single lyric arrives. The progression drops from the minor tonic down through the relative major territory of C and Bb, then lifts back to C, creating a loop that feels simultaneously resigned and restless, like circling a thought you can't quite escape. The minor start grounds everything in melancholy, while the Bb lends a warmth that keeps the mood from tipping into pure bleakness. For guitarists and pianists alike, the sequence sits naturally under the fingers and rewards repetition, its symmetrical return to C giving it a hypnotic, ruminative quality. A landmark of early 2010s indie pop, the track blends organic instrumentation with a raw emotional directness that made it one of the era's most widely felt recordings.