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“Dead Flowers” by The Rolling Stones, from their album “Sticky Fingers” (1971), features a fairly straightforward repetitive chord progression of D, A, G, D in the verse. The key here is D Major. This common progression falls into a I-V-IV-I pattern known as a “plagal cadence”. It’s a progression which consists of a major key followed by its dominant (V), then its subdominant (IV), taking us back to the tonic (I).

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“You Can’t Always Get What You Want” by The Rolling Stones is built around major tonality and uses direct and simple progressions. It also features what are known as additive chords (Gadd9) – chords to which notes are added beyond the common triad. The song commences in the key of G Major, indicated by the G, Gadd9, and C chords. These chords progress in an almost continual cyclical pattern across the verses. Here, the dominant chord (D) in the key of G Major is absent, which grants a tonal ambiguity to the song. Interestingly, the song takes a departure into a different key later on which will not be included in this analysis as it pertains to the Verse only.

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The song seems to have a psychedelic pop/rock vibe reminiscing of the late ’60s and ’70s. The use of major seventh chords and repeated shifting between E Major and D Major hints at a sense of yearning and nostalgia, something that is commonly found in Tame Impala’s music.

This pre-chorus from Weezer’s “Buddy Holly” features an eight-chord progression in the key of A major. It includes a borrowed chord (Dm) from the parallel minor key (A minor). The harmonic movement consists of alternating D major and C# minor chords, followed by F# minor chords, before returning to the D major root and finally resolving with the borrowed Dm chord. This progression contributes to the energetic, catchy, and upbeat style of the song.

“Don’t Look Back in Anger” by Oasis, a popular rock ballad, is characterized by its melancholic chord progressions. Its key is major, specifically C Major, but it involves a frequent use of borrowed chords for a touch of bitterness, matching the poignant lyrics.

The Rolling Stones – Dead Flowers – Pre-chorus

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Chord Progression

[‘A’, ‘D’, ‘A’, ‘D’]

Chord Progression Analysis

The pre-chorus of “Dead Flowers” goes: ‘A’, ‘D’, ‘A’, ‘D’. This would translate as the following in a diatonic key of D major:

A Major (V),
D Major (I),
A Major (V),
D Major (I)

There are no borrowed chords in this progression.

Similar Chord Progressions

An identical chord progression (V-I) is found in “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd with the chords D-C-G (I-bVII-IV in G Major) and “Let It Be” by The Beatles with the chords C-G-Am-F (I-V-vi-IV in C Major), both of which show a similar simple and melodic approach to songwriting.

The progression in “Dead Flowers” and “Sweet Home Alabama”:
– ‘D’, ‘C’, ‘G’
– D Major (I’),
C Major (bVII’),
G Major (IV’)

The progression in “Dead Flowers” and “Let It Be”:
– ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘Am’, ‘F’
– C Major (I’),
G Major (V’),
A minor (vi’),
F Major (IV’)

Musical Analysis

This chord progression is straightforward and falls into the convention of numerous rock and pop songs. The A acts as the dominant fifth, which resolves to the tonic D providing the typical tension and resolution characteristic of so much popular music. This is an example of a basic V-I chord progression.

Overall Analysis

The song “Dead Flowers” by The Rolling Stones is a classic rock tune that is characterized by its simple yet effective chord progressions. The key of this song is D Major. This song utilizes mostly major chords (D, A, and G), and it has a strong emphasis on the I-IV-V chord progression, a staple in many rock, blues, and pop music.

Style Analysis

“Dead Flowers” falls into the genre of Rock and has heavy country influences. The use of a simple and repeated chord progression is a key feature in both rock and country music. The chord progression of ‘A’, ‘D’, ‘A’, ‘D’ is simple and easy to follow, making the song catchy and memorable, typical characteristics of the Rolling Stones’ style.

Chords in the Pre-chorus section of Dead Flowers by The Rolling Stones are:

[‘A’, ‘D’, ‘A’, ‘D’]