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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“Brown Sugar” by The Rolling Stones is a rock and roll song prominently featuring electric guitar and piano, characterized by its driving groove and catchy chorus. The base key for the song is C Major. The harmonic progression is fairly simple and stays mainly within the diatonic chords, with some occasional borrowing from other modes.

“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.

“Hallelujah” by Jeff Buckley is a popular and iconic song that showcases Jeff Buckley’s unique vocal talent and emotional delivery. The song is in the key of C major and features a simple yet effective chord progression. The song’s memorable melody is accompanied by guitar, which uses arpeggiated fingerpicking. This adds to its musical depth and also creates dynamic rhythmic interest. The song builds in intensity as it progresses, and this, along with the powerful lyrics, contributes to the overall emotional impact of the piece.

Verse 3 of Radiohead’s Motion Picture Soundtrack features a melancholic and non-functional chord progression that showcases the band’s use of interesting chord voicings as well as the mixture of major and minor modalities. The progression revolves around the G major, and shifts between borrowed chords and non-conventional chord extensions such as the sus2 chord. This approach is typical of alternative rock bands like Radiohead, which often stray away from traditional norms in favor of innovative and evocative harmonies.

“Eleanor Rigby” is known for its unusual and innovative use of the Aeolian mode, otherwise known as the natural minor scale, which is reflected in the chord progression Em – C. The song incorporates string arrangements and has a narrative, storytelling style. Unlike most pop and rock songs of the time, it does not contain drums or guitars. The chord utilization is simple with only two chords used throughout, Em and C, but it nevertheless creates a unique and haunting soundscape.

The Rolling Stones – Brown Sugar – Verse 3

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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

“`
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)
C Major (I)
Bb Major (bVII)
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

The I-IV-bVII-V progression can be found in numerous songs across various genres, particularly in rock and pop music. Here are a few:

“Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses
“`
Db Major (I)
Ab Major (V)
Bb minor (vi)
Gb Major (IV)
Db Major (I)
Ab Major (V)
B Major (bVII)
“`

“Free Fallin’” by Tom Petty
“`
D Major (I)
D Major (I)
A Major (V)
G Major (IV)
B minor (IV)
A Major (V)
G Major (IV)
B Major (bVII)
“`

Note: Bear in mind that different songs might have variations in their chord progressions.

Musical Analysis

The aforementioned structure introduces tension and release within the song and provides a clear directional movement. The usage of the borrowed bVII chord (Bb) adds variety and deviates from the straightforward major key progression, transiently hinting at a Mixolydian mode. The solidly anchored harmonic rhythm also provides continuity and predictability.

Overall Analysis

The chord progression can be divided into three main sections (please see the details below). The first section is based around the I chord (C), the second section introduces the IV chord (F), then it returns to the I chord. The third section introduces a borrowed chord (bVII – Bb from C Mixolydian), a V chord (G), then returns to the I chord with a brief excursion back to the V chord. There is repetition in this section with the return to the I chord.

Style Analysis

Like many Rolling Stones songs, “Brown Sugar” is grounded in blues and rock. The borrowed bVII chord is a common trope in rock music that often comes from the Mixolydian mode, which is just a major scale with a flat 7th degree. The Rolling Stones are particularly known for their mixture of rock and blues stylings, and this chord progression reflects that well.

Chords in the Verse 3 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’]