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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:

“Tiny Dancer” is an iconic song by Elton John from his 1971 album Madman Across the Water. Written in the key of C Major, it genre-wise fits the mold of pop music from the early 1970s. Structurally, the song displays unique nuances, especially in its pre-chorus, which shifts the tonal center and incorporates some borrowed chords from parallel minor scales.

“Honky Tonk Women” by The Rolling Stones is a classic rock song heavily influenced by country and blues. The song is characterized by both major and minor chords, primarily G, C, A, and D. The song is in the key of G major from the verse 1 progression you provided, and it has elements of both I-IV-V and I-V-vi-IV.

Verse 1

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“Riptide,” by Vance Joy has a classic, highly repetitive chord progression that creates the folk/pop character of the song. It is written in the key of C Major and uses the simplified I-IV-vi progression, which is also widely used in pop music. In addition, it has a common modulated transition via V chord (G) to the vi chord (Am). There are no borrowed chords in this progression. This repetitive structure can be appealing due to its simplicity and familiarity.

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“Come Together” by The Beatles, like many other Beatles songs, is known for its unique melody and innovative chord progressions. The song is written in the key of D minor and employs frequent use of bluesy pentatonic scale patterns. The meter is 4/4 (common time). The song is characterized by the use of common chords, with the exception of the Bm and Bm/A chords which are noteworthy.

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’]