The Four Chords That Ruined Pop Music

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The meaning of life is to explore little bits of dissonance and surprise, but then always to resolve to the tonic. That's my new theory of what we should be doing in our lives. The four chords that ruined pop music are 4165 4156 1456 1546 1654. You don't see it as much these days because record labels didn't think songs would sound like singles if they didn't use that chord progression.

There is no human endeavor that does not have a theory of it — a set of ideas about what makes it work and how to do it well. Music is no exception, popular music included — there are reasons why certain keys, chord changes, and rhythmic structures have proven successful over the years. Nobody has done more to help people understand the theoretical underpinnings of popular music than today’s guest, Rick Beato. His YouTube videos dig into how songs work and what makes them great. We talk about music theory and how it contributes to our appreciation of all kinds of music.

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Rick Beato obtained a master’s degree in jazz studies from the New England Conservatory of Music. He is currently a producer and owner of Black Dog Sound Studios in Georgia, as well as host of a popular YouTube channel. He has worked as a session musician, songwriter, and lecturer at Berklee College of Music and elsewhere. He is the author of The Beato Book Interactive as well as other music-training tools.

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