The Smashing Pumpkins – 1979 – Bridge
1979 < All Analyses
Chord Progression
[‘C#m’, ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C#m’, ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C#m’, ‘A’, ‘F#m7’, ‘B’, ‘Emaj7’, ‘E’]
Chord Progression Analysis
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The song is in the Key of E Major. The chord progression in the Bridge is constructed as:
“`C# Minor (vi) – A Major (IV) – B Major (V) – C# Minor (vi) – A Major (IV) – B Major (V) – C# Minor (vi) – A Major (IV) – F# Minor7 (ii7) – B Major (V) – E Major 7 (IMaj7) – E Major (I)“`
In code block:
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“C# Minor (‘vi’) – A Major (‘IV’) – B Major (‘V’) – C# Minor (‘vi’) – A Major (‘IV’) – B Major (‘V’) – C# Minor (‘vi’) – A Major (‘IV’) – F# Minor7 (‘ii7’) – B Major (‘V’) – E Major 7 (‘IMaj7’) – E Major (‘I’)”
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Similar Chord Progressions
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Similar to the vi-IV-V-I progression used in ‘1979’, Green Day has used similar progression in their hit song ’21 Guns’:
“`D minor (vi) – Bb Major (IV) – F Major (I) – C Major (V)“`
Coldplay’s ‘The Scientist’ also shares a familiar chord progression:
“`D minor (vi) – Bb Major (IV) – F Major (I) – C Major (V)“`
Avril Lavigne’s ‘Complicated’ also involves a similar progression:
“`F Major (I) – C Major (V) – Bb Major (IV) – D minor (vi)“`
In code block:
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“D minor (‘vi’) – Bb Major (‘IV’) – F Major (‘I’) – C Major (‘V’)”
“D minor (‘vi’) – Bb Major (‘IV’) – F Major (‘I’) – C Major (‘V’)”
“F Major (‘I’) – C Major (‘V’) – Bb Major (‘IV’) – D minor (‘vi’)”
“`
Musical Analysis
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This chord progression revolves around the vi-IV-V, which is a popular progression in pop music as it creates a strong sense of resolution when it finally lands on the ‘I’ chord. It begins and ends on the ‘E’ while it deviates slightly in the middle by incorporating an F# minor 7 chord, which works as a borrowed chord and provides a unique flavor to the progression.
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Overall Analysis
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“The Smashing Pumpkins” in the song ‘1979’ has used a somewhat unconventional yet memorable chord progression, particularly in the bridge section. This progression creates a certain mood and melodic texture befitting the song’s laid-back yet emotionally resonant feel.
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Style Analysis
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The Smashing Pumpkins are known for their diverse approach to songwriting, often incorporating various music styles ranging from pop, punk, gothic rock, and heavy metal. Their chord progressions often have a sense of resolution but with unexpected twists which make their music unpredictable yet melodically strong. ‘1979’ is an excellent example of this stylization as it combines the use of common and borrowed chords to create a distinctive sound.
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What are the chords in: The Smashing Pumpkins – 1979 – Bridge?
[‘C#m’, ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C#m’, ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C#m’, ‘A’, ‘F#m7’, ‘B’, ‘Emaj7’, ‘E’]
