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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“I’m Still Standing” is a pop rock song by Elton John, from his 1983 album “Too Low For Zero”. The song is up-tempo, featuring energetic keyboard playing from Elton John, and has become one of his most enduring hits. The song is in the key of E Major.

Here’s the chord progression analysis of the coda and the full chord names with their roman numerals:

“Your Song” is characterized by a varied and complex chord progression that helps to emphasize the emotional complexity of the lyrics. This is apparent in the progression used in Verse 2, which employs several techniques used frequently by Elton John. These include the use of secondary dominants, borrowed chords, modal mixture, and chromatic bass movements to add emotional color and reinforce the feeling of tension and resolution in the song’s narrative.

The chord progression in Muse’s “Feeling Good” is in the key of G minor and showcases an interesting and creative use of borrowed chords and inversions. The progression follows a cyclical pattern that creates tension and release throughout the verse. The style is reminiscent of soul and jazz influences with a hint of rock elements, which is a common characteristic in Muse’s music.

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The overall use of chords highlights Queen’s blending of rock with more complex harmonic structures, moving beyond simple major & minor chords and incorporating 7th and inversions. Despite its pop/rock surface, “Somebody to Love” includes interesting modulation and chord choices that could be seen as more typical of more ‘classical’ forms of music.

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The Wind Cries Mary by Jimi Hendrix is a classic rock ballad written in the key of F major, based around a somewhat simple, yet effective, chord progression. There are a few borrowed chords and modulations that add to the harmonic complexity and characteristic guitar work by Hendrix. The song’s structure consists of a verse, followed by a brief pre-chorus, and a chorus before repeating.

Elton John – Im Still Standing – Verse 1

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Chord Progression

[‘E’, ‘A/E’, ‘B’, ‘E’, ‘F#m7/E’, ‘A/E’, ‘B’, ‘C#m’, ‘A’, ‘E’, ‘F#m/E’, ‘E’]

Chord Progression Analysis

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“`
E (‘I’),
A/E (‘IV/I’),
B (‘V’),
E (‘I’),
F#m7/E (‘ii7/I’),
A/E (‘IV/I’),
B (‘V’),
C#m (‘vi’),
A (‘IV’),
E (‘I’),
F#m7/E (‘ii7/I’),
E (‘I’)
“`

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Similar Chord Progressions

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One of pop music’s most famous examples of similar chord progressions might be “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey:
“`
E (‘I’),
B (‘V’),
C#m (‘vi’),
A (‘IV’)
“`
Or even “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd:
“`
E (‘I’),
A (‘IV’),
B (‘V’)
“`
Note that these songs do not include the slash chords and inversions seen in “I’m Still Standing,” making them a bit less harmonically complex. However, their basic structure, emphasizing I-IV-V and vi chord relationships, is quite similar.

Musical Analysis

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The progression opens and closes with the E Major chord, clearly establishing the tonal center. The alternation between E and A/E highlights the I-IV pattern which is very common in pop/rock music. The V-I progressions in the sequence (B-E) add tension and release, keeping the song moving forward. The F#m7/E shows a bit more color, adding some complexity to the harmony. The progression from C#m (vi) to A (IV) is a fairly common one in pop music, often used after the V-I close of a phrase.

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Overall Analysis

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Generally, the chord progression follows the conventional guidelines of western music, utilizing strong resolution from B (V) to E (I). However, it also employs some harmony techniques very typical in pop/rock music, such as the use of slash chords and chord inversions (A/E, F#m7/E) to add harmonic interest. In addition, it incorporates chromatic mediant relationships (E to C#m) to create a sense of progression.

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Style Analysis

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This chord progression is quite typical for Elton John’s style. He often uses these sort of “common pop” chords in his songs, but with slight tweaks like slash chords and inversions to make them more interesting. He also incorporates the chromatic mediant (C#m) more frequently than most pop composers, adding a slight classical touch to his sound.

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Chords in the Verse 1 section of Im Still Standing by Elton John are:

[‘E’, ‘A/E’, ‘B’, ‘E’, ‘F#m7/E’, ‘A/E’, ‘B’, ‘C#m’, ‘A’, ‘E’, ‘F#m/E’, ‘E’]