What are your favorite tunes with two chords?

[Telemarkman]

It's almost hard to believe there can be so many great two-chord songs.

My own personal favorite must be this one though. It's also one classic rock song where the words really mean something!

Best version ever!

 

[TheCheezyTeen]

Miles Davis - 'So What'

I thought about that one. But then it modulates, making it four chords rather than two.

 

[czgibson]

I thought about that one. But then it modulates, making it four chords rather than two.

It depends on how you count it. At its most basic level, the tune is 16 bars of Dm, 8 bars of Ebm, then 8 bars of Dm. 'Impressions' has the same chords.

 

[simonsp]

Dylan's Masters of War.

 

[trev333]

atm, this one.... sounds like a two chorder....

 

[holdonphoton]

THIS.

The best two chord song ever. Yep.

 

[Nightatthehotel]

Dennis Coffey and Melvin Ragin (aka 'Wah Wah Watson') - masterpiece. Surprised someone 17 years old even knows that song

It's really cool how the song is (depending on which version you hear) 6-7 mins long and its all on one chord. You've got bass and that sexy, funky wah guitar and the strings and everything. It's actually a very colorful piece of music for having only one chord. It made me realize that chords don't matter so much as how the song sounds to the listener.

 

[jjh37854]

Jane says

 

[Big John Studd]

The Bottle Let Me Down
John Henry
Jambalaya
Don't Mess With My Toot Toot

 

[Obelisk]

Mick Ronson does not appear on the Diamond Dogs album, and the guitar parts in 'Rebel Rebel' were played by David Bowie himself. It's a bit like Mick Jagger coming up with the riffs for 'Brown Sugar' - it's easy to forget that these guys can actually play a bit.



The Velvets are a good band to bring up.

Here are a few other good ones that come to mind:

Miles Davis - 'So What'
John Coltrane - 'Impressions'
Can - 'Future Days'
The Stooges - '1970'
Joy Division - 'Atmosphere'

I can tell we have similar tastes in music. Thanks for correcting me on Rebel Rebel. For some reason I thought it was on Aladdin Sane. I do not Bowie so well except for Low, Heroes & The Idiot.

Thought about The Stooges 1970 for about two seconds, but again you seem ignore the chorus. In this case the "I feel alright" part has at least 4 chords in it plus it takes up half the song. Little Doll is almost close to two chords (& a great ripoff of Upper & Lower Egypt).

Don't know Can after Tago Mago very well. Seems like Butterfly with Malcolm Mooney on vocals might only be one chord.

Impressions is two chords, but more as modal pedal tones. My first Coltrane record when I was 14 in 1980. Great piece of music. So What definitely influenced Coltrane for Impressions.

Should have thought Atmosphere. The Eternal is almost another one. Peter Hook implies different chords in the bass lines though I am pretty sure he never thought about it that way. One of the greatest bands ever.

Thought of couple of more two chord wonders:

The Beatles "Tomorrow Never Knows"



Paperback Writer seems like two chords unless the G to G7 counts as another change. Its basically G to C



Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds Tupelo.

 

[61fury]

Ok it's a cover, I forget who did the original

 

[gpar7]

Fire on the Mountain needs to mentioned.

I also love to do Aiko / Women right after or near that one , and three chord franklins goes right in there to make a great jam seg

 

[thinling]

I think some of you guys have trouble counting! Here's a fabulous song with only two chords: Wreckless Eric "Whole Wide World"

 

[suthol]

I'm fudging on this one, cause I don't particularly like it, but Dave Mason's Feelin'
Alright is another 2 chord wonder.

Back in the early 70s we shoved a Bach inspired fugue into it which sorted the two chord problem nicely

 

[HoodieMcFoodie]

I posted this as a one chord song in a thread a couple of years back and someone pointed out it's a two chord song.

So here for your listening pleasure is my favourite 2 chord song, Helen Wheels by Paul McCartney & Wings.

Take it away Paul...

 

[w3stie]

I was having trouble thinking of one I liked then this popped up on another thread;