Search

Related Music Theory Alchemy

This particular section is mostly based in the key of F major and highlights Freddie Mercury’s love for moving from the classical I-ii-V progression to the jazz-inspired I-IV-ii-V, often followed by a jazzy II-V-I. In this part of the song, you will find some interesting use of borrowed chords and leading tones, contributing to the chromaticism that enriches the progression.

“Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy” by Queen exhibits rich harmonic complexity that falls within the signature rock style of the band. This is evident in the fluctuation between major and minor chord quality, frequent use of 7th chords as well as borrowed chords from the parallel minor. The progression moves fluidly between the tonics, subdominants, and dominants, with a strong cadential movement towards the end that resolves the tension built upon earlier in the piece.

“Landslide” by The Smashing Pumpkins is a cover of a popular folk-rock song by Fleetwood Mac. In this song, The Smashing Pumpkins show their alternative rock style, while also paying homage to the folk-rock genre and especially to the founder of Folk-Rock “Fleetwood Mac”. The chords used throughout the song are predominantly composed in the key of G major, with the occasional use of a common borrowed chord (Am) from the G minor key.

**

Looking at the entire song and isolating the verse, the chord progression provided shows a rock style often seen in Queens of the Stone Age compositions. The harmonic language of this song and its progression style fall within the realm of Pop / Rock music, with frequent use of minor chords suggesting a somber or introspective mood. On first glance, it appears to contain chords primarily from the key of F# minor, with no obvious borrowings from other keys. However, a closer inspection will allow us to delve deeper into their harmonic function.

**

**

“Closer” by Nine Inch Nails utilizes a relatively simple chord structure, which allows the song to establish a pervasive atmosphere and direct the listener’s focus on the lyrics and melodies. This piece is in the key of C minor, and the chord progression is cyclical in nature, with Verse 2 consisting of the repetition of Cm7 chord throughout.

**

Queen – Dont Stop Me Now – Verse 2

Add To Favorites Remove From Favorites

< All Analyses

Chord Progression

[‘F’, ‘Am’, ‘Dm’, ‘Gm’, ‘C’, ‘F’, ‘Am’, ‘Dm’, ‘Gm’, ‘F/G’, ‘Gm7’, ‘C’, ‘Dm7/C’, ‘C7’, ‘F’, ‘F7’, ‘Bb’, ‘Gm7’, ‘D7’, ‘Gm’, ‘D7’, ‘Gm’, ‘Gm7’, ‘F/A’, ‘Bb’, ‘Bdim’, ‘C’]

Chord Progression Analysis

`F (I), Am (vi), Dm (ii), Gm (ii
in key of F, iv in key of D), C (V, secondary dominant), F (I), Am (vi), Dm (ii), Gm (iv in key of D), F/G (I with third in bass/V in key of C), Gm7 (ii7 in key of F), C (V), Dm7/C (ii7/5 of V), C7 (V7), F (I), F7 (I7), Bb (IV), Gm7 (ii7 in IV), D7 (V7 of ii in IV), Gm (ii in IV), D7 (V7 of ii in IV), Gm (ii in IV), Gm7 (ii7 in IV), F/A (I in first inversion), Bb (IV), Bdim (viio), C (V)`

Similar Chord Progressions

1. “Like a Rolling Stone” by Bob Dylan
`C (I), Dm (ii), Em (iii), F (IV), G (V), Am (vi)`

2.”Let it Be” by The Beatles
`C (I), G (V), Am (vi), F (IV), C (I), G (V), F (IV), C (I)`

These songs also use common pop progressions like I-V-vi-IV (like “Don’t Stop Me Now”) within their verses, albeit in a different key in the case of “Like a Rolling Stone”.

Musical Analysis

The progression starts with a classic I-vi-ii progression in F major. The Gm is a relative minor chord and could be viewed as the iv of D minor. The F/G is a first inversion of an F major triad, resulting in a smoother voice leading into the following Gm7 chord. Dm7/C creates tension for our ear as a secondary dominant (ii7/V), leading into the V7 (C7) chord, and resolving to the tonic (F major).

Overall Analysis

“Dont Stop Me Now” by Queen has a key of F major. The song takes you on a journey of a unique blend of chords and progression. Freddie Mercury and the entire band are known for their diverse songwriting abilities, apparent in ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’. The chord progression in Verse 2 hints a story-telling stalwart of pop music production – the major-to-relative-minor movement (I to vi), with some interesting additions of minor seven, major seven and diminished seventh chords, giving it a more sophisticated feel.

Style Analysis

Queen was known to experiment with the conventional “pop” music theory and often stepped out of the genre boundaries, blending rock with elements from classical music. “Don’t Stop Me Now” is considered a pop/rock song.

The pop aspect comes from the prominent use of common pop chord progressions like I-V-vi-IV. The rock feature is noticeable in the energetic, driving rhythms, pronounced guitar lines, and Freddie Mercury’s dynamic vocal performance. This mix of simple chords with a few unexpected twists represents Queen’s unique style.

Chords in the Verse 2 section of Dont Stop Me Now by Queen are:

[‘F’, ‘Am’, ‘Dm’, ‘Gm’, ‘C’, ‘F’, ‘Am’, ‘Dm’, ‘Gm’, ‘F/G’, ‘Gm7’, ‘C’, ‘Dm7/C’, ‘C7’, ‘F’, ‘F7’, ‘Bb’, ‘Gm7’, ‘D7’, ‘Gm’, ‘D7’, ‘Gm’, ‘Gm7’, ‘F/A’, ‘Bb’, ‘Bdim’, ‘C’]