10 Classic Rock Songs That Use 3 Chords Or Less

As the '60s reached its midpoint, the Beatles were starting to progress by leaps and bound in the studio. While their drug intake may have been a factor every now and again, each of the Fab Four were looking to push themselves past ordinary rock, with Revolver being their first real jump into psychedelia. When you break down something as extravagant as Tomorrow Never Knows, you can't even put these chords into words.

If you were looking at it as it is, this song technically has a chord and a half, with John Lennon bringing the original demo just hitting on a C chord for eternity. Looking to copy the kind of drone atmosphere of Indian music, most of the song was constructed more for the sounds they were able to create rather than a set structure, like George Harrison adding in backwards guitar to certain spots and Paul McCartney bringing in different tape loops that turned ordinary laughing sounds into what sounds like seagulls crying.

In the mix though, they did let one other chord slip by, with the brass section playing a completely different chord while the drone continues. Though it breaks up the drone mission they had, it acts as a great pivot for the rest of the song, almost as if they're showing you different colors on a bad acid trip. While this was one of the most forward looking rock songs at the time, George Martin was convinced that it could never be repeated exactly the same way. It might just be because of spur of the moment decisions, but it might be a little close to perfection as it is.