Same four chords for over 30 top hit songs!!

I stumbled upon this gem a year or two ago, can't believe I haven't shared it yet.

Just goes to show you how much talent it actually takes to make a hit song.



Thoughts/Comments/Complaints?
Feel free to speak your mind.

You just figuring that out? Think blues. It's all blues. All modern popular music comes from blues. 3 or 4 chords.

It's like story arcs, there are some that just work.

reply to post by NotApplicable


Good find, but some have known this for years

Funny little vid though I always point the similarities and un-originality of songs to my mates they still pay good money for the music though haha. I think a lot of it has to do with the writers and producers these days

It's the "stars" that just copy old music that gets my knickers in a twist atleast others can actually make a bit music.



Also THAT Journey song near the beginning, I loved that song now though with it being totally ruined by everyone I can hardly bring myself to name it I have to listen to wheels in the sky or be good to yourself. Leave the good stuff alone! please! lol

reply to post by Mr Headshot


Correct

It's all evolved from Blues all music that's mainstream anyways though there is still some who stick to the old folk music of which the Blues came from I believe, except classical music but thats a whole different kettle of fish

Ah yes... this is the music industry. They know the magic notes that affect you on a cellular an emotional level and they repeat them in cycles. Every 5-10 years the same beat is released with a new ICON for you to worship. I have posted this theory in threads of the past, its quite refreshing to read a post like this.

Music can be manipulated like water. Familiar with cymatics? Certain sounds and certain harmonics WILL affect the human psyche. Pair that with horrific lyrics... and you have a pacified and relaxed listener, hypnotized by the actual music... and then fed the horrific mainstream lyrics that are partly responsible for destroying values, morals, and ethics across the populous.

reply to post by NotApplicable


When I was giving guitar lessons this was a tool I used.
I would pick a hit off the radio that was just 3 or 4 chords.
When someone only knows 4 or 5 chords and are just learning,it becomes a shock that such a famous song would be that easy.

So my lessons were always about it not being that hard.
If people could make a few million from 4 chords....good for them.

Its funny when the person looks at you dumbfounded saying "thats it??"
My reply..."yes,thats it,its not as hard as it seems"

It was like watching a baby take its first steps when the person uses those same chords and learned a song by ear off of the radio.

I don't mind it as it has its uses but i do wish people wouldn't do the same thing over and over again.
I like riffs because they are more original....I try not to do the 4 chord thing because it is irritating to me and doesn't seem that creative musically.
But if it works for you than good for you is my attitude about it.

Mr. Headshot
Blues is a PERFECT example!!!

reply to post by DrumsRfun


Need I say it?...

the S word.. yeah i know you know the S word..

The S word has recorded over 60 chart hits, more than any other rock group..

yup, you got it right..

STATUS QUO!!!!
en.wikipedia.org...

very clever. (and entertaining) but a prime example of this exact sort of thing.

reply to post by Extralien


I have never heard of them before so i looked them up.
Not bad at all,they don't have to be flashy to be good,if it gets the foot tapping than people are happy.

I will add another example to highlight that you can do alot with 3 or 4 chords.

reply to post by DrumsRfun


sat here counting 1234 1234 with that ramones one

well ,let's introduce the Quo a bit then..



and their most famous track... here being performe to open live aid in 1985


my favourite album is 12 gold bars..if you're interested.

I used to go go-kart racing with Rossi's son.. small world.. at the time he had no idea what his dad really did for a job...

Sometimes it's more in your face,
Werewolves of London..Warren Zevon,
All summer long...........Kid Rock,
And then those guys, Oh yeah,
Sweet home Alabama...Lynyrd Skynyrd.

There are very few songs that use more than four chords.

The most commonly used four chords are G F C Am. It's not the chords used that make a hit, it's the melody.

I have heard of a song called "4 chords of the Apocalypse" any connection?

www.youtube.com...

Originally posted by Extralien
reply to post by DrumsRfun

 

sat here counting 1234 1234 with that ramones one

well ,let's introduce the Quo a bit then..

and their most famous track... here being performe to open live aid in 1985

my favourite album is 12 gold bars..if you're interested.

I used to go go-kart racing with Rossi's son.. small world.. at the time he had no idea what his dad really did for a job...

The bank of Vox amps caught my eye, they look like straightforward AC 30's, but most likely AC50's with a top boost built-in. In the 60's to mid 70's we used two AC30's with a top boost for guitars, lead Gretsch Country gentleman, rhythm, Gretsch Tennessean but they were piggyback amps, while the speaker cabinets were sealed, unlike the one piece AC30's without a boost. I used a Vox 50w Foundation amp with two separate sealed 18'' speakers, a great combination with a Fender precision bass. A bit off topic, I know but not completely, I just want to share some info from the time. This is something we recorded in 1965 for CBS, a stereo recording using all the above, and using another chord sequence familiar to many other songs,

www.youtube.com...

reply to post by Mr Headshot


I said in the OP that I had found it a year or two ago.

The fact that a lot of these sounded the same has been quite obvious to me for years. However, the four chord song puts it all together into one song, giving it a whole new perspective.

Very interesting indeed.

Thanks for the video OP, made my morning

Namaste

reply to post by WiseThinker


Glad I could bring some light into your day

Hope the rest of your day was just as well.

reply to post by NotApplicable


Very cool vid, this chord progression is called (I - V - vi - IV)

Heres one they missed out (The chorus is I V vi IV)

Originally posted by chadderson
Ah yes... this is the music industry. They know the magic notes that affect you on a cellular an emotional level and they repeat them in cycles. Every 5-10 years the same beat is released with a new ICON for you to worship.

Any more info? What is it about those particular chords / frequencies / resonances and so on? Scientific data?

The initial point that musicians are slacking and the music industry is milking crap for profit is just the surface argument.

The real point is that people wouldn't respond to the music if it was just crap. There's plenty of crap out there that we DON'T LIKE.

It might be crap but it's crap we respond to for some biological/scientific reason, right?

Absolutely, someone else mentioned it, it's a 1-5-6-4.

There are a few chord progressions that people just seem to find pleasing to listen to, another example could be this one