Comedy rock band use 38 songs to prove how 'every pop song' uses the same four chords
The Beatles, U2, and Maroon 5 are all guilty of the same crime.
Australian comedy group Axis Of Awesome.
Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran was found not liable on April 4, 2023 in a lawsuit where he was accused of stealing elements of the Marvin Gaye classic "Let's Get It On" for his 2014 hit, “Thinking Out Loud."
The case called attention to the fact that there are motifs and musical structures common in pop music that no one owns, and all are free to use. When it comes to chord progressions, the 12-bar blues and basic I, IV, V, I progressions you hear in country and folk have been used and reused since people first picked up the guitar.
In the wrong hands, the progressions can result in music that is boring and formulaic, but in the right hands, they can be a springboard for fresh ideas.
In 2009, Australian comedy group Axis Of Awesome did a funny sketch showing how one four-chord progression, famous for being the basis of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing,” has been used countless times by musicians to great effect.
They played a medley of 38 major hits using the same progression to prove their point. For musicians, it’s known as the I–V–vi–IV progression, and when played in the key of C it would be C, G, Am, F.
Warning: Video contains strong language.
Here’s a list of all of the songs in the medley.
Journey - “Don't Stop Believing”
James Blunt - “You're Beautiful”
Alphaville - “Forever Young”
Jason Mraz - “I'm Yours”
Mika - “Happy Ending”
Alex Lloyd - “Amazing”
The Calling - “Wherever You Will Go”
Elton John - “Can You Feel The Love Tonight”
Maroon 5 - “She Will Be Loved”
The Last Goodnight - “Pictures Of You”
U2 - “With Or Without You”
Crowded House - “Fall At Your Feet”
Kasey Chambers - “Not Pretty Enough”
The Beatles - “Let It Be”
Red Hot Chili Peppers - “Under the Bridge”
Daryl Braithwaite - “The Horses”
Bob Marley - “No Woman No Cry”
Marcy Playground - “Sex and Candy”
Men at Work - “Land Down Under”
Banjo Patterson - “Waltzing Matilda”
A-ha - “Take On Me”
Green Day - “When I Come Around”
Eagle Eye Cherry - “Save Tonight”
Toto - “Africa”
Beyonce - “If I Were A Boy”
The Offspring - “Self Esteem”
The Offspring - “You're Gonna Go Far Kid”
Pink - “U + Ur Hand”
Lady Gaga - “Poker Face”
Aqua - “Barbie Girl”
The Fray - “You Found Me”
30h!3 - “Don't Trust Me”
MGMT - “Kids”
Tim Minchin - “Canvas Bags”
Natalie Imbruglia - “Torn”
Five For Fighting - “Superman”
Axis Of Awesome - “Birdplane”
Missy Higgins - “Scar”
While all these songs may use the same four chords, you've got to admit they're all bangers, so we're not mad at it.
This article originally appeared two years ago.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
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Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."