Tommy Roe - Dizzy

The best, most insightful comment I can make about Tommy Roe’s 1969 number one hit “Dizzy,” originates with someone else. Pop music chart analyst and host of the (excellent) Hit Parade podcast, Chris Molanphy, once noted that the musical structure of “Dizzy” actually creates its own dizzy sensation. The time signature (I don’t really know what that means, tbh) and key changes swirl about and actually makes the song sound like it’s wobbling. Like back in the day when a vinyl record had a slight warp, so the needle didn’t travel in a perfect circle. It sounds like what spinning around in a circle a bunch of times feels like. Minus the barfy sensation.

This song certainly hasn’t aged well (“I want you for my sweet pet,” for example). Despite its musical quirks and spatial audio tricks, this won’t make any of your permanent playlists. “Dizzy” is a silly little love song. It’s a throwback, an artifact, and that’s okay. It evokes a time when someone could have a #1 single that’s playful and kinda dumb and yet, somewhat experimental in its own harmless way. Random stuff like that doesn’t really happen anymore on the streaming charts.

I don’t remember hearing this song as a kid, so my first real introduction to it was through Mr. Molanphy. But it’s stuck with me years after I first heard him talk about it. For an incredibly dorky song, the engineering is kind of astounding. Every year or so I pull it up, mostly to listen to sleight of hand, auditory magic it pulls. And I’m impressed every time I hear it. Go ahead, give “Dizzy” a spin.