As guitarist Nigel Tufnel despairs to director Marty DiBergi in Spinal Tap, once your amps are turned up all the way to 11, “Where do you go from there? Where?” Many songwriters stuck in a creative corner kick up the jams with a tried and true chestnut: the key change. This showy yet effective tool can underline a song’s true meaning, turn a simple ditty into an epic saga, or highlight just how strongly Sisqó feels about thongs. The below list features two dozen songs that took it just a little bit higher.

Watch the video above for some highlights, or read on to get the full story.