Songs with the same chord progression throughout most or all of the song.

[bgrotto]

Hmmm..."Louie, Louie"? And countless 12-bar blues.

How about "So What" by Miles Davis? Come to think of it, a lot of modal jazz tends to lean heavily on extremely simple and repetitive chord progressions.

[Mr. Liszt]

Radiohead's first single "Creep."

"Sweet Home Alabama" in large part.

Sufjan Stevens does it quite well in a few songs.

There are so many others.

What do you want a list? Or did you want to discuss compositional techniques on how to approach this?

I do this in my "unique but appealing" writing a bit. Two of my groups local "hits" are having the same chord progression at the same rate throughout the songs. I think it's a fun challenge and a unique exercise in advanced arranging. I really appreciate when I hear a song done by someone who can pull this off. It's not easy to do well! Having studied classical orchestration doesn't hurt. Not necessary either though.

[theblotted]

almost all rap songs?

[ryst]

Originally Posted by Mr. Liszt

Radiohead's first single "Creep."

"Sweet Home Alabama" in large part.

Sufjan Stevens does it quite well in a few songs.

There are so many others.

What do you want a list? Or did you want to discuss compositional techniques on how to approach this?

I do this in my "unique but appealing" writing a bit. Two of my groups local "hits" are having the same chord progression at the same rate throughout the songs. I think it's a fun challenge and a unique exercise in advanced arranging. I really appreciate when I hear a song done by someone who can pull this off. It's not easy to do well! Having studied classical orchestration doesn't hurt. Not necessary either though.

Well, most of my songs have much more chord progression changes but one in paticular is just "dying to stay the same" thru most if not all of the song. So listening to other songs that stay the same would be very helpful to me. For me the trickiest part is writing separate verse and chorus vocal melodies.

[allencollins]

Originally Posted by Mr. Liszt

"Sweet Home Alabama" in large part.

DCG Right? well lets check it out

not the bridge....
not the solo, not the outro ......
boo hoo hoo? Nah..... like that F chord tension there

oh what about the D-C-G-F-G chord picking in the verses?
so much for all D-C-G

in large part? nah not even close
DCG only in the chorus.

check out that acoustic guitar track in sweet home too, very 'sweet'

[Newcleardaze]

Tom Petty's "Free Falling" is close... a few rythmic changes I believe but the chord pattern is basically the same.

[IntenseJim]

Lots of rocks song. Off the top of my head a few....

GLORIA (not the U2 song)****************
Sweet Jane--Lou Reed
Planet Claire--B52s
I Need to Know--Tom Petty

[ripper]

omg! when i saw the post about sweet home alabama i said "i think mr. a. collins is about to step in here!" was i right or was i right?

the OP said one or two chords and we all know the musical geniuses that were lynrd skynrd left THAT in the dust with their repeated use of a THREE chord progression! why let a chord change get in the way of a killer riff, right?

i for one, think using more than 2 chords is for neophytes and art-rockers.

take MANNISH BOY by arguably my fav musician, Mr. Morganfield.

or Who Do You Love by the right honorable bo diddley

or Spoonful by Howling Wolf

Little red rooster?

thumbsupthumbsup

seriously, i love the old one-chorder... because it ain't about FORM, it's all about DELIVERY!!!

put that into yer elastic audio and autotune pipe and smoke it!

[Renegade Prod]

teardrop - massive attack

[Mr. Liszt]

Originally Posted by allencollins

DCG Right? well lets check it out

not the bridge....
not the solo, not the outro ......
boo hoo hoo? Nah..... like that F chord tension there

oh what about the D-C-G-F-G chord picking in the verses?
so much for all D-C-G

in large part? nah not even close
DCG only in the chorus.

check out that acoustic guitar track in sweet home too, very 'sweet'

Actually, I'd say it's pretty close. With all due respect and everything. It's not like that makes it a bad song or anything. Geez. I did say "in large part." It's a whole lot of three chords with clever alteration of arrangement. Yeah, I know a lot of people will say, "Oh Sweet Home Alabama so easy with three chords!" I know a lot of people will leave out the F chord when they play it for you. And I know a lot of people don't play all of the proper licks for the different sections. NOt to mention NO ONE ever plays properly the very beginning per the well-known recording, palm muted notes and open string grace notes etc. But really it is a whole lot of D, C & G one has to say.

I also think that if one is studying how to keep interest in a song with one dominant/chief/prime chord progression that this song has some things of interest. So in the interest of the OP I think it is a good example of how to do this and that is why I mentioned the song.

[relli]

counting crows "'round here"

[Mr. Liszt]

Originally Posted by ryst

Well, most of my songs have much more chord progression changes but one in paticular is just "dying to stay the same" thru most if not all of the song. So listening to other songs that stay the same would be very helpful to me. For me the trickiest part is writing separate verse and chorus vocal melodies.

Ryst, what is your chord progression for this song? What is the genre and tempo? I can try to help you with some tricks.

[kobuk]

"Save Tonight" by Eagle Eye Cherry. Same progression throughout. It's all about dynamics.

[Mike Sheppard]

here's a classic:
All Along the watchtower - Bob Dylan

[A LaMere]

Originally Posted by ripper

seriously, i love the old one-chorder... because it ain't about FORM, it's all about DELIVERY!!!

Bingo.

[A LaMere]

My contribution... Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams"

[BLUElightCory]

Off the top of my head...

Radiohead "High and Dry"
Greenday "Brain Stew"
Nirvana "Heart Shaped Box"
Soul Coughing "Super Bon Bon"
The Pixies "Where Is My Mind" (almost)

[Silver Sonya]

U2's "Beautiful Day" and Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" come to mind.

The list is endless, though.

- c

[Al Rogers]

Iko Iko
Hang On Sloopy
Louie Louie
Little Willie and the Hand Jive
Any Bo Diddlley song
Sweet Jane
For What It's Worth (Buffalo Springfield)
Mony Mony (written by my cousin)
Gloria
Wild Thing
Brown Eyed Girl
Suzy Q

Some of these aren't exactly the same all the way through but are very close. If you've ever had to play covers 5 nights a week, those simple repetitive songs are your best friends.

[badboymusic]

"Ain't Talkin' Bout Love" Van Halen

[JP11]

Holy crap, these days most if not every song repeats. Maybe a simple change for a "bridge". But I'd say name songs that actually have a chord progression. Let alone one with any surprises.

[Kiwiburger]

George Harrison wrote a couple of truely great songs that stayed in the same chord for the entire song ('Within you without you', and 'Blue Jay Way'). The songs are so interesting that most people don't pick up on this one chord thing. Contrasts nicely with his other work that often has the most strange and tasty chord changes (I just Love 'Only A Northern Song' for it's wild chord changes - layered over the words "and it doesn't really matter what chords I play, what words I say, or time of day it is ...coz it's only a Northern Song" Total Genius!)

Blues and 1950's/early '60's rock & pop that borrowed heavily from the blues.

Amazing Grace. Or any song that has repeating verses but no bridge or chorus. Probably quite a few church, folk, jazz, country songs in that category.

In a similar vein: I have admired a few songs, mainly from the 1980's keyboard & sequencer synth rock inspired days, that featured a repeating bassline, or keyboard motif that just kept repeating through the whole song. Sometimes the chords were re-voiced to add interest - i'm a bit of a sucker for those 'poly-chords'.

Gotta run - but thinking of maybe Genesis 'Another Day in Paradise' or Talking Heads stuff etc

[JP11]

Originally Posted by Kiwiburger

George Harrison wrote a couple of truely great songs that stayed in the same chord for the entire song ('Within you without you', and 'Blue Jay Way').

Technically speaking , Blue Jay Way has a number of chords, all C based though...Cdim, C, C6, Cmaj7, etc...

and also Lennon's Tomorrow Never Knows, which also has one chord, (although technically it's 2...C and Bb/C ).

[ninjaneer]

o superman - laurie anderson

[vernier]

'
YouTube - Time has come today -The Chambers Brothers
'

[Joe Porto]

"Leaving on a Jet Plane" by John Denver:

G C G C G Em Am D

Same for chorus and verse. Only vocal melody, lyrics, and dynamics change.

[Nolet]

Famously, America with "Horse with no Name." Just two chords!
Great song! thumbsup

[bulls hit]

Originally Posted by IntenseJim

Lots of rocks song. Off the top of my head a few....


Planet Claire--B52s

Doesn't the riff change up during the verses?

But Tom Petty yeah alot of his stuff is like that, like You're Gonna Get it from that same album

[triez]

Eurythmics - Heaven.