Funny comedians 'Axis of Awesome' demonstrate 37 popular songs all written with the same 4 chords

There is a "Science" behind writing hits..It seems to be the chords you choose. They add one of their own in the mix just for further laughs...

Australian comedy group 'Axis Of Awesome' perform a sketch from the 2009 Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Footage courtesy of Network Ten Australia.

Journey - Don't Stop Believing

James Blunt - You're Beautiful

Alphaville - Forever Young

Jason Mraz - I'm Yours

Mika - Happy Ending

Alex Lloyd - Amazing

The Calling - Wherever You WIll Go

Elton John - Can You Feel The Love Tonight

Maroon 5 - She Will Be Loved

The Last Goodnight - Pictures Of You

U2 - With Or Without You

Crowded House - Fall At Your Feet

Kasey Chambers - Not Pretty Enough

The Beatles - Let it Be

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Under the Bridge

Daryl Braithwaite - The Horses

Bob Marley - No Woman No Cry

Marcy Playground - Sex and Candy

Men At Work - Land Down Under

Banjo Patterson's Waltzing Matilda

A Ha - Take On Me

Green Day - When I Come Around

Eagle Eye Cherry - Save Tonight

Toto - Africa

Beyonce - If I Were A Boy

The Offspring - Self Esteem

The Offspring - You're Gonna Go Far Kid

Pink - You and Your Hand

Lady Gaga - Poker Face

Aqua - Barbie Girl

The Fray - You Found Me

30h!3 - Don't Trust Me

MGMT - Kids

Tim Minchin - Canvas Bags

Natalie Imbruglia - Torn

Five For Fighting - Superman

Axis Of Awesome - Birdplane

Missy Higgins - Scar

See www.axisofawesome.net... for further info on these guys.

first off, finally a not russia related post, good to know the rest of the world exists!
loved the video, i remember reading a while ago about how famous pop songs have a sort of ideal configuration, that just makes them automatic hits, but hearing it is a totally different thing, here is another you can add to the collection

It's kinda sad really, we all defend the music we listen to because we feel it was written EXCLUSIVELY for us, and then you realize that it was written for you because you are average at best.
Tom waits is still the best singer ever though, and if you don't like him you clearly have no idea what real music is

a reply to: IShotMyLastMuse
Russia... something happened?..lol JK
I agree 100%...and TOM Waits is a King among musicians they Bow to his raspiness..

a reply to: DjembeJedi


I have never understood the lawsuits brought against performers because their music sounds like someone's else's song.

There are only "8" notes. CDEFGABC. If you want to be technical, there are really only "7".

It is inevitable they songs will at some point sound alike.

originally posted by: NightSkyeB4Dawn
a reply to: DjembeJedi


I have never understood the lawsuits brought against performers because their music sounds like someone's else's song.

There are only "8" notes. CDEFGABC. If you want to be technical, there are really only "7".

It is inevitable they songs will at some point sound alike.

When you try and break a tune down into it's fundamental components, you can't really copyright the individual parts.
The most important item is the beat or rhythm; like a cha-cha, a polka, tango or waltz. That can't be copyrighted.
There's the speed at which the notes are played, the tempo. That too can't be copyrighted. Then there is the middle note which the tune is centered around. That can't be copyrighted. A tune could be played using drums at low octaves or using a flute at a high octaves. Not even the music instruments can be considered as it is possible to swap instruments around; a grand piano can be replaced with a church organ but it will be the same tune.

Basic mathematical combinations can be used to determine the number of possible combinations . For every note, the total number of possibilities multiplies by 8. With just 4 notes, you have 4096 combinations. After 8 notes, that's 16 million. But not all combinations are particularly pleasant. If the notes jump up or down in frequency that's not too pleasant if it happens all the time, nor would it be particularly appealing if most of the notes are the same. But even with a restricted range of notes, the number quickly goes into millions.

a reply to: stormcell

I get that, but with the number of people there are in the world and the number of tunes that people run through their minds, it is impossible not to run into duplications in large parts, if not in wholes.

It is like having an original thought. Can anyone actually believe that they have ever had a thought that no one else has ever thought before?

I tried testing my creative mind and tried googling some of the most ridiculous unbelievable ideas, that I could come up with, thinking surely no one else could have ever come up with this wacky idea.

Every time I was wrong. There it was as big as life right there on google. So, even if the number of possibilities are huge, I can't believe that there is a song that has ever been written that doesn't have an unintentional doppleganger.