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“Goodbye Blue Sky” is a song by Pink Floyd from their 1979 album, “The Wall.” It is known for its haunting, ethereal quality, achieved through the use of predominantly minor chords, lush harmonies, and a slow, atmospheric tempo. The song’s lyrics and melancholic mood reflect feelings of loss and desolation.

“Wish You Were Here” by Pink Floyd is a classic rock ballad from their 1975 album of the same name. The song features an introspective and expressive melody with a predominantly acoustic instrumentation. The chord progression for Verse 2 demonstrates a blend of diatonic and non-diatonic chords, with borrowed chords from parallel modes, which adds to the emotional depth of the piece.

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“Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys employs a series of chord progressions that echo the rising tension and resolution in the song’s narrative. The song is primarily in the key of D minor, with moments of temporary modulation, which allows for colorful and unexpected harmonies to emerge. This harmonic and melodic complexity is one of the defining characteristics of Brian Wilson’s writing style, highlighting his ability to push the boundaries of pop 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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This iconic Britpop song predominantly features the use of traditional tonal harmony found in pop songs throughout the late 20th century, and the verse specifically recalls the harmonic patterns utilized in the 1950s and 60s. The defining feature of this song (as is the case with many Oasis tunes) is the use of returning, resounding repetitions of simple chord sequences.

Pink Floyd – Goodbye Blue Sky – Verse 1

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Chord Progression

Am, B/A, Am, A7, D, A, D, Bm, D, Bm

Chord Progression Analysis

A minor (i) – B major/A (VI/iv) – A minor (i) – A dominant 7th (V7) – D major (IV) – A major (I) – D major (IV) – B minor (ii) – D major (IV) – B minor (ii)

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VI/iv = borrowed chord from the parallel minor of the relative major (A major)
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Similar Chord Progressions

1. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” by The Beatles:
A minor (i) – A major (I) – G major (VII) – E minor (v) – D major (IV) – A major (I) – C# minor (iii) – F# minor (vi)

2. “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin (intro section):
A minor (i) – G sharp diminished 7th (vii°7) – C major (III) – D major (IV) – F major (VI) – A minor (i) – G major (VII) – A minor (i)

While these progressions by The Beatles and Led Zeppelin are not exact matches to “Goodbye Blue Sky,” they share similar harmonic devices and modulations that create a similar sense of movement and emotion.

Musical Analysis

The progression starts with A minor, establishing the key as A minor. The second chord, B major/A, is a borrowed chord (VI/iv) from the parallel minor of the relative major (A major) that creates tension. The progression then returns to A minor before moving to A dominant 7th, functioning as a secondary dominant chord leading to D major, which is a common modulation from A minor to D major (IV).

The progression then moves to A major (I) before repeating D major (IV) and then going to B minor (ii), a diatonic chord in the key of A major. This suggests a shift to the relative major key of A major. Finally, the progression alternates between D major (IV) and B minor (ii) before continuing with the rest of the song.

Overall Analysis

“Goodbye Blue Sky” by Pink Floyd is a beautifully haunting piece with a chord progression that demonstrates their innovative use of borrowed chords and modulation to explore various tonal centers. The song is generally in the key of A minor.

Style Analysis

The chord progression used in “Goodbye Blue Sky” is an example of Pink Floyd’s innovative style when it comes to harmony and modulation. The borrowed chord and the modulation from A minor to D major and then to the relative major key (A major) makes the progression more complex and brings emotional depth to the song. This helps to create the overall haunting atmosphere of the piece.

Chords in the Verse 1 section of Goodbye Blue Sky by Pink Floyd are:

Am, B/A, Am, A7, D, A, D, Bm, D, Bm