History Quotes / TheFourChordsOfPop

All sung with the same four chords''
-->-- '''Music/BoBurnham''', "Repeat Stuff"

->"I've made a RunningGag about how [The Four Chords of Pop] is the most overused chord pattern in pop. I hope those jokes are funny to you, but if you know anything about musical theory it is [[OmnipresentTrope so obvious]]. Pointing it out is like saying [[Administrivia/PeopleSitOnChairs "Have you noticed that writers use the word 'the' a lot?"]] [...] [[Administrivia/TropesAreNotBad And it's overused for a reason]]; it's a good sturdy foundation for a song. But it's just a foundation. For something that basic you gotta do stuff with it, like say, interesting guitar textures, a nice smashing synth riff, or just mess with the pattern a little. There's a billion variations on it; most of what we call four-chord songs [[NonIndicativeName use a bunch of other chords]], ''including'' "Don't Stop Believin'"[[note]]the song whose intro he uses to demonstrate The Four Chords[[/note]], which gets a decent bit more complex after the opening measures. But that is ''not'' true for "Someone You Loved". No 6ths or 7ths here; same up-down-up-down rhythm as "Don't Stop Believin'", almost in the same key, even. The only thing it doesn't have is that awesome Music/{{Journey|Band}} bassline, [[LazyArtist because that would be too complicated]]. This is literally more basic than ''nothing''. Using ''no chords'' would... well, obviously, it would be different and unexpected; you don't hear a lot of solo ACappella songs. But this is, on a sheer compositional level, it's just the plain oatmeal of music. It's like starting an essay, 'What is blank? Well, Webster's defines blank as-' blah-de-blah-de-blah.' It just! Shouldn't! Happen!"

->"I've made a RunningGag about how [The Four Chords of Pop] is the most overused chord pattern in pop. I hope those jokes are funny to you, but if you know anything about musical theory it is [[OmnipresentTrope so obvious]]. Pointing it out is like saying [[Administrivia/PeopleSitOnChairs "Have you noticed that writers use the word 'the' a lot?"]] [...] [[Administrivia/TropesAreNotBad And it's overused for a reason]]; it's a good sturdy foundation for a song. But it's just a foundation. For something that basic you gotta do stuff with it, like say, interesting guitar textures, a nice smashing synth riff, or just mess with the pattern a little. There's a billion variations on it; most of what we call four-chord songs [[NonIndicativeName use a bunch of other chords]], ''including'' "Don't Stop Believin'"[[note]]the song whose intro he uses to demonstrate The Four Chords[[/note]], which gets a decent bit more complex after the opening measures. But that is ''not'' true for "Someone You Loved". No 6ths or 7ths here; same up-down-up-down rhythm as "Don't Stop Believin'", almost in the same key, even. The only thing it doesn't have is that awesome Music/{{Journey|Band}} bassline, [[LazyArtist because that would be too complicated]]. This is literally more basic than ''nothing''. Using ''no chords'' would... well, obviously, it would be different and unexpected; you don't hear a lot of solo ACappella songs. But this is, on a sheer compositional level, it's just the plain oatmeal of music. It's like starting an essay, 'What is blank? Well, Webster's defines blank as-' blah-de-blah-de-blah. It just! Shouldn't! Happen!"

->"I've made a RunningGag about how [The Four Chords of Pop] is the most overused chord pattern in pop. I hope those jokes are funny to you, but if you know anything about musical theory it is [[OmnipresentTrope so obvious]]. Pointing it out is like saying [[Administrivia/PeopleSitOnChairs "Have you noticed that writers use the word 'the' a lot?"]] [...] [[Administrivia/TropesAreNotBad And it's overused for a reason]]; it's a good sturdy foundation for a song. But it's just a foundation. For something that basic you gotta do stuff with it, like say, interesting guitar textures, a nice smashing synth riff, or just mess with the pattern a little. There's a billion variations on it; most of what we call four-chord songs [[NonIndicativeName use a bunch of other chords]], ''including'' "Don't Stop Believin'"[[note]]the song whose intro he uses to demonstrate The Four Chords[[/note]], which gets a decent bit more complex after the opening measures. But that is ''not'' true for "Someone You Loved". No 6ths or 7ths here; same up-down-up-down rhythm as "Don't Stop Believin'", almost in the same key, even. The only thing it doesn't have is that awesome Music/{{Journey|Band}} bassline, [[LazyArtist because that would be too complicated]]. This is literally more basic than ''nothing''. Using ''no chords'' would... well, obviously, it would be different and unexpected; you don't hear a lot of solo ACappella songs. But this is, on a sheer compositional level, it's just the plain oatmeal of music."

-->--'''WebVideo/ToddInTheShadows''' on "[[Music/TaylorSwift We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together]]",[[Music/FloridaGeorgiaLine "Cruise"]] [[Music/MileyCyrus "Wrecking Ball"]], [[Music/ImagineDragons "Demons"]]/[[Music/OneRepublic "Counting Stars"]], [[Music/{{Maroon 5}} "Girls Like You"]] and [[Music/TheRedJumpsuitApparatus "Face Down"]].

->"I've made a RunningGag about how [The Four Chords of Pop] is the most overused chord pattern in pop. I hope those jokes are funny to you, but if you know anything about musical theory it is [[OmnipresentTrope so obvious]]. Pointing it out is like saying [[Administrivia/PeopleSitOnChairs "Have you noticed that writers use the word 'the' a lot?"]] [...] [[Administrivia/TropesAreNotBad And it's overused for a reason]]; it's a good sturdy foundation for a song. But it's just a foundation. For something that basic you gotta do stuff with it, like say, interesting guitar textures, a nice smashing synth riff, or just mess with the pattern a little. There's a billion variations on it; most of what we call four-chord songs [[NonIndicativeName use a bunch of other chords]], ''including'' "Don't Stop Believin'"[[note]]the song whose intro he uses to demonstrate The Four Chords[[/note]], which gets a decent bit more complex after the opening measures. But that is ''not'' true for "Someone You Loved". No 6ths or 7ths here; same up-down-up-down rhythm as "Don't Stop Believin'", almost in the same key, even. The only thing it doesn't have is that awesome Music/{{Journey}} bassline, [[LazyArtist because that would be too complicated]]. This is literally more basic than ''nothing''. Using ''no chords'' would... well, obviously, it would be different and unexpected; you don't hear a lot of solo ACappella songs. But this is, on a sheer compositional level, it's just the plain oatmeal of music."

--> -- '''Music/TheAxisOfAwesome''', "Four Chord Song"

-->--'''WebVideo/ToddInTheShadows''' on "[[Music/TaylorSwift We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together]]",[[Music/FloridaGeorgiaLine "Cruise"]] [[Music/MileyCyrus "Wrecking Ball"]], [[Music/ImagineDragons "Demons"]]/[[Music/OneRepublic "Counting Stars"]], and [[Music/{{Maroon 5}} "Girls Like You"]].

-->--'''WebVideo/ToddInTheShadows''' [[DiscussedTrope discussing]] the (failed) use of this trope on [[Music/LewisCapaldi "Somebody You Loved"]]

->"I've made a RunningGag about how [The Four Chords of Pop] is the most overused chord pattern in pop. I hope those jokes are funny to you, but if you know anything about musical theory it is [[OmnipresentTrope so obvious]]. Pointing it out is like saying [[Administrivia/PeopleSitOnChairs "Have you noticed that writers use the word 'the' a lot?"]] [...] [[Administrivia/TropesAreNotBad And it's overused for a reason]]; it's a good sturdy foundation for a song. But it's just a foundation. For something that basic you gotta do stuff with it, like say, interesting guitar textures, a nice smashing synth riff, or just mess with the pattern a little. There's a billion variations on it; most of what we call four-chord songs [[NonIndicativeName use a bunch of other chords]], ''including'' "Don't Stop Believin'", which gets a decent bit more complex after the opening measures. But that is ''not'' true for "Someone You Loved". No 6ths or 7ths here; same up-down-up-down rhythm as "Don't Stop Believin'", almost in the same key, even. The only thing it doesn't have is that awesome Music/{{Journey}} bassline, because that would be too complicated. This is literally more basic than ''nothing''. Using ''no chords'' would... well, obviously, it would be different and unexpected; you don't hear a lot of solo ACappella songs. But this is, on a sheer compositional level, it's just the plain oatmeal of music."

->"I've made a RunningGag about how [The Four Chords of Pop] is the most overused chord pattern in pop. I hope those jokes are funny to you, but if you know anything about musical theory it is [[OmnipresentTrope so obvious]]. Pointing it out is like saying [[Administrivia/PeopleSitOnChairs "Have you noticed that writers use the word 'the' a lot?"]] [...] [[Administrivia/TropesAreNotBad And it's overused for a reason]]; it's a good sturdy foundation for a song. But it's just a foundation. For something that basic you gotta do stuff with it, like say, interesting guitar textures, a nice smashing synth riff, or just mess with the pattern a little. There's a billion variations on it; most of what we call four-chord songs [[NonIndicativeName use a bunch of other chords]], ''including'' "Don't Stop Believin'", which gets a decent bit more complex after the opening measures. But that is ''not'' true for "Someone You Loved". No 6ths or 7ths here; same up-down-up-down rhythm as "Don't Stop Believin'", almost in the same key, even. The only thing it doesn't have is that awesome Music/{{Journey}} bassline, because that would be too complicated. This is literally more basic than ''nothing''. Using ''no chords'' would... well, obviously, it would be different and unexpected; you don't hear a lot of solo ACapella songs. But this is, on a sheer compositional level, it's just the plain oatmeal of music."

->"I've made a RunningGag about how [The Four Chords of Pop] is the most overused chord pattern in pop. I hope those jokes are funny to you, but if you know anything about musical theory it is [[OmnipresentTrope so obvious]]. Pointing it out is like saying [[Administrivia/PeopleSitOnChairs "Have you noticed that writers use the word 'the' a lot?"]] [...] [[Administrivia/TropesAreNotBad And it's overused for a reason]], it's a good sturdy foundation for a song. But it's just a foundation. For something that basic you gotta do stuff with it, like say, interesting guitar textures, a nice smashing synth riff, or just mess with the pattern a little.

-->--'''WebVideo/ToddInTheShadows''' on "[[Music/TaylorSwift We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together]]",[[Music/FloridaGeorgiaLine "Cruise"]] [[Music/MileyCyrus "Wrecking Ball"]], and [[Music/ImagineDragons "Demons"]]/[[Music/OneRepublic "Counting Stars"]].

->"The Four Chords of Pop! They own the world! They own ''you''! Deal with it."
->'''In 2013:''' "The Four Chords of Pop: '''OH GOD MAKE IT STOP'''.

->'''Even Later:''' [[MadnessMantra "Pop song chor]]'''AGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!'''.

-->--'''ToddInTheShadows''' on "[[TaylorSwift We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together]]",[[FloridaGeorgiaLine "Cruise"]] [[MileyCyrus "Wrecking Ball"]], and [[ImagineDragons "Demons"]]/[[OneRepublic "Counting Stars"]].

--> -- '''LeonardCohen''', "Hallelujah"

-->--'''ToddInTheShadows''' on "[[TaylorSwift We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together]]" and [[FloridaGeorgiaLine "Cruise"]]

->'''Later on that year:''' "The Four Chords of Pop: '''OH GOD MAKE IT STOP'''.

-->--'''ToddInTheShadows''' on "[[TaylorSwift We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together]]"