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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“Brown Sugar” by The Rolling Stones is a rock song in the key of C major. The chord progression is simple and effective, reflecting the band’s blues and rock ‘n’ roll influences. The overall structure includes three verses with the same chord progression.

“Wild Horses” by The Rolling Stones is a rock ballad with a minor tonality and is composed in the key of G major. The song incorporates the use of modal interchange, more commonly referred to as borrowed chords, from the parallel minor. This common technique in rock music contributes to the melancholic and emotionally resonant feeling of the song.

“Hey Joe” is a famous song by Jimi Hendrix, which features a simple yet very effective chord progression throughout its verses. It has a five-chord progression, which is C, G, D, A, and E. This progression creates a strong and recognizable flow, thus contributing to the song’s iconic status.

“Zombie” by The Cranberries is in the key of E minor. Its structure is generally pop and rock, with the power of distorted guitars and a heavy drumbeat complemented by Dolores O’Riordan’s haunting vocals. It utilizes a four-chord progression, which is common in many pop and rock tracks and has been a popular choice amongst songwriters for its simplicity and versatility.

“The Bullet With Butterfly Wings” by The Smashing Pumpkins essentially revolves around the use of power chords, or 5th chords, to project a raw, grungy intensity. The chord progression (B5, Em, G5), extracted from the second verse of the song, is prominent throughout. The use of power chords results in a composition that doesn’t transpose to a traditional major or minor key, but fits within a modal framework.

The Rolling Stones – Brown Sugar – Verse 2

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Chord Progression

[‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘F’, ‘F’, ‘F’, ‘F’, ‘F’, ‘F’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘Bb’, ‘C’, ‘Bb’, ‘G’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’]

Chord Progression Analysis

Verse 2 proceeds as follows:
C Major (I)
C Major (I)
C Major (I)
C Major (I)
C Major (I)
C Major (I)
C Major (I)
F Major (IV)
F Major (IV)
F Major (IV)
F Major (IV)
F Major (IV)
F Major (IV)
F Major (IV)
C Major (I)
C Major (I)
C Major (I)
C Major (I)
C Major (I)
C Major (I)
C Major (I)
Bb Major (bVII) – borrowed chord
C Major (I)
Bb Major (bVII) – borrowed chord
G Major (V)
G Major (V)
C Major (I)
C Major (I)
C Major (I)
C Major (I)
C Major (I)
G Major (V)
C Major (I)
C Major (I)
C Major (I)
C Major (I)
C Major (I)

Similar Chord Progressions

Several artists have used similar chord progressions. Tom Petty’s “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” uses a similar progression with chords in key of A minor, and a borrowed D Major chord: [‘Am’, ‘Am’, ‘Am’, ‘Am’, ‘Am’, ‘Am’, ‘Am’, ‘D’, ‘D’, ‘D’, ‘D’, ‘D’, ‘D’, ‘D’, ‘Am’, ‘Am’, ‘Am’, ‘Am’, ‘Am’, ‘Am’, ‘Am’, ‘G’, ‘Am’, ‘G’, ‘E’, ‘E’, ‘Am’, ‘Am’, ‘Am’, ‘Am’, ‘Am’, ‘E’, ‘Am’, ‘Am’, ‘Am’, ‘Am’, ‘Am’]. Likewise, Neil Young’s “Powderfinger” uses a similar progression with chords in key of D Major and a borrowed C Major chord.

Musical Analysis

The song revolves around a recurring major pentatonic riff. The Stones use heavy repetition of the I chord (C major) which creates a hypnotic, driving groove. The IV chord (F major) then provides a brief change. Borrowed bVII chord (Bb Major) adds color to the progression, and the use of V chord (G Major) adds tension and release, and allows for the transition back to the I chord (C major) to resolve the progression.

Overall Analysis

“Brown Sugar” by The Rolling Stones, off their 1971 album Sticky Fingers, is in the key of C major, and primarily uses the chords C, F, G and Bb. This song showcases the band’s blues rock influences, built on a repetitive, riff-driven chord progression. The use of I, IV, V, and a borrowed bVII (Bb), which is common in the blues, creates an appealing and familiar sound, helping the song resonate with listeners.

Style Analysis

“Brown Sugar” embodies elements of blues, rock’n’roll, and classic rock genres. Known for their blues-influenced rock sound, Rolling Stones make good use of the borrowed bVII chord. By incorporating this borrowed chord, which is frequently used in blues, the band creates an authentic ‘bluesy’ feeling, and adds color to their music.

Chords in the Verse 2 section of Brown Sugar by The Rolling Stones are:

[‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘F’, ‘F’, ‘F’, ‘F’, ‘F’, ‘F’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘Bb’, ‘C’, ‘Bb’, ‘G’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’]