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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“Tonight, Tonight” by The Smashing Pumpkins is a rock song happy to embrace classical music tropes. An orchestral, string-heavy arrangement propels the song, surrounding the listener with a rich tapestry of sound. The grandiose sound of the full orchestra is bolstered by the band’s dual guitars and Billy Corgan’s characteristic singing.

“Bullet With Butterfly Wings” by The Smashing Pumpkins is a rock song that alternates between heavy distortion and calm sections. Interestingly, the song is mostly in E minor, but uses a lot of power chords (5th chords) and sus2 chords which give the song a distinctively undecided, floating feeling, as these chords don’t have a clear major or minor character. The song uses a rather straightforward progression with a few deviations and embellishments which provide tension and release.

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 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.

“It’s A Fire” by Portishead is a song characterized by its frequent modulations and use of borrowed chords, making it a considerable complexity in terms of harmony. It features transition from key centers and borrowed chords from other keys, which creates tension and resolution creating the signature moody and intense atmosphere Portishead is known for.

The Smashing Pumpkins – Tonight Tonight – Chorus

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Chord Progression

[‘Cadd9’, ‘G/B’, ‘D’, ‘Em’, ‘Am’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘G/B’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘D/F#’, ‘Em’]

Chord Progression Analysis

Here’s the chorus part of the progression:

Cadd9 (Iadd9), G/B (V6), D (II), Em (iii), Am (vi), Cadd9 (Iadd9), G/B (V6), D (II), G (V), D/F# (V6), Em (iii)

“`Cadd9 here is a borrowed chord from the C Major Scale.“`

Similar Chord Progressions

1. “High and Dry” by Radiohead

In the verse: [“Fadd9” (Iadd9), “A#maj/A” (IV6), “Cmaj” (V), “Gmin” (ii), “Dmin” (vi), “Fadd9” (Iadd9), “A#maj/A” (IV6), “Cmaj” (V)]

2. “Don’t Look Back in Anger” by Oasis

In the chorus: [“Cadd9” (Iadd9), “G” (V), “Am” (vi), “Em” (iii), “F” (IV), “G” (V), “C” (I), “Am” (vi), “E7” (III7)]

Note: While these examples may not have the exact same chord progression, they have similar elements such as the usage of added 9th chords and chord inversions.

Musical Analysis

C’s (1st and 7th) and G/B (2nd and 8th), as well as D (3rd) make a descending bass line (C-B-A-G-F#). These choices of inversion and the use of added notes (Cadd9) brings depth and saturated harmonic content to the tonal landscape. Then, Em (4th), Am (5th), and the other chords that follow continue to enhance the expressiveness of the song with further tonal palette expansion.

Overall Analysis

“Tonight, Tonight” by The Smashing Pumpkins draws from the band’s unique style of alternative rock influenced by a distinct palette of harmonic choices. Particularly in the songwriting of Billy Corgan (the band’s primary songwriter), the band tends to use a mix of common and uncommon chords, together with a tendency of exploring different tonalities. Often, the chord changes are driven by guitar inversions, suspensions, or additions.

Style Analysis

Smashing Pumpkins often utilize intricate chord progressions and a copious use of add chords and inversions, which can be seen in the chorus of “Tonight, Tonight”. This song also showcases their use of both ‘classic’ and non-standard tunings that provide a unique twist to their alternative rock sound.

Chords in the Chorus section of Tonight Tonight by The Smashing Pumpkins are:

[‘Cadd9’, ‘G/B’, ‘D’, ‘Em’, ‘Am’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘G/B’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘D/F#’, ‘Em’]