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Related Music Theory Alchemy

The song “Hurt” by Nine Inch Nails has a tonal center around the key of B minor, as it is the most prominently featured chord in both the verse and chorus sections. The verse features a simple three-chord progression (Bm-D-E), and the chorus introduces additional chords (G, A). The outro mainly repeats the chords from the verse. The style of the piece can be characterized as haunting, melancholic, and somewhat minimalistic with only a few chords creating the harmonic landscape.

The song “Every Day Is Exactly The Same” by Nine Inch Nails has a dark and moody atmosphere, characterized by the repetitive chord progression that sets the gloomy tone. This prolific use of chords throughout snippets of the song creates a musical portrait of monotony and disillusion which is reflective of the song’s title and lyrics. Looking at the chords provided from the second verse, this mood is accomplished through the consistent use of minor tonalities and alternation between two power chords – E and C.

“Nothings Gonna Change My Love For You” by George Benson is a romantic ballad in the key of Db major. The piece features a soothing and harmonically rich chord progression that is characteristic of the pop/jazz fusion style popular in the late 70s and 80s. The chorus features a mix of diatonic, borrowed, and secondary-dominant chords, creating an expressive palette of colors and tensions. This progression shares similarities with other ballads and pop songs from the era.

This is a beautiful chorus from “Rocket Man,” a song by Elton John. The overall vibe of the song is nostalgic and melancholy, largely due to the combination of key changes, chord progression, and Elton John’s vocal melody. The song appears to be in the key of G major.

The chord progression in Kali Uchis’ “Loner” features a mix of major, minor, and augmented chords, which contributes to the song’s unique sound and emotional depth. The progression has an unconventional and intriguing quality, while still maintaining a sense of harmonic coherence.

Nine Inch Nails – Hurt – Chorus

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Chord Progression

[‘Bm’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘A’, ‘Bm’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘A’, ‘Bm’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘A’, ‘Bm’, ‘G’, ‘A’, ‘B’]

Chord Progression Analysis

Here are all the full chord names and their roman numerals.

“`
B minor (i)
G Major (VI)
D Major (III)
A Major (VII)

B minor (i)
G Major (VI)
D Major (III)
A Major (VII)

B minor (i)
G Major (VI)
D Major (III)
A Major (VII)

B minor (i)
G Major (VI)
A Major (VII)
B Major (i – borrowed chord)
“`

Similar Chord Progressions

– The Axis of Awesome’s song “Four Chords” makes use of the same vi – IV – I – V progression present in “Hurt”. However, Axis of Awesome cycles these chords throughout the whole song, without the deviation presented the last line of “Hurt”.

– A multitude of pop songs use this progression, or a variation of it. This includes Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” (I – V – vi – IV) and The Beatles’ “Let it Be” (I – V – vi – V).

Please provide further details if the other parts of the song are also required to be analyzed.

Musical Analysis

“Burt” by Nine Inch Nails, is a highly introspective and emotive piece set in a minor key, featuring a repeating chord progression with a brief deviation in the final chord on the last line. This progression contributes to the listener’s sense of anticipation and expectation, particularly as the song builds towards its climax.

The use of the chord progression within the chorus of Bm – G – D – A is an example of a vi – IV – I – V progression when analyzed in D Major. This progression is commonly found in pop music due to its melodic resolution within the particular key and because it provides a sense of ‘completeness’. Therefore, when the progression changes on the final line to Bm – G – A – the listener perceives it as deviation from the expected resolution created by the previous progression.

The borrowed B Major chord is a direct modulation or “chromatic mediant relationship”, which occurs when the root notes of two chords are a third apart.

Overall Analysis

The song “Hurt” by Nine Inch Nails mainly consists of a six-chord progression (Bm, G, D, A, Bm, G), repeating four times in the chorus. The sixth repetition alters the ending (Bm, G, A, B), and the key of the song is B Minor.

Style Analysis

“Hurt” falls under the genre of Industrial Rock, a genre known for its harsh and experimental sounds. Yet this song takes a softer and more introspective approach, with the focus on the lyrics and the melody. The chord progression is relatively simple when compared to other songs in the same genre. This minimalism allows listeners to focus more on the artist’s poignant lyrics.

Chords in the Chorus section of Hurt by Nine Inch Nails are:

[‘Bm’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘A’, ‘Bm’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘A’, ‘Bm’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘A’, ‘Bm’, ‘G’, ‘A’, ‘B’]