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Related Music Theory Alchemy

The chord progression of “Beast Of Burden” by The Rolling Stones from verse 3 appears to be a standard pop/rock progression with a bit of melodic flavor. It features the chords of E major, B major, C# minor, and A major.

The song is in the key of E Major as that’s the chord the progression starts and ends with, and most of the chords are from the E major scale. There are no borrowed chords, and the progression is repetitive, maintaining a loop throughout most of the song.

Let’s move on to the detailed chord progression analysis, chord names, and their roman numerals.

“Wild Horses” is a song by the rock band Rolling Stones from their 1971 album “Sticky Fingers”. It is a great example of the band’s adeptness not only at writing catchy rock songs but also at creating complex and interesting chord progressions. The song is in the key of G major. The verse progression is interesting with the use of the B minor chord (Bm), which is the iii chord in the key of G major – a chord that isn’t commonly used in popular music.

The chord progression in the chorus of Beck’s “Lord Only Knows” is in the key of B Major and features some chromaticism and borrowed chords that give it a unique and somewhat unexpected sound. The chords move predominantly in fourths and fifths. The nature of the progression is reminiscent of rock and folk music, but Beck’s quirky and stylistic approach also evokes an alternative feel.

The chord progression of Radiohead’s “Everything In Its Right Place” is unique and complex, which contributes to the dreamy, atmospheric, and rich harmonic content prevalent in the song. Its ambiguous key center and shifting tonal centers create a sense of fluidity and unpredictability, commonly observed in Radiohead’s style. The chorus features a blend of diatonic and borrowed chords from parallel keys, which creates a colorful, almost impressionist quality to the progression.

The chorus of Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” utilizes a chord progression that elevates the song’s emotional resonance, serving as a climactic counterpart to the reflective verses. This section combines lush harmonies with straightforward pop sensibilities, creating a poignant and memorable musical moment that aligns with the song’s thematic exploration of self-awareness and complexity.

The Rolling Stones – Beast Of Burden – Chorus

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Chord Progression

[‘A’, ‘E/G#’, ‘A’, ‘E/G#’, ‘B’]

Chord Progression Analysis

The chorus sequence [A, E/G#, A, E/G#, B] comes out as follows:

“`
A Major (‘IV’), E Major/G# (‘I’), A Major (‘IV’), E Major/G# (‘I’), B Major (‘V’)
“`

In context of E major, A Major is the IV, E Major is the I, and B Major is the V. The E/G# denotes an inversion, which means the G# (the 3rd of the E Major chord) is in the bass.

Similar Chord Progressions

1. “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses, with the progression:

“`
D Major (‘IV’), A Major/E (‘I’), D Major (‘IV’), A Major/E (‘I’), E Major (‘V’)
“`

2. “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey, notably the chorus, with the progression:

“`
A Major (‘IV’), E Major/G# (‘I’), A Major (‘IV’), E Major/G# (‘I’), B Major (‘V’)
“`
These songs share similar progressions to “Beast of Burden”, employing the IV-I movement and utilizing inverted chords to create melodically interesting baselines.

Musical Analysis

In this progression, The Rolling Stones use an interesting combination of major, minor, and inverted chords to lend an unsettled yet still grounded feel to the song. The E/G# inversions serve as a passing tone, smoothing the transition between the A and B chords.

Overall Analysis

“Beast of Burden” by The Rolling Stones uses a common rock arrangement with a focus on the V, I, and vi chords. The distinguishing factor for this particular progression is its consistent use of inverted chords to create more linear, and stepwise, bass lines.

Style Analysis

The Rolling Stones often favor blues-influenced progressions, but “Beast of Burden” deviates from this slightly by interspersing more pop-esque IV-I movements. Still, the band’s rock ‘n’ roll roots declare themselves in the climactic shift from I to V, providing a punchy resolve.

Chords in the Chorus section of Beast Of Burden by The Rolling Stones are:

[‘A’, ‘E/G#’, ‘A’, ‘E/G#’, ‘B’]