Line #9 Quotes/TheFourChordsOfPop


1	->"Pop song chords: They own the world! They own ''you''! Deal with it."
2	->'''In 2013:''' "Pop song chords: '''OH GOD MAKE IT STOP'''.
3	->'''Later in the Year:''' "Pop song chords": No. NO. '''YES'''
4	->'''Even Later:''' [[MadnessMantra "Pop song chor]]'''[[ScreamerPrank AGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!]]'''.
5	->'''In 2018:''' "Pop song chords. The Comic Sans of musical structure."
6	->'''In 2021:''' "Pop song chords. They're back! They never left! But also, they're back!"
7	-->--'''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/Maroon5 "Girls Like You"]] and [[Music/TheRedJumpsuitApparatus "Face Down"]].
8
9	->"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!"
10	-->--'''WebVideo/ToddInTheShadows''' [[DiscussedTrope discussing]] the (failed) use of this trope on [[Music/LewisCapaldi "Someone You Loved"]]
11
12	->''It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth''\
13	''The minor fall and the major lift.''
14	--> -- '''Music/LeonardCohen''', "Hallelujah"
15
16	->''I believe in the faith that grows,''\
17	''And the four right chords can make me cry,''\
18	''When I'm with you I feel like I could die.''\
19	''And that would be all right, all right''
20	-->'''Music/ThirdEyeBlind''', ''Semi-Charmed Life'' (which, ironically, is a [[ThreeChordsAndTheTruth three chord song]])
21
22	->'''Jordan:''' So let me get this straight, [[TheNapoleon Chicken Little]]; you're saying you can take those four chords, repeat them, and pump out every pop song ever, is that what you're saying?\
23	'''Benny:''' [[FlatYes Yeah]].\
24	'''Jordan:''' Fuck off.\
25	'''Lee:''' Yeah, fuck off, Chicken Little!
26	--> -- '''Music/TheAxisOfAwesome''', "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pidokakU4I Four Chord Song]]"
27
28	->''Everything I've said has been said before,\
29	In a thousand ways, in a thousand songs,\
30	Sung with the same four chords''
31	-->-- '''Creator/BoBurnham''', "Repeat Stuff"

Context Quotes / TheFourChordsOfPop