"Three Is a Magic Number" was one of the first songs written after an ad executive, David McCall, noticed his sons could memorize rock lyrics but not multiplication tables. He commissioned Bob Dorough to write a song to help kids learn math through music. The song opens with three triad chords (I, IV, and V) played on an electric piano, musically reinforcing the lyrical theme of "three." The song was originally titled "Multiplication Rock" | Pop Culture Memories