A pocket symphony is a song with extended form.2 The term was popularized by English journalist Derek Taylor, who used it to describe the Beach Boys' 1966 single "Good Vibrations".34 (The description of a "pocket" symphony had appeared in print since as early as 1928.5)
Attributions
Popular music
- The Beach Boys - "Good Vibrations" (1966)
- The Beatles – "A Day in the Life" (1967)6
- T. Rex – "Telegram Sam" (1971)7
- Serge Gainsbourg – Histoire de Melody Nelson (1971)8
- Paul McCartney & Wings – "Band on the Run" (1973)9
- Queen – "Bohemian Rhapsody" (1975)10
- Radiohead - "Paranoid Android" (1997)11
- My Chemical Romance - "Welcome to the Black Parade" (2006)12
- Weezer - "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations on a Shaker Hymn)" (2008)13
Classical compositions
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Eine kleine Nachtmusik14
- Havergal Brian – Symphony No. 1215
References
References
- Harrison, Daniel (1997). "After Sundown: The Beach Boys' Experimental Music" (PDF). In Covach, John; Boone, Graeme M. (eds.). Understanding Rock: Essays in Musical Analysis. Oxford University Press. pp. 33–57. ISBN 9780199880126.
- The Songwriting Sourcebook: How to Turn Chords Into Great Songs. Hal Leonard. 2003. p. 212. ISBN 978-1-61780-033-7.
- Stebbins, Jon (2011). The Beach Boys FAQ: All That's Left to Know About America's Band. Backbeat Books. p. 155. ISBN 978-1-4584-2914-8.
- MacLeod, Sean (2015). Leaders of the Pack: Girl Groups of the 1960s and Their Influence on Popular Culture in Britain and America. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 89. ISBN 978-1-4422-5202-8.
- "none". Modern Music: A Quarterly Review. 1928. p. 30.
- Edgers, Geoff (May 16, 2017). "'Sgt. Pepper': Getting better all the time". Press of Atlantic City.
- Paytress, Mark (November 5, 2009). Bolan: The Rise And Fall Of A 20th Century Superstar. Omnibus Press. pp. 328–. ISBN 978-0-85712-023-6.
- Hultkrans, Andrew (May 2009). "Reissues". SPIN. p. 95. ISSN 0886-3032.
- Carlin, Peter Ames (2009). Paul McCartney: A Life. Simon and Schuster. p. 234. ISBN 978-1-4165-6223-8.
- Kot, Greg (August 24, 2015). "The strangest rock classic ever?". BBC.
- Danielsen, Aarik (June 6, 2018). "'Computer' science: Tribute concert prompts return to Radiohead classic". Columbia Daily Tribune.
- Richardson, Mark (6 November 2006). "Greasepaint and Suffering". Washington City Paper. Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
- Watnick, David (June 8, 2008). "Red Album isn't great, but Weezer reclaims dignity". The Michigan Daily.
- Hurwitz, David (2005). Getting the Most Out of Mozart: The Instrumental Works. Amadeus Press. p. 116. ISBN 978-1-57467-096-7.
- Nettel, Reginald (1976). Havergal Brian and his music. Dobson. p. 156. ISBN 9780234778616.