Ticket 10: The Aeolian Cadence

End a phrase/section/song on the m6 chord (vi) instead of the major root chord (I).

For example if you're in the key of G it would be normal to finish on a G major chord, but finishing on an Em will give it an unexpected dark turn but usually with the added bonus of not needing to alter the melody in any way.

This approach can be used to 'end on a downer' or create an outro by concluding the final line on the minor, before repeating the line ending on the major (Octopus's Garden).

1963 Do You Want To Know A Secret – The Beatles
1963 From Me To You – The Beatles
1963 Not A Second Time – The Beatles
1963 There’s A Place – The Beatles
1963 I Want To Hold Your Hand - The Beatles (0:24)
1963 She Loves You - The Beatles (1:47)
1964 I'm Happy Just To Dance With You - The Beatles (1:37)
1964 When I Get Home – The Beatles
1965 Yes It Is - The Beatles (2:26)
1968 Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da – The Beatles
1968 Cry Baby Cry – The Beatles
1969 The Long And Winding Road – The Beatles
1969 Octopus's Garden – The Beatles (2:30)
1972 Take It Easy - The Eagles
1983 Every Breath You Take – The Police (0:29, 1:18, 1:55, 2:44, 2:52)

See the full list of songwriting tips here - Tickets To Write

Thanks to Rod Downburst Johnson and Nancy Rost. 

See also
Ticket 16: The Picardy Chord
Ticket 46: the False Picardy
The Beatles' use of deceptive cadences by Aaron Krerowicz