I was holding Maddox in our living room when Jon started playing a series of song clips on his laptop. Man, I thought, those are some great songs! I listened to them for a moment more, and realized that there was something…familiar about them.
It turns out, our friend Paul had sent Jon a link to this video:
As explained in the video, each of these 36 songs use the same four chords. It’s amazing how many of these songs were popular, and how many of them are still recognizable. This mix even includes two of my favorite songs, With or Without You and Glycerine (a personal nostalgia-fest). I feel so deceived.
And yet – I kind of want to get the entire playlist. I mean, there’s only four of them, but those are some great chords.
Take a look at the video – how many of these songs do you recognize as songs that you like, or at least liked until they were hideously overplayed? Have you also been suckered?
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6 comments ↓
A few small things to take into consideration regarding this. Key change. Cadence. Syncopation.
That’s what makes every single one of those songs unique. Don’t get me started on twelve bar blues.
Take it a step further back, and blame the 1790’s! If you listen to the bassline (and extend it to just four more notes), you have Pachelbel’s Canon in D. Don’t believe me?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM
See for yourself. It also includes other songs. Crazy stuff!
peace. love. music. always.
@Jose – ah ha – thanks! I vaguely remembered seeing this, but couldn’t recall the name of the video to include it in the post. Also, I am that lame – I also really like the Canon. =P
@Jesse – yeah, I used to play the guitar, and remembered that some of these songs are in different keys, so fair point. It’s still pretty impressive how many songs seem to fit this pattern, though. =)
The sheer number is quite impressive, I they left out Better Than Ezra’s 90’s hit “good”.
I once played Pachelbel’s Canon at a wedding on guitar. I had to be careful not to get hypnotized by the chords going around and around and around…
Jesse – true about 12-bar blues (but I love the blues). And it’s still cool to hear all the different things that people do over these same chords.
I once heard someone take the chords to Zeppelin’s “Babe I’m gonna leave you” and play them to about a dozen different songs.
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