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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.

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“Honky Tonk Women” by the Rolling Stones is a classic rock track steeped in the blues tradition. The song is played in the key of G Major and primarily uses chords G, C, A, and D.

**Chorus

“Whole Lotta Love” by Led Zeppelin is characterized by its distinctive blues-rock style and its highly memorable, driving riff. The bulk of the song revolves around the E5 (E power) chord, with occasional transitions to the D5 chord at the beginning of each phrase, giving the song a simple yet highly effective chord progression. The song is in the key of E Mixolydian.

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“Don’t Look Back In Anger” uses simple yet effective chord progressions common in pop/rock music. It incorporates both major and minor chords, showing some classic pop sensibilities. The song is situated in the key of C Major. Embedded within this progression are instances of borrowed chords – the E7 for instance, is a secondary dominant, often used to inject a bit of tension and to give strong resolution leading into the next chord.

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“Heart Is A Drum” by Beck, from the album Morning Phase (2014), features a simple but effective chord progression in the key of C major. This song can be classified as alternative folk rock, and the harmonies used in the chord progression are quite common in this genre, as well as popular music in general. The progression creates a sense of nostalgia and emotional resonance, elevated by Beck’s lyricism and vocal delivery.

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’]