“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.
“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.
“Bullet With Butterfly Wings” by The Smashing Pumpkins features a chord progression that uses a lot of power chords (fifth chords) which demonstrates its grungy, rock oriented style. It also incorporates major, minor, and suspended second chords, making it an interesting combination of simplicity and complexity.
“Hey Jude” goes through a clear progression, switching through the keys of D major, A major and G major. Like many Beatles songs, it cleverly varies between these keys in keeping with the melody and mood of the piece. The complexity of this progression is part of the song’s charm and helps exemplifies the band’s creative approach to composition.
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.
“Bullet With Butterfly Wings” by The Smashing Pumpkins is an alternative rock song released in 1995. The song is in the key of E minor and primarily uses power chords derived from the E minor scale throughout the song. Power chords or ‘5’ chords, like B5 or G5, don’t have a major or minor quality and are often used in rock music for their strong and neutral sound. The song also applies modal mixture (borrowing chords from parallel keys) for color and tension.
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“Landslide” by The Smashing Pumpkins, originally by Fleetwood Mac, is written in the key of G major. The song features simple, but effective, chord progressions that are common in the folk and rock genres. The progression utilizes primary chords in the key (G, D, and C), along with some modal mixture via the borrowing of the minor iv chord (C) and minor vi chord (Am) from the parallel minor key (G minor). The secondary dominant D/F# creates tension and movement towards the Em chord. There is also the use of a G6 chord which adds color to the piece.
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The “Glory Box” by Portishead chorus progression is based in D minor and moves between this primary D minor chord and three other chords: Dm/C, Bm7b5, and Bbmaj7. The Dm/C chord is the same as the D minor, but with a different note in the bass (C). The Bm7b5 is a half-diminished chord. The Bbmaj7 is major seventh chord.
The Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations” presents an interesting mix of major and minor chords with excellent use of chord inversions and borrowings. The song is harmonically adventurous, showcasing the band’s pop mastery with Brian Wilson’s unmatched compositional skills. This song is primarily in the key of A Major, with many borrowed chords and modulation that creates its unique feel.
“Sour Times” by Portishead is characterized by dark, brooding sounds and melancholic melodies that gives the song its distinct feel, largely due to the specific chord progression that is used throughout the song. Written in the key of E major, the song makes use of a diverse selection of chords that offers a wider blend of harmonic options to navigate through different moods and tonal landscapes.
This chord progression is in the key of Am. The work can be seen as a mix of the Western tonal harmony, incorporating the use of inversions alongside nondiatonic chords. Tame Impala employs the elements of neo-psychedelia with unique chord progressions and arrangements. The alteration between two chords creates a revolving feeling, reinforcing the title “alter ego”.
“Bennie And The Jets” by Elton John, released in 1973, features a distinctive chord progression that exemplifies Elton’s advanced harmonic sensibility and taste for grand piano-based balladry. The song is mainly in the key of G Major.
“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.
“Boulevard of Broken Dreams” by Green Day, released in 2004, is an alt-rock anthem that largely follows a 4-chord progression throughout the song. The key signature of the song is E minor (derived from the root chord), and essentially all chords used in the song are diatonic, meaning they are derived from the scales of the key. The chorus shifts to a progression in C Major. However, it returns to E minor at the end.
“Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, is characterized by a lush, cinematic melody that encapsulates John’s knack for crafting pop ballad choruses. Its base key is D Major, showcasing a mix of diatonic, dominant seventh, and borrowed chords. Its diverse chord progression is reflective of Elton John’s diverse influences, which include pop, rock, blues, and classical music.
“Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” is a pop song by Elton John from the album “Caribou,” released in 1974. The song is set in the key of C Major, with some interesting chord changes and borrowed chords that are rich and reflective of Elton John’s unique harmonic style. The chorus especially impresses with unexpected chord shifts, demonstrating a sophisticated songwriting technique.
“Can You Feel The Love Tonight” is a pop ballad written in the key of G major. The progression makes traditional use of the G major chord scale with a notable exception of a borrowed chord A/C#.
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