QUEEN: The greatest British chord sequence of the '80s
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- Join me to dig under the surface of the song that is, in my opinion, the greatest British chord sequence from any rock / pop outfit in the 1980s.
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I was an engineer at Olympic studios when this was recorded in 1988...great down to earth guys gelling together..i think the Miracle was Freddie's underated masterpiece from the eighties..hard to believe that was the same guy that wowed the crowd at Live Aid.He was always superbly dressed and bought in little hampers full of homemade sausage rolls and things and shared them out.The album took ages as they went in there in January 1988
So great to read these first hand accounts. I'm in the midst of producing a podcast and UA-cam channel about Queen's studio work. Would you be up for a conversation about that !?
@@bobwegnerDo you have an idea as to when this will be available for listening to? Can't wait to hear it.
@@steverussell8804 no timeline at this point - I'm in the midst of gathering my notes and associated photos and video, which is an extensive but worthwhile job. Throw me your email address, and I'll be sure to keep you in the loop !
"Scandal" and "Was it All Worth It" from this album are fabulous
my fav queen album
Queen songs are mindblowing when you sit down and play them on the guitar or piano. Working out the chords for 'Now I'm Here' or 'Killer Queen' showed me things about those songs I'd never heard before despite listening to them for 40 years 😮
Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy is one of their best and gets all over the place with unexpected movements and chords.
This is one of 'those' videos- one in which my head is spinning scarcely understanding a word you're saying- yet agreeing with everything! A masterful appreciation of a masterful song, many thanks.
Hi James. I watch a lot of your content, mainly for Oasis background information but as a lifelong Queen fan and Brian May enthusiast, I wasn't expecting this but I thank you for helping a semi-muso appreciate the technical reasons why I love a song I know very well. 💜👌🏻 Doug
Great analysis! Been a Queen fan since 1992, know their whole catalogue inside-out, play guitar since 1996... but I never fully realised the beauty of this song's chord structure.
More Queen content please! Would love to see you dissect more of their history/lyrics like you've done oasis
Nice to hear some technical analysis of Queen music by someone with real expertise rather than mindless ignorant verbiage of music critics. I have no musical expertise just love Queen, but over the years have spoken to several highly knowledgable musicians have all been incredibly complementary about the musical quality of Queen music.
Great work! Freddie Mercury definitely had a great skill for writing music that is very digestible but also complex. People just tend to think of Freddie Mercury more as a singer and entertainer, but he was an absolutely amazing songwriter. The Miracle is not Queen’s best known song, but it interesting and something different.
Songwriter, and arranger, and pianist. He was absolutely brilliant.
Freddie always wrote in chords that drove Brian crazy but showed his brilliance.New sub,really enjoyed this James.
I first heard The Miracle when I was 11. To me at that time, Queen's music was just what I thought music was, and became my blueprint what music should be - lush and complex, but still accessible and digestible. And for years I struggled to find other music that was challenging enough to maintain my interest, because nearly everything I came into contact with was nowhere near this level of quality and craftsmanship. The internet had made this task much easier in recent years, but that was not the case in 1997. I still love this music now as I did then, and to this day few things equal it.
Thanks for this excellent analysis. Brian May has said this is his favourite Queen song, which really is saying something considering the quality of even just their first six albums !!
I’ve followed a very similar path to yours and completely resonate with what you’re saying. Queen defined for me what music should be. For years, I struggled to find other bands or songs that could match this level of quality and creativity.
As you said, the internet has made this search easier in recent years, but such discoveries are still rare. Do you have any bands or artists you’ve come across that you feel come close to this level of excellence?
@@chimayx the obvious suspects first come to mind - Beatles, Zeppelin, Floyd, Rush, Yes, Genesis, King Crimson, Bowie, etc. The visionary types like Joni Mitchell, Kate Bush and Leonard Cohen. The classical greats like Bach and Chopin. The truly adventurous jazz players like Oscar Peterson, Pat Metheny and Allan Holdsworth. Jazz fusion - Mahavishnu Orchestra and Return to Forever, and all the solo careers and side projects of those players. Metal bands like Symphony X, Opeth and Dream Theater (DT particularly are pretty flawless between 1999-2006). Jellyfish are lesser known but well worth seeking out - talk about craftsmanship. XTC as well.
My other favourite band is a Canadian band called Max Webster. Picture Zappa with weirder clothes and better melodies. Only five albums, all of them brilliant (start with High Class in Borrowed Shoes). Should've been world famous, but had bad management. That tale has been told a thousand times, but never with a band this good (I even wrote a book on them).
There are thousands of artists today with great sensibilities, but so many of them are derivative. These ones are on the cutting edge and doing incredible things - Janelle Monae, Weyes Blood, Steven Wilson, Devin Townsend, St. Vincent, Jacob Collier, Geordie Greep. And no doubt a ton more that I just haven't discovered yet.
Of course mileage may vary based on your taste. But hopefully plenty of this will resonate with you somehow. Have fun !!
@@bobwegner Thank you so much
I don't read music, so I have no idea what I just watched & heard, but you are really fckin talented. Huge respect! I love your channel.
This video is amazing (as are most of your videos). Your taste in music is almost life rival to my own it seems and, as such, I enjoy your break downs of these songs immensely.
I don’t have the musical knowledge to fully understand all the intricacies but I’m learning.
Thank you and, please, carry on.
Thanx for a great run through James. You totally get it, the Miracle is a miracle that translates to a broad audience in every spectrum. Super 👌🏼❤😊
My pleasure!
Another multi-part, multikey extravaganza worth checking out from this album is 'Was It All Worth It?' (A song which was intended as Freddie's valedictory).
Also in the song Queen - Bijou are brilliant chord progressions, Freddie put some interesting 20+ chords on those synths!
Would love to hear your thoughts on Electric Light Orchestra . I feel Jeff Lynne is often overlooked as a songwriter(at least here in the U.S), the amount of hits he's penned for himself and other artists is remarkable, not to mention his producer credits. I feel he's truly a genius composer, and I recommend everyone reading this to do a deep dive into ELO's discography. I hope Jeff Lynne gets his flowers before he's gone
Well said. Elo is my favourite band of al time and i know all their songs. I enjoy the move and the idle race albums too. Jeff is the biggest genius in the music industry for sure.
This would be fab
All of which proves that ignoring the grossly over rated USA numbers system can lead to some great creativity and originality.
@@graemerobertson5160 Ironically ELO was more successful in the U.S, compared to the U.K. Unfortunately most people I know don't even know who jeff Lynne is.
You're such a good teacher mate 👏🏼
Great Video, thanks!. I must be one of those who knows when something is good, but I don't know why. Queen was always the best band for me.
Best band ever
Back in 75 when Bohemian Rhapsody was on TOTP for a couple of months, I thought the ending 'guitar solo' behind the 'nothing really matters' vocal was magic #goodolddays
Great analysis from an awesome song, ty ❤
The Miracle is one of the greatest Queen songs and is incredibly underrated.
Honestly...the whole album is underrated.
That whole "swansong era" of the last three albums (The Miracle, Innuendo, and Made in Heaven) is underrated!
As much as I agree with you regarding the quality of these albums I don't see them being underrated. These albums reached top position in the charts in DE and UK. None of the others did this.
(Wikipedia)
Sounds way better on the Miracle box set..far rawrer and I wish the original was like that .. The Miracle should have been the lead single
@nochnfux underrated In America for sure. I agree, I think Innuendo and Made In Heaven is some of their best work. The Miracle had some great stuff as well.
Many Musicans wants to play Songs of Queen. This is very strong. Then Queen Songs are highly Technical Works. Queen works with Passion for her Music and Freddie, a fantastic Vocalist Live and in Studio. For me is Queen together with Freddie a Legend . Rest in Peace Freddie.
Queen add hidden key changes and do irt really well. We are the Champions, Killer Queen and Bohemian Rhapsody all have key changes which are not made obvious. Also slash chords are all over Queen''s music even from the first album.
I really enjkoyed this song breakdown.
You are right about this song - it is complex but so well done. It is in my view one of the Top 3 hardest Queen songs to learn.
Not queen related but can I just say from your let's take back the charts video 4 years ago I've loved your videos and I'm finally seeing a up turn in guitar music not just because oasis are back but bands like cast, shed seven, razorlight the libertines Kula shaker even kol have all had great albums out in the last year and with the snuts pastel ect it's the best it's been in a long time, long may it continue.
Great James! You have the vision!❤
One of Brian's best guitar solos on this song too!
I always wondered where Freddie's sophistication in songwriting came from (especially in their earliest work.) Like most of the greatest (McCartney and Lennon included) he seems to have not much theory training. Maybe he was secretly studying stuff behind the scenes? But more likely it just came naturally in some way. The 'crossover' you mentioned, between technical complexity and popular appeal, may have been a product of their ability to know stuff almost unconsciously. Instead of the 'musical spreadsheet' all planned out Steely Dan or Prog rock type approach. That said, I believe this particular song owed much of its success to its lyrics.
My favorite band of all time … QUEEN…… usually give you an easy door to walk through but as I’m sure you know… it always gets more complicated once inside LOL More than likely when things go off in a surprising direction it’s Freddie’s fault. Here it’s Freddie and Deaky giving my ears so much fun. I actually do go around humming Queen’s discordant changes quite often but I kind’a was the weirdo in the family. More Queen please 😂🌷
Having listened through the initial 4 minutes I appreciate how interesting things can be said in an involving manner, with no silly animations thrown in for vain effect. Really, there is some peculiar issue rarely spoken about.
I would love to hear Oasis doing this. Sort of stripped down, with their signature style. Brilliant analysis, James. Thank you for this.
Liked as soon as you mentioned Steely Dan!
I like the Riddle. C# minor to D major to Eb minor to Bb minor. A View to a kill has a killer chord sequence too
Great analysis- fascinating chord sequence. I hope one day you analyse the chords of Prefab Sprout’s early songs (e.g. ‘I never play Basketball now,’ ‘Technique,’ or ‘Bonny.’ Paddy MacAloon songs are well worth analysis.
At the start of the video, describing how you can hear most chord progressions straight away, I was thinking try Steely Dan...Made me smile when you said it.
All God's People from Innuendo is all over the place chordwise...in a good way.
Wow, this opening lecture really hits on something interesting and deserves its own headline. I've always thought about this, whether advanced musicians who can detect every chord progression lose a level of enjoyment that a non-mucisian experiences.
Finally someone give some respect to The Miracle, some people hate it but it’s my favorite song and record
When I first read the title of the video with the picture of « The Miracle « album, I thought immediately you were about to talk about the track « Was it all worth it « … because it’s really a complex -structure track yet easy-listenable quite quickly by all audiences…
But you made your point with « the Miracle « track very well, and actually it’s a better choice for the simple reason it was released as a sigle whilst « Was it… » wasn’t and is known only by whom who have listened the whole album…
Great job!
Super cool. I love unusual chord progressions. Gives my fingers a workout on guitar.
Speaking of Queen, what do you think of the remastered 1st album? Sounds like a good idea for a video.
Great observations.
remixed too
Really interesting vid. Thanks
As a listener in 1989 I always thought that the words and music did not quiet gell.
Not in a the song was bad but in a way that felt uncomfortable.
When Freddie died igot why that was the case.
This video explains why I was thinking that in 1989.
Thanks
It's like going out for a meal with a chef. Or watching a film with a cameraman. I love playing guitar but I kind of miss listening to music from the outside rather than from within. It's a good trade-off don't get me wrong but...
Try 'Moving the river' by Prefab Sprout. Astounding chords that yet just flow.
So much stuff by prefab sprout would qualify. Green Isaac II maybe but it's probably too idiosyncratic.
Definitely. The whole album is amazing!
For what it’s worth, Oasis’s most unusual sounding chord sequence, for me, is ‘Underneath the Sky’. Might be because of the guitar effects but it moves in a strange way in the verses. Chorus pleasingly sounds like Kinks ‘Dead End Street’.
The Fantasía section of the last tune on this álbum “Was it all worth it” has also a remarcable chord progression.
Actually what brings a lot of taste to the ending of the chorus is the use of secondary dominant chords. i.e. The B/D# (not Eb) is basically the dominant chord (V of Em), same for the D7 (V of Am). Very clever stuff in Freddie's songwriting indeed. Well done for the I-V turnaround
James, do a video on cool key changes and turn around methods by your favourite artisists?
James. I've been watching your videos for a year or so now and I believe we're very similar in our shared appreciation for pop song construction. So, if there's one person out there who'll appreciate the brilliance of the following... it would be you.
I don't know if you're familiar with the Beach Boys' tune "This Whole World" from their 1970 album Sunflower. It is a short but impossibly complex number written entirely by Brian Wilson. To your average listener, the chords flow together seamlessly, as there is nothing noticeably progressive or showy going on. But if you check under the hood, it is one of the clearest demonstrations of Brian's genius for song construction.
What's so remarkable is that the chords shouldn't go together but they do. He manages to fit 18 different chord variations into one easily accessible 1:58 minute pop tune. There are multiple key changes throughout and yet he somehow manages to make it back to the original key by the end. If you get the opportunity, check it out. I would love to hear your deconstruction of it and find out whether Brian Wilson really is an alien or just a spiritual being made flesh.
Thanks man. Love your videos.
Good call. An incredible sequence, once you notice what's going on...
That magic at 11:20 is actually the lydian mode, you got a tritone there but because of the harmonic context it feels magical rather than oppressive
That time will come, one day you will see, when we can all be friends, my favourite part in the end !
Excellent song.
Freddie often threw unexpected chords into his songs. Even the simpler ones like 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love' and 'Body Language' have them.
I absolutely love the whole album. Really upbeat and of its time. Brian May has said The Miracle is one of his favourite songs by Freddie. Just a shame they were not able to tour this album in 1989 as Feeddie was too ill. I can only imagine what that tour could've been!
The Miracle is one of the most 'all over the place'-albums they've done. Sometimes I like it, sometimes I don't.
Awesome tutorial!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fave chord sequence from the 80's would be Human Nature (Michael Jackson) but thats not British so I would have to say Feed Me with your Kiss by My Bloody Valentine because of the timing changes, the contrast between melodic and dissonant , the speed up of the chords changing faster (like Some Might Say ) towards the chorus only to stop and pause. All time British sequence Wuthering Heights (almost in the 80's)
These come from Shoenberg theory of harmonic regions, the C in D Is there because the bridge is in G major region though the Key being still in D. Also the Bb brings US into the C Major region with F and G/F chords seeking to resolve on C.
Poison by Alice cooper. On its own became much bigger hit and the chords are changing constantly while non musicians could not realize how complex it is to play along
Nice man! I totally got what you said. Freddie always slid between keys on his own songs. He got it from Lennon.
That G/F tension is the outro of Strawberry Fields (which more or less is actually Bb7/Gb) - the most psychedelic chord.
I always think that "release of tension line" - the third line of the pre-chorus - has a very Pink Floyd feel. PF were also always good at walking the line between complex pop and cerebral structures.
Innuendo as both song & albumwas even better❤ glad the miracle wasn't queens last studio album can only imagine what freddie would have given us had he lived on❤ when he was fit and well he would wipe the floor against any other front man liam gallagher included
Never really liked the miracle album at the time, loved innuendo. I forced myself to listen the Miracle about a year ago and realised I was mostly wrong! Especially the Miracle song which, is proper nuts - so many sections. The minor section wasn’t really a chorus in my head, it was a middle 8! Very cool chord sequence. Nicely explained!
Scandal is a totally under-rated banger; Freddie's vocals are so heartfelt & visceral.
👍 brother dude , keep on rocking
I started playing guitar in the early 80s and keyboard a few years later, a few years on and I also became a producer.
40 years later I'm still not sure whether this "ruined" the listening experience for me or not and at what step...
My 14yo granddaughter thinks I've got rubbish in music. My car has been playing either Luke Combs or Buffalo Tom. Combs she likes, but doesn't realise that Buffalo Tom use pretty much the same chords.
Luke Combs is hot garbage she’s got good taste not her fault
Hi James, great video!!! I think you made a mistake in the final section. of the Chorus Chord section. It's F/G C/G F/G C/G and so on and not the other way round.
Was looking for this comment. Good catch!
Forget the chords that guitar sound is absolutely beuatiful
Killing moon by echo & b is a pretty good chord change
i agree. i call it 'tragic and sad' chord prog
Bring On The Dancing Horses has my favourite chord change certainly of the 80s, but possibly ever in the chorus (shiver and say the words). It's such a simple one too as it's just IV to ii but it works so well
@mrgeebus I hear ya
there never was a key change to F. It was the key of C all the time, but first the F lydian and then the D dorian. One needs to think in modal scales instead of key centers
Timestamps?
I’ve known this since the early 70ties. There can be only one!
👍you convinced me.
Radio Gaga, Stop me if youve heard this one before.
There is no II-V turnaround from pre-chorus to chorus because the chords of the pre-chorus are all diatonic in the key of C. Just because the pre-chorus starts with an F doesn't make it the key of F. You could, however, view it as F Lydian. Which is the key of C but with F as the root.
After 1 or few mins the video just doesnt play and keeps getting stuck, on differnent browsers
Really didn’t like this song as a kid. Love it now. Maybe this is exactly why.
I think the bridge part sounds more like the chorus to me and the chorus part you mention sounds like sort of part that is often very different in songs as it has such a different flavour a part, that often comes right after the second chorus in order to prevent it from getting boring. Also. "it's a miracle" is also the name of true song, and often times the name of the song is something that comes in the chorus rather than bridge. However, these are all just names we give parts of music that follow each other, so it does not really matter much. However, I think if people were to ask to sing this song, they will likely sing the bridge part and not the chorus. Not that this proves anything of course.
Hi James! Please check out Jonathan David by Belle And Sebastian. Some interesting chord changes going on in there. I'm not a musician, I can't read music, so I can't put it into words, but to me it sounds like the song keeps switching between major and minor.
I really like this one, and I agree with you it has an unusual chord change. Has a dissonant quality that marks it out, yet still very melodic.And melody is king in my view.
Keith Emerson closing cadenza from The endless Enigma Is actualkt C7 F#, it's a substutution since the Natural cadenza should have been C#7 F#
Also do not forget momentary dominants.
I must say the English musicians are the best in the world🤔 Every band I just love comes from England 🏴 and as an Australian that is saying a lot🫣😂🤣
I heard Roger Taylor on one occasion and Brian May at another say, they always ended a verse slightly differently just to “mix things up”
Brian described it as putting in a change of direction on a glissando,
Roger said it was like hitting a cowbell instead of hitting a cymbal at the end of a verse, then next time smash a bottle or something…
Giant off-topic:
Doesn't Brian May look a bit like Peggy in Married with Children?
A melancholy but hopeful song written by a man who knew he was dying. Probably written on piano, an instrument on which the constraints and patterns of guitar based songs are less evident.
_"If every leaf on every tree could tell a story that would be a Miracle"_ is a hilariously risible trash line, it's got nothing whatsoever to do with the rest of the song, and looks like some of the horsecrap I burderned my English teachers with during highschool. I can imagine Pam Ayers reciting it with a sardonic undertone.
I'm a HUUUUUGE Queen fan BTW, have been since 1988. Having said that, I'm not above proferring my honest opinion on the odd occasion when Queen fail to impress.
I'd go so far as to say the track _'Jesus'_ is arguably as bad (if not worse) than Queen is good when they're good, which is godlike (Son & Daughter, March of the Black Queen, Spread Your Wings, Death on Two Legs, The Prophet's Song, Dead on Time, White Man, Somebody To Love, AOBTD, Dragon Attack, Kind of Magic).
You make it sound like Oasis with intelligence!
With that criteria you could argue a WKD vodka is superior to the finest wine as it is suited to a child's pallet. In many occasions it requires experience to appreciate art. Although this can make it less appealing to the masses, it doesnt lessen the arts integrity. The key is that it is honest.
Palate. A pallet is one of those wooden things for delivering goods.
please do a video on the libertines james!
Go James!!!!
You didn’t play the actual chords of the outro?
Its the same as the first line of the chorus chords - same as 'the one thing we're all waiting for it peace on earth and an end to war'
you would have loved the collectors early take version. the dynamics in the first 30 seconds loose casual vocal near 18 seconds them bam then again bang whole band come in
Choice of can't quite figure out album and song people will hate me for it is from 97 U2 Pop album MOFO is the track it's drown in loops, over dubs and effects
Great song. The Miracle is a really formative album for me. Terrible album cover though
It should be noted that Freddie had very little to do with writing the songs on The Miracle and Innuendo, with the majority of the songs written by Brian and Roger, as he was suffering quite a bit from his AIDS diagnosis.
Unfortunately you are spreading false information. It was the opposite, he returned to be a main songwriter for these two last albums after relatively weaker period of Works/A Kind Of Magic. The Miracle was mainly his song, the same as Party, Khashoggi's Ship, the intro to Breakthru and Was It All Worth It (probably best song on the album), he co-wrote My Baby Does Me and Rain Must Fall with Deacon. For Innuendo album he was main composer of Innuendo, I'm Going Slightly Mad, Don't Try So Hard, All Gods People, Delilah and Bijou and co-author of Hitman.
Probably could have been just about any Queen song really.
"we will rock you has the greatest chord sequence, ever!"
@@markythompson The song is in E minor yet the first and arguably only chord in the song (at the start of the guitar solo) is a C major. Having one chord in a song and still management to subvert your expectations with it is really impressive.
Wouldn’t you need to tune down half a step to be in E flat?
Nope, a D shape, half a step flat, is D flat. Tune UP a semitone.
What’s a G5?
Your basic chord is the first, third and fifth from the scale, so a G (major) chord is
1st = G
3rd = B
5th = D
G5 just means the 3rd is missed out, and you would normally play another 1st an octave higher
x
x
x
5
5
3
Muso: the 3rd decides whether the chord is major (G B D) or minor (G Bb D). Since there's no 3rd in a 5 chord, it can be either.
G G5
Am A5
Bm B5
C C5
D D5
Em E5
F#dim
But if the bass note is Bb over the G5, it's basically a G minor chord.
Great but the end is very messy. Listen again
Sounds like Oasis if they had talent.