The progression for the chorus of “Sometimes It Snows In April” by Prince exhibits a rich mixture of non- diatonic chords and borrowed chords. The tonal center of the song is A, but it doesn’t strictly follow a specific major or minor scale, creating an interesting blend of light and dark tonalities. This characteristic is a common feature in Prince’s works, showing his notable talent for blending the traditional with the unconventional.
“Kiss” is a funk, synthpop song written, produced and performed by Prince. The song’s structure runs around a simple, repeated two-bar eight-note pattern, but what’s odd is the song’s key. Dotting between E and D, it’s hard to pin down definitively, but the song seems to be written in the ambiguous key of E Mixolydian/D major.
“When Doves Cry” by Prince features an unorthodox chord progression compared to many pop or rock songs from the era. The chord progression in the Outro as well as throughout the song remains constant, which underscores the plaintive mood of the song and lyrics. The progression: Em – F – G in the Outro contains borrowed chords from the parallel minor. This introduces a sense of ambiguity to the overall tonality.
“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.
“I Sat By The Ocean” by Queens of The Stone Age is written in E Major key.
“Little Red Corvette” by Prince is in the key of Gb Major. The song is a staple of 80’s pop and a good example of Prince’s signature sound of fusing elements from different genres, such as funk, pop, and rock. It’s a strong blend of complex chord progressions and simple, catchy melodic lines which adds a compelling depth to the music.
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