# The World's simplest rock songs. . . **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 14, 2006, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-simplest-rock-songs/360693 "2006-06-14T15:48:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2006, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-simplest-rock-songs/360693/21 "2006-06-15T00:52:49Z")
Evil Ways by Santana. My musician friends told me it was merely two chords repeated. I see that it might actually have a third. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2006, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-simplest-rock-songs/360693/22 "2006-06-15T01:37:38Z")
[Your roommate plays the Indigo Girls](http://www.brunching.com/yourroommate.html) ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2006, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-simplest-rock-songs/360693/23 "2006-06-15T03:38:55Z")
[QUOTE=Indygrrl] Smoke on the Water comes to mind. [/QUOTE] I’ll see your _Smoke on the Water_ and raise ya _Another One Bites the Dust_. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2006, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-simplest-rock-songs/360693/24 "2006-06-15T03:55:04Z")
Louie Louie, IIRC it’s pretty simple with lyrics to match. What about You Really Got Me by the Kinks? ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2006, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-simplest-rock-songs/360693/25 "2006-06-15T04:05:47Z")
“Helen Wheels” by Paul McCartney has one chord. I think this was intentional… I mean, he wanted to see if he could write a one chord song. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2006, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-simplest-rock-songs/360693/26 "2006-06-15T08:33:05Z")
“Helen Wheels” has A, F#m, and B7 chords. [The guitar tabs](http://www.911tabs.com/link/?892039). ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2006, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-simplest-rock-songs/360693/27 "2006-06-15T09:13:30Z")
Thanks for the contributions folks. [QUOTE=Ogre] _Silence_, by John Cage. 🙂 [/QUOTE] Hm. Four minutes thirty three seconds. A bit quiet for rock music surely? I believe Frank Zappa used to play an equivalent rock version _Dead Air_ as a live piece, not commited to record AFAIK. A few more occur: **My Generation** , nearly two chords. More if you include a key change, I think this could compete with Gloria in the throw-guitar-off-cliff songwriting method. **Baby Please Don’t Go** by Them (again) lots of guitar riffs/noodling but basically E all the way through (unless there’s a chorus I’ve forgotten). **Careful With That Axe Eugene** D minor (dorian mode?) quiet-LOUD!-quiet some noodling, five words and some screaming. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2006, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-simplest-rock-songs/360693/28 "2006-06-15T13:23:20Z")
There are so many, it is not even funny. Listen to songs by **Social Distortion** , **Chris Isaak** , **AD/DC** , **Tom Petty** - pretty much any straight-up rocker, regardless of sub-genre, has this attribute. Oh, and how can this thread exist without bowing at the feet of **The Ramones**? The key is - does it rock? You know - RAWK, dude! Some of the simplest songs are the most effective. Again - look to the Ramones! ---
**Author:** ![Ichbin\_Dubist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ichbin\_Dubist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichbin_Dubist)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2006, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-simplest-rock-songs/360693/29 "2006-06-15T13:24:04Z")
“Sister Ray” by the Velvet Underground is essentially one riff ground into dust for 17 minutes. Structurally it’s simple – there can’t be too many 17-minute rock songs you can learn how to play in 8 seconds – but there are a lot of tempo changes and random bursts of noise, so I’d hate to have to transrcibe the whole thing. Or learn the lyrics. “European Son” and “Venus in Furs” are also more or less one-riff songs. My memory may be playing tricks, but I recall the 80s hit “Electric Avenue” by Eddy Grant as having just one chord all the way through. Two-chord songs are not that uncommon, but there aren’t many one-chord pop songs. “96 Tears” has another 2 chords in the bridge. The first chord in the bridge just goes on forever, it’s pretty weird. “Horse With No Name” has 4 chords, 2 in the verses and 2 in the chorus. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2006, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-simplest-rock-songs/360693/30 "2006-06-15T13:28:53Z")
Doesn’t Tenacious D have a Two Note song? Course, it’s more of a joke song, so maybe it doesn’t belong in this list. ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2006, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-simplest-rock-songs/360693/31 "2006-06-15T13:43:44Z")
I think Spoonful by Willie Dixon (A blues tune, but covered by Cream, so it qualifies on a technicality) is a one-chord song. There’s a great version of it that I have that has Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters and Bo Diddley all jamming together and taking turns on the verses. Tomorrow Never Knows by Lennon/McCartney is not really a simple song, but the backing music is basically a C major drone all the way through. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2006, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-simplest-rock-songs/360693/32 "2006-06-15T13:47:40Z")
…you see, I’ve been to the desert on a horse with three chords… ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2006, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-simplest-rock-songs/360693/33 "2006-06-15T14:26:00Z")
[QUOTE=Happy Scrappy Hero Pup] “Every Rose Has its Thorn” by Poison. C, C-suspended second. Move two fingers up and down. Even I can play it, and I can’t play guitar. Great song, though. [/QUOTE] I could play the acoustic part of that song too during my brief guitar stint. All you gotta have is a little rhythm. Betcha can’t play the guitar solo though. My nomination for this thread is the Spiderbait version of “Black Betty.” They only do the first verse of the Ram Jam version, repeated for 4 min or so. Still a good song. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2006, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-simplest-rock-songs/360693/34 "2006-06-15T15:33:29Z")
[QUOTE=Small Clanger] Hm. Four minutes thirty three seconds. A bit quiet for rock music surely? I believe Frank Zappa used to play an equivalent rock version _Dead Air_ as a live piece, not commited to record AFAIK. [/QUOTE] Frank Zappa actually recorded a version of [4’33"](http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=1069688). ---
**Author:** ![Ichbin\_Dubist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ichbin\_Dubist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichbin_Dubist)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2006, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-simplest-rock-songs/360693/35 "2006-06-15T16:03:23Z")
[QUOTE=Biffy the Elephant Shrew] Frank Zappa actually recorded a version of [4’33"](http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=1069688). [/QUOTE] Friends of mine filled out a CD with fifteen minutes of silence and called it “4:33 by John Cage, Special Extended Dance Remix.” Which of course brings up the question of whether they’re violating Cage’s copyright or Mike Batt’s with their fifteen minutes of silence. ---
**Author:** ![krisolov](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/krisolov/32/3724_2.png) [@krisolov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/krisolov)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2006, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-simplest-rock-songs/360693/36 "2006-06-15T17:28:03Z")
…and no mention of Neil Young yet? “Down By the River”: like 2, maybe 3 chords. “Cortez the Killer”; 3 chords. There’s plenty more in his repertoire like that. ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2006, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-simplest-rock-songs/360693/37 "2006-06-15T19:49:48Z")
“Electric Avenue” by Eddy Grant never departs from the key of A for the entire duration of the song. ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2006, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-simplest-rock-songs/360693/38 "2006-06-15T23:39:55Z")
[QUOTE=Walloon] “Helen Wheels” has A, F#m, and B7 chords. [The guitar tabs](http://www.911tabs.com/link/?892039). [/QUOTE] Well the tab guys make up a lot of things, but… I have the music published by MPL and it has an A chord for the entire song, except where the lyric goes “(and they) never gonna take her away” - here it says “No chord” but the bass line switches to an E. No way a B7. This tab has an E chord there: [link](http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/p/paul_mccartney/helen_wheels_crd.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2006, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-simplest-rock-songs/360693/39 "2006-06-16T00:41:51Z")
da-da DAH-DAH-DAH DAH-DAH da-da-da **Wild thing, I think I love you** da-DAH-da-DAH **But I wanna know for sure** da-DAH-da-DAH etc ---
**Author:** ![Ass\_For\_A\_Hat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ec9cab/32.png) [@Ass\_For\_A\_Hat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ass_For_A_Hat)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2006, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-simplest-rock-songs/360693/40 "2006-06-16T02:58:51Z")
[QUOTE=Indygrrl] Smoke on the Water comes to mind. [/QUOTE] I once saw a [band](http://www.newduncanimperials.com/) cover this song. The guitarist (right handed) wore an oven mitt on his left hand. It was a pretty faithful rendition. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-simplest-rock-songs/360693.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worlds-simplest-rock-songs/360693.md?page=3)