“Strawberry Fields Forever” by The Beatles is one of the excellent examples of the unique and complex style popular in the late 1960’s. It is in the key of E and further progresses to F# minor. The progression utilizes modal interchange, chromaticism, and unusual chord progressions to create a dreamlike and psychedelic landscape that perfectly suits the lyrical theme of the song.
With a Little Help from My Friends’ exists in a rich harmonic landscape typical of the Beatles. Here, we can see signature moves like mixing major/minor tonalities, borrowed chords, and unconventional harmonic progressions.
“Yesterday” is predominantly composed in the key of F Major. The song is a classic in pop songwriting and showcases the effective use of borrowed chords to capture a unique, nostalgic sound that has made it one of the most covered songs in pop music. Specifically, in this verse, the use of secondary dominants and borrowed chords from the parallel minor key provides the song’s distinctive tonal color.
“Today” by The Smashing Pumpkins is in E minor key. The song is from the album Siamese Dream, which most perfectly represents the band’s sound leaning heavily on crunchy guitars and raw power chords. Your requested verse only includes the chord progression ‘Em’, ‘G’, ‘B’ repeated 4 times.
“Come Together”, released by The Beatles in 1969 on their Abbey Road album, is a rock song known for its catchy bass-line, cryptic lyrics and iconic chorus. It’s written in D minor key, a common key in rock music. Across the progression, there is not only an interesting mix of different chords but also a novel use of borrowed chords that play a significant role in making the song mysterious, intriguing, and unique.
** The Beatles are well known for their creative and unusual use of chords and harmonies. In “Lucy in The Sky With Diamonds”, there is a clear example of their innovative harmonic vocabulary. They employ a variety of common, borrowed, and chromatic mediant chords to create a remarkable soundscape that complements the psychedelic theme of the song.
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