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The song “Space Oddity” by David Bowie features a complex and varied chord progression that incorporates elements of both traditional and experimental popular music. The song is in the key of C Major, and its progression is characterized by the use of modal interchange, or the borrowing of chords from parallel scales. This is indicative of Bowie’s varied musical influences, combining elements of folk, rock, and pop while also incorporating experimental techniques associated with progressive rock.

The Sound Of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel, released in 1964, is a solid example of folk rock genre transitioning into what we now know as classic rock. The chord progression is straightforward yet powerful, and it perfectly complements the beautifully written lyrics and evocative vocal harmonies. Furthermore, the song is written in A minor, a key that is often associated with sadness, which enhances the melancholic and introspective feelings conveyed by the lyrics.

“Eleanor Rigby’” is a song by The Beatles, released on their 1966 album “Revolver”. Being unusually somber and profound for a pop song, it showcases The Beatles’ expanding musical palette and their desire to move past the conventional parameters of popular music at the time. The song itself is crafted entirely around the key of E minor, with only occasional diversions to the IV chord (C Major). It strongly exhibits the use of Aeolian mode (commonly known as the ‘natural’ minor) and employs string quartet instrumentation, a unique stylistic pattern at that time.

“Fake Plastic Trees” by Radiohead is a melancholic song with an emotional chord progression. The song is in the key of A Major and features a mixture of diatonic chords, suspended chords, and extended chords that create a sense of yearning and tension. The verse is characterized by a cyclical progression that begins and ends on the tonic (A), providing a sense of unresolved tension. This helps to support the song’s themes of artificiality and dissatisfaction.

David Bowie – Space Oddity – Verse 1

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Chord Progression

[‘C’, ‘E7’, ‘F’, ‘Fm’, ‘C’, ‘F’, ‘Fm’, ‘C’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘E7’, ‘F’, ‘Fm’, ‘C’, ‘F’, ‘Fm’, ‘C’, ‘F’]

Chord Progression Analysis

The chords for Verse 1 are as follows, with their respective Roman numeral analysis:
“`
C Major (I)
E7 (III7 or V/V/vi)
F Major (IV)
F minor (iv)
C Major (I)
F Major (IV)
F minor (iv)
C Major (I)
F Major (IV)
C Major (I)
E7 (III7 or V/V/vi)
F Major (IV)
F minor (iv)
C Major (I)
F Major (IV)
F minor (iv)
C Major (I)
F Major (IV)
“`
The E7 chord here can be seen as a Secondary Dominant, specifically the Dominant of the dominant (V) of the sixth (vi) degree in C Major. The Fm chord is a Borrowed Chord from the parallel minor, C minor.

Similar Chord Progressions

The Beatles’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” has a similar chord progression with a IV-iv-I progression (in this case, it’s actually Db-Dbm-Ab in the key of Ab major), and similar to “Space Oddity,” the use of the minor iv chord creates a dramatic surprise, breaking listeners’ expectations of traditional major key harmony. Norah Jones’s “Don’t Know Why” also exhibits a similar progression, establishing a tranquil and simultaneously melancholic mood.

Musical Analysis

The use of the Fm for a brief moment generates a hint of C minor’s tonality momentarily, moving the tonal center. This is a frequent practice in pop music, the transition from IV to iv before returning to the Tonic (I). It creates an exciting and dramatic contrast. The chromatic progression creates a melancholic mood which contrasts with the happiness of the major chords before and after.

Many critiques state that this constant back and forth between major and minor signifies the uncertainty and evokes a sense of emotional stress, which really fits the lyrical theme of space travel, uncertainty, and feeling completely out of place.

Overall Analysis

David Bowie’s song, “Space Oddity,” is typically interpreted as being in the key of C Major. It’s an interesting song harmonically, featuring not just Primary Triads and Secondary Dominants but also uses Borrowed Chords, non-functional harmony, and chromatic chord changes. The kind of harmonic movement might be called Bowie’s deviation from the traditional harmonic patterns, which is part of what gives his music its characteristic ‘alien’ vibe. This progression has a more modal feeling due to the use of borrowed chords and the shifted tonal center.

Style Analysis

Bowie’s tendency to incorporate nontraditional chord progressions and structures plays a significant role in his unique sound. Melodically, Bowie’s work is noted for its wide-ranging and odd vocal lines, which often obscure or deviate from the typical harmonic structure.

Chords in the Verse 1 section of Space Oddity by David Bowie are:

[‘C’, ‘E7’, ‘F’, ‘Fm’, ‘C’, ‘F’, ‘Fm’, ‘C’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘E7’, ‘F’, ‘Fm’, ‘C’, ‘F’, ‘Fm’, ‘C’, ‘F’]