This has been an interesting diversion, identifying music featuring the Emin, C, G, D chord pattern or transposition, but it is, like so much these days “unsustainable.” The pattern I’ve collected as “The Chord Progression that Won’t Die” occurs so often it’s like going on a drive from Florida to Maine and deciding to make a game of calling out every foreign-made car. It’s a fun game for about five minutes. Then you go insane.

The Son Unit is actually miffed at me for sharing the prevalence of the chord pattern with him since he now hears it so often. He calls it a “curse.” It’s hard to un-know something; still, we’re going to try.

But I will leave you with more before I kill the blog category, to pass on the curse to you.

Here it is in a trailer for a new Matt Damon flick, “The Adjustment Bureau.” Breath and Life, Audiomachine, I think. Or just hear ithere.

Going back in time, I think I’d forgotten this monster hit. Michelle Branch.

Then there’s Taylor Swift. The Son Unit says she gets credit because this was just a demo and never actually released officially.

Perhaps you’d like the progression with some eyeliner. Here’s Green Day

Let’s genre-hop it with T.I.

Let’s unplug with Damien Rice.

Wait, Damien’s not done emoting, this time with on piano

Did you hear the Fray take a turn at invoking The Chord Progression that Won’t Die?Where were you?

You hear it so often it’s almost a religious experience.

Interestingly, we’re now seeing some exploration, deleting a chord or reversing two. Augustana gets credit for stepping outside the boxwith this..

There’s always more road ahead, and now we’ve noticed variations that really aren’t variations. You’ve heard of the Circle of Fifths? We call this the Circle of Hits. What you do is place Emin, C, G, D end-to-end and draw a circle around any consecutive four chords. It’s the same progression; you’re just starting in different places on the merry-go-round. And it’s a hit machine.

Thanks for visiting. Please comment when you go insane.

Now, normally I have no problem with the idea of sticking with what works. I still have and sometimes drive a 1991 Trooper thats rusting from the inside-out from the drool of a dog who was outlived by the truck. But there comes a point when a musical meme is so overused that it becomes useless, hackneyed or just plain irritating. If composing were writing text this progression would be the equivalent of “It was a dark and stormy night.”

There are levels, of course. It’s still feels okay as a pre-chorus (Petty) or intro or a smaller part of a composition, but when it’s the whole verse or chorus structure it’s like watching reruns.

More here.

It’s in the chorus.

The latest appearance I’ve noticed of an apparently unstoppable musical theme is another weird Celebrex commercial. Unfortanately I don’t have the link. But here is my collection of tunes featuring the progression emin, C, G, D or its relative equivalents. It’s impossible to have a complete list. Start listening for it and you might go insane. have fun! And send me some that should be on the list.

Beyonce.

Brooks and Dunn

Bruce Springsteen

Kelly Clarkson

Warren Zevon

Toto

Joan Osbourne

Sarah Mclachlan

Shania Twain

Lady Gaga (chorus)

Maino take it top to bottom.

“Kids” by MGMT, here performed on i gadgets. Note the the fourth note is the third, an F# if we were starting at e min, but, same progression.