My buddy posed this question for me, to help with his class project.

Ancient Gregorian Chant, in it's simplicity, provided an important foundation in the development of music and we can still hear it's influence in todays music. How can simplicity in art and music be as effective sometimes as complex art? Can you site examples of "simplicity" in music that you listen to or are familiar with that inspires you?

My response was thus:
Take Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. One of the most recognizable strains in all of music to open it. And essentially, the entire song is argulably nothing but a repeat and exposition of those same four notes: Bah bah bah bum.....

To which he replied:
That's not really modern, but nice obscure reference.

So I posited the following:
Britney Spears built her empire on One More Time. Which is essentially a simplistic melody overposed against a very simple bass line of 4 notes: Buh bum bum bum.

To which he responded:
hahahahahahha. dude, that's amazing. sad, but amazing.

To which I responded:
Thanks!

lol good yob