Pop chords
Pop music songs utilize a great number of chord categories and is hard to generalize in manner of chord choices. Here are some examples of famous pop songs with chords and lyrics:
Well-known songs
Help!
Artist: The Beatles
Album: Help! (1965)
Chords:
Bm - G - A - A7 (intro & chorus)
Comment: The chords can be transposed, for example to D minor and when becomes Dm - Bb - C - C7.
Lyrics together with chords (excerpt):
(Bm)Help! I need somebody
(G)Help! Not just anybody
(A)Help! You know I need someone,
(A7)Help!
Everybody's Talkin'
Artist: Harry Nilsson
Album: Aerial Ballet (1968)
Chords:
Dm - G - C - C7 (chorus)
Comment: This is a ii - V - I progression which ends with a major to dominant modulation.
Lyrics together with chords (excerpt):
(Dm)I'm goin' where the (G)sun keeps shinin'
(C)Through the pourin' (C7)rain
(Dm)Goin' where the (G)weather
Suits my (C7)clothes(C7)
Thorn In My Side
Artist: Eurythmics
Album: Revenge (1986)
Chords:
D - G - A (verse 1st part)
D - C - G - A - Bb - F - Bb - C (verse 2nd part)
Comment: Dsus and Asus chords are also involved in the first part of the verse. Try to vary between D and Dsus2 and use the sequence Asus4 - A - Asus2 when landing on A.
Lyrics together with chords (excerpt):
(D) Thorn in my side, you know that's (G) all you ever (A) were
(D) a bundle of lies, you know that's all that it (G) was worth (A)
Piano Man
Artist: Billy Joel
Single album: Piano Man (1973)
Chords:
C - Em - Am - C/G - F - C/E - D7 - G (verse)
Comment: This is the first half of the verse and the second half is quite different.
Lyrics together with chords (excerpt):
It's (C)nine o’(Em)clock on a (Am)saturday(C/G)
The (F)regular (C/E)crowd shuffl(D7)es in(G)
Hand In My Pocket
Artist: Alanis Morissette
Album: Jagged Little Pill (1995)
Chords:
G5/F - Csus2 - G5 (chorus)
Comment: G5 (3X0033) played through the whole verse. The G5/F is played as 1X0033, but it's alright to play it as a normal G5.
Lyrics together with chords (excerpt):
(G5)And what it all comes down to(G5/F)
(Csus2)Is that everything's gonna be (G5)fine, fine, fine
'Cause I've got (G5/F)one hand in my pocket
And the (Csus2)other one is givin' (G5/D)a high five
Drum tracks
Here are sound tracks with only drums to jam with in pop style.
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