I Want To Be Your Dog. And pretty much anything else by the Stooges. And while I’m at it pretty much anything by the Ramones…two of the best bands that ever existed…Let’s face it, stoopid is part of the beauty of rock and roll.
“Postal Blowfish” by Guided by Voices has only one chord. Pretty catchy song, especially if you can find that live version of it.
I concur. There ain’t no F#m or B7 in “Helen Wheels.” It’s all A, with the one break.
Heh, I mentioned the thread title to a co-worker and before I even got to your nominee, he said “New England by Jonathan Richman.” Although he now says your choice is better.
I would wager most songs–not just rock songs–don’t employ key changes.
Oh, and for my choice. Geez, there’s so many. Pick almost any Stereolab song, and you’re likely to have a song (a kick ass tune, at that) built around two chords and Marxist lyrics half sung in French. “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” is pretty much just I & IV through the whole song, with the occasional V thrown in.
“Tomorrow Never Knows” by Neil Young is predominantly one chord throughout the whole song.
“Moanin’ at Midnight” by Howlin’ Wolf and any number of one-chord blues tunes would qualify (except that you asked for rock).
I did mention the Wolf. The interesting thing is that a lot of his songs were picked up by rock bands, but I don’t think any of the one-chord songs made that transition.
I’m wrong. Smokestack Lightning is one chord, and plenty of people have re-done it. Back Door Man is one chord, and the Doors covered that.
Nuh-uh.
The bridge goes E D A D…
Sing it or listen:
My nomination is for Give Peace A Chance - 9 words, same tune, over and over again ad nauseum.
Right, but the Doors reworked it into a standard 3-chord blues form. Even Willie Dixon’s own version (he wrote it, but his recording came after Wolf’s) has a V-IV-I progression on the “Men don’t know but the little girls understand” line.
Yeah, but it’s probably going to have about six different rhythms going on simultaneously, sometimes in an odd time signature. That’s simple by you?
Im so glad im so glad im glad Im glad Im glad
Curses! I forgot the bridge. I stand corrected. For What It’s Worth is actually a 3-chord song instead of a 2-chord song.
Another one I forgot: “Jambalaya” by Hank Sr.
Well, I wasn’t addressing the OP so much as the one- and two-chord song subthread. Stereolab is both simulataneously simple and complex. The basis of their songs is a layering of simple melodic and rhythmic motifs. None are particularly difficult on their own, but I suppose you can say when combined they’re greater than the sum of their parts. I love Stereolab, and their music can be quite cerebral at times, although I hesitate to call them complex.
Speaking of Stereolab, in addressing the one-chord song part of this thread, I just remembered one of their main influences – Neu! – have the song “Hallogallo” on their debut disc, consisting entiredly of one chord. It’s a brilliant song.