yeah I think Horse is just two.
― Neanderthal, Saturday, 3 September 2016 15:11 (seven years ago) link
Molly's Lips?
― Neanderthal, Saturday, 3 September 2016 15:12 (seven years ago) link
Jane Says is technically 3 in that the A in the chorus is actually an A7
I wouldn't count adding a 7th as a new chord but I think there is a third chord here: if you mean the chord under "tomorrow", I think the guitar is playing G and C# over D. This could be ambiguous on its own but, with the bass emphasizing D, and with the vocal line emphasizing A and ending on F#, I hear the root as D.
― Hi! I'm twice-coloured! (Sund4r), Saturday, 3 September 2016 16:22 (seven years ago) link
Sly "family affair"
― Οὖτις, Saturday, 3 September 2016 16:36 (seven years ago) link
family affair has at least four (mostly in the chorus)
― I know hoes that know Ali Farka Toure (voodoo chili), Saturday, 3 September 2016 16:53 (seven years ago) link
Wilco - Misunderstood
― I know hoes that know Ali Farka Toure (voodoo chili), Saturday, 3 September 2016 16:54 (seven years ago) link
So basically this thread is destined for 500+ posts about what a chord is
― Οὖτις, Saturday, 3 September 2016 17:05 (seven years ago) link
Eno, "Third Uncle"
― Aw naw, no' Annoni oan an' aw noo (Tom D.), Saturday, 3 September 2016 17:18 (seven years ago) link
Eno, "Baby's On Fire"
― Aw naw, no' Annoni oan an' aw noo (Tom D.), Saturday, 3 September 2016 17:19 (seven years ago) link
Xpost i like sund4r's theory posts tho.
― Neanderthal, Saturday, 3 September 2016 17:21 (seven years ago) link
New Order Temptation
There's more than two chords in this.
― the hair - it's lost its energy (Turrican), Saturday, 3 September 2016 19:43 (seven years ago) link
"Pushin' Too Hard"
― timellison, Saturday, 3 September 2016 20:07 (seven years ago) link
― Οὖτις, Saturday, 3 September 2016 17:05 (three hours ago) Permalink
Yes, but the chords in Family Affair are Dm, Gm7, C7 and Bbmaj7
― I know hoes that know Ali Farka Toure (voodoo chili), Saturday, 3 September 2016 20:50 (seven years ago) link
how many chords does prince's "we can funk" have?
― a confederacy of lampreys (rushomancy), Sunday, 4 September 2016 12:32 (seven years ago) link
Don't Let Me Down - Beatles (E, F#m)
There's a passing Amaj7 in the choruses, and the bridge has a B and B7.
― a 47-year-old chainsaw artist from South Carolina (Phil D.), Sunday, 4 September 2016 12:38 (seven years ago) link
Van Morrison - You Don't Pull No Punches But You Don't Push the River. It all seems to be Em C.
― Dr X O'Skeleton, Monday, 5 September 2016 00:04 (seven years ago) link
what is the pop song with the most chords? (excluding tracks that are more than, say, five minutes long so as to rule out song suites and the like)
― soref, Monday, 5 September 2016 00:18 (seven years ago) link
I think 'Tie a Yellow Ribbon' has roughly about 14 chords in it, although I'd have to double check.
― the hair - it's lost its energy (Turrican), Monday, 5 September 2016 00:54 (seven years ago) link
Oh, I've found one with more: 'King George Street' by Squeeze has 16 - (A, Bb, B, C#, C#m, Dm, Ebm, Eb, E, Em, F, F#, F#m, G, G#, G#m)
― the hair - it's lost its energy (Turrican), Monday, 5 September 2016 01:04 (seven years ago) link
Beach boys This Whole World has 15 or so
― Οὖτις, Monday, 5 September 2016 01:11 (seven years ago) link
Looking at sheet music (I didn't listen to verify myself in this case), I see 16 in Chicago's "You're the Inspiration" as well, even when I count all extensions and inversions as the same chord.
― Hi! I'm twice-coloured! (Sund4r), Monday, 5 September 2016 01:12 (seven years ago) link
Three different keys, I think, in that one.
Song that uses nine different chords and stays in the same key - "It's Getting Better" by Cynthia Weill/Barry Mann, hit for Mama Cass.
― timellison, Monday, 5 September 2016 01:27 (seven years ago) link
Four keys, actually, in the Chicago song!
― timellison, Monday, 5 September 2016 01:30 (seven years ago) link
Yeah, totally. I didn't think there was a 'no key changes' requirement?
― Hi! I'm twice-coloured! (Sund4r), Monday, 5 September 2016 01:43 (seven years ago) link
Oh, nm. I think I misread you.
Right, I was just making the distinction.
I think there's ten in "Tie a Yellow Ribbon?" And it stays in the same key. One fewer secondary dominant than the Mama Cass song, but I think "Tie a Yellow Ribbon" has two different augmented chords, if I'm hearing it right, and a borrowed v chord.
It has a borrowed iv, too, so it would actually have eleven chords if there was ever a regular IV chord, but I think it uses ii and borrowed iv every time.
― timellison, Monday, 5 September 2016 01:51 (seven years ago) link
The Trashcan Sinatras 'Earlies' is just E and F#m.
― Austin, Monday, 5 September 2016 01:59 (seven years ago) link
I wrote a thing on this song recently, which has fifteen chords.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bj-lOyW_0U
It's one of my favorite songs. I think it really manages to sort of float around key centers. Not deliberate in its modulations.
― timellison, Monday, 5 September 2016 02:14 (seven years ago) link
That's pretty cool.
― Hi! I'm twice-coloured! (Sund4r), Monday, 5 September 2016 02:48 (seven years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kK42LZqO0wA
― illegal economic migration (Tracer Hand), Monday, 5 September 2016 08:40 (seven years ago) link
what is the pop song with the most chords? (excluding tracks that are more than, say, five minutes long so as to rule out song suites and the like
Until someone else comes along with something better, I'm going to claim this for the Kinks' "Autumn Almanac", which has 25 (at least) - according to the internet that is, though I remember being flummoxed by it when leafing through an old Kinks' songbook years ago. Also, it is definitely a pop song, no. 3 in the UK charts.
― Aw naw, no' Annoni oan an' aw noo (Tom D.), Monday, 5 September 2016 11:18 (seven years ago) link
... count them for yourselves...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_u0gn1I8xQ
― Aw naw, no' Annoni oan an' aw noo (Tom D.), Monday, 5 September 2016 11:24 (seven years ago) link
Sixteen? Not counting extensions as separate chords, I've got:
F#, B, C#, b minor, E, A, D, d# minor, D aug, G#9 (?), A#7, f# minor, a minor, G, F, d minor
― timellison, Monday, 5 September 2016 16:33 (seven years ago) link
I've just had to check out 'Autumn Almanac', I counted 26...
(A, A7, A9, Am7, Amaj7, Bb, B7, C, Cm, C#m, C#m7, D, Dm, D7, Eb, E, E7, Em, F, Fm, F7, F#7, G, Gm, G7, G#7)
― the hair - it's lost its energy (Turrican), Monday, 5 September 2016 16:38 (seven years ago) link
You put them in alphabetical order?
― Under the Zing of Stan (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 5 September 2016 16:43 (seven years ago) link
Lol
― Neanderthal, Monday, 5 September 2016 17:27 (seven years ago) link
Is that one of those Eno I Ching techniques that Carlos Alomar balked at?
― Under the Zing of Stan (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 5 September 2016 17:34 (seven years ago) link
If you count extensions (e.g. 7ths and 9ths) as separate chords, there are definitely over 16 in the Chicago song.
― Hi! I'm twice-coloured! (Sund4r), Monday, 5 September 2016 17:57 (seven years ago) link
It's a real stretch to count A, A7, and A9 as different chords, though.
They sound different, therefore they are different.
― the hair - it's lost its energy (Turrican), Monday, 5 September 2016 17:59 (seven years ago) link
You put them in alphabetical order?― Under the Zing of Stan (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, September 5, 2016 4:43 PM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Under the Zing of Stan (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, September 5, 2016 4:43 PM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Fuck me, you're observant.
― the hair - it's lost its energy (Turrican), Monday, 5 September 2016 18:02 (seven years ago) link
I'm just as God made me.
― Under the Zing of Stan (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 5 September 2016 18:12 (seven years ago) link
Yeah, tbf, A and A7 could definitely function differently if e.g A7 were a secondary dominant (V7/IV) in the key of A. A9 and A7 pretty much always have the same function, though, as do A and Amaj7.
― Hi! I'm twice-coloured! (Sund4r), Monday, 5 September 2016 18:20 (seven years ago) link
Someone count up Deacon Blues and Aja.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 5 September 2016 18:21 (seven years ago) link
Or still crazy after all these years.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 5 September 2016 18:22 (seven years ago) link
I was thinking we should get to Steely Dan after Chicago.
― Hi! I'm twice-coloured! (Sund4r), Monday, 5 September 2016 18:22 (seven years ago) link
xp
― Under the Zing of Stan (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 5 September 2016 18:23 (seven years ago) link
(xxp) I was literally just going to post something about how Steely Dan must show up eventually!
― Aw naw, no' Annoni oan an' aw noo (Tom D.), Monday, 5 September 2016 18:25 (seven years ago) link
Or someone especially sophisticated musically, like Stevie Wonder.
― Aw naw, no' Annoni oan an' aw noo (Tom D.), Monday, 5 September 2016 18:26 (seven years ago) link
These kinds of arguments go way back
― Under the Zing of Stan (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 5 September 2016 20:47 (seven years ago) link
Or, if not that far back, at least to that other instance of this semi-regular ILX tradition for long weekends, the Great Music Theory Discussion of the Saturday Before Easter 2014.
― Under the Zing of Stan (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 5 September 2016 21:00 (seven years ago) link
Not counting the different extensions (and two discrepancies, one on the Eb - I think there's only an eb minor chord, and I think there's an augmented chord on the beat for "toasted" from "toasted, buttered currant buns"), the ones I'm missing are:
C and c minor chords?e minor? f minor?g minor?
I don't hear these.
― timellison, Tuesday, 6 September 2016 01:56 (seven years ago) link
I figured out how to play this song as a teenager, by the way, but never really got through the whole thing!
― timellison, Tuesday, 6 September 2016 01:59 (seven years ago) link
Nice to look at it again - it sure is a great, great song!
― timellison, Tuesday, 6 September 2016 02:07 (seven years ago) link
I don't hear these.― timellison, Tuesday, 6 September 2016 01:56 (fifty-one minutes ago) Permalink
― timellison, Tuesday, 6 September 2016 01:56 (fifty-one minutes ago) Permalink
Then yer doing it wrong.
― the hair - it's lost its energy (Turrican), Tuesday, 6 September 2016 02:49 (seven years ago) link
Oh? Maybe you could point out where they are.
― timellison, Tuesday, 6 September 2016 04:05 (seven years ago) link
C, I got, by the way. Not c minor, though.
― timellison, Tuesday, 6 September 2016 04:24 (seven years ago) link
John Cale, "Ship of Fools"
― Bottlerockey (Tom D.), Sunday, 11 September 2016 13:31 (seven years ago) link
'Crazy for You' by Slowdive is just C major and A minor.
― Austin, Saturday, 17 September 2016 01:57 (seven years ago) link
'Age of Consent' by New Order is just D and G.
― Austin, Wednesday, 22 February 2017 02:05 (seven years ago) link
Ministry - "New World Order"
― waht, I am true black metal worrior (Neanderthal), Wednesday, 22 February 2017 02:18 (seven years ago) link
Gravity Rides Everything by Modest Mouse is just Cadd9 and G
― flappy bird, Sunday, 28 May 2017 05:16 (six years ago) link
Milligan claimed that he wrote this song as a bet, with his brother, that he could not get a song into the hit parade that had only two chords (in this case G and D7).[3]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nebe1zuEtbc
― Future England Captain (Tom D.), Sunday, 21 June 2020 23:31 (three years ago) link
Tom Verlaine/Television, "Breakin' In My Heart"!
― Maggot Bairn (Tom D.), Tuesday, 31 January 2023 18:09 (one year ago) link
yes but which of these songs have the truth
― mookieproof, Friday, September 2, 2016 8:46 PM (six years ago)
― degenerative AI (morrisp), Tuesday, 31 January 2023 20:10 (one year ago) link
"Practice Makes Perfect" is an unusual example of this, in that the two chords (Cm and G♭) don't share any conventional key or mode. Colin Newman did this again in the verse of "Don't Bring Reminders" (using B♭ and E), but tossed in three more chords for the chorus.
― Halfway there but for you, Thursday, 2 February 2023 13:26 (one year ago) link