Axis of Awesome - 4 Four Chord Song, 40 Songs, Same Chords

How to play this!:

Almost every popsong that is created in todays music business has two intentions: Make money and make the music creators and the ones that plays the music bigger and more famous. Therefore they use a chord progression which all of us already heard since we were babies. The I-V-vi-IV progression is used in so many songs that I guess no one can count them all... Of course there can be som minor or major changes with the chords but the sound is practically the same.

This was recorded in Melbourne 2009 on a Comedy Festival.

The chords used are:
E B C# A
Just to clarify that

The Australian Jack Black is Here!

Songs Included are :
Don't Stop Beliving - Journey 0:52
You're Beautiful - James Blunt 1:01
Forever Young - Alphaville 1:10
I'm Yours - Jason Mraz 1:17
Happy Ending - Mika 1:26
Amazing - Alex Lloyd 1:35
Wherever You Will Go - The Calling 1:42
Can You Feel The Love Tonight - Elton John 1:50
She Will Be Loved - Maroon 5 1:57
Pictures Of You - The Last Goodnight 2:05
With Or Without You - U2 2:12
Fall At Your Feet - Crowded House 2:20
Pretty Enough? - Kasey Chambers 2:30
Let It Be - The Beatles 2:39
Under The Bridge - Red Hot Chili Peppers 2:43
The Horses - Darryl Braithwaite 2:48
No Waman No Cry - Bob Marley & The Wailers 2:55
Sex And Candy - Marcy Playground 2:57
Down Under - Men At Work 2:59
Banjo Patterson's Waltzing Matilda 3:02
Take On Me - A-ha 3:06
When I Come Around - Green Day 3:09
Save Tonight - Eagle-Eye Cherry 3:22
Africa - Toto 3:23
If I Were A Boy - Beyoncé 3:30
Self Esteem - The Offspring 3:31
You're Gonna Go Far Kid - The Offsprings 3:38
U + Ur Hand - P!nk 3:46
Pokerface - Lady Gaga 3:54
Barbie Girl - Aqua 3:59
You Found Me - The Fray 4:01
Don't Trust Me - 30h!3 4:09
Kids - MGMT 4:16
Canvas Bags - Tim Manchin 4:23
Torn - Natalie Imbruglia 4:33
Superman - Five For Fighting 4:49
Birdplane - Axis Of Awesome 4:53
Scar - Missy Higgings 5:06
Thats All It Takes To Be A Star - Axis Of Awesome 5:20

Lyrics:
My life is brilliant, my love is pure, I saw an angel, of that i'm sure
Forever young, I wanna be forever young
I wont hesitate no more, no more it can not wait, i'm yours
This is the way you left me, I'm not pretending, no love no hope no glory, no happy ending
Cause you were amazing, and we did amazing
If i could, then I would, I'd go where ever you will go
And can you feel the love tonight
And she will be loved, yes, she will be loved
Pictures of you, pictures of me, hung up on your wall, for the world to see
Cause I can't live, with or without you
Whenever I fall, at your feet, you let your tense
Am I not pretty enough, is my heart to bro...
Double time?
Double time!
When I find myself in times of trouble, mother Mary comes to me
Sometimes I feel like I don't have a partner
that's the way it's gonna be little darling (be little darling) we'll go riding on the horses yeaha
No woman no cry
Mama this surely is a dream
I come from a land down under
Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong
Take on me (when I come around) take me on (when I come around) I'll be gone, in a minute or two
Save tonight
It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you
Fight the break of dawn come tomorrow
There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do
If I were a boy
I know she's playing with me
I think I would understand
Well that's okey cause I got no self esteem
With a thousand lies and a good disguise hit 'em right between the eyes hit 'em right between the eyes
Cause I'm not here for your entertainment you don't really wanna mess with me tonight
Can't read my, can't read my, no you can't read my poker face
Come on Barbie let's go party
Lost and insecure you found me, you found me
She wants to touch me woho, she wants to love me woho, she'll never leave me woho, wohohoho
Enjoy yourself, take only what you need from it
Take your canvas bags, take your canvas bags, take your canvas bags to the supermarket, take your canvas bags
Nothing's right i'm torn I'm all out of faith this is how I feel I'm cold and I am shamed lying naked on the floor
Illusion never changed into something real
I'm wide awake and I can see I'm more than a bird, I'm more than a plane
I'm a birdplane, I'm a birdplane, a motherfucking birdplane
And doesn't that sound familiar doesn't that hit too close to home doesn't that make you shiver the way that things have gone
And doesn't it seem peculiar when everyone wants a little more so that I do remember to never go this far
That's all it takes to be a star!!!!!!

[hbmkxke]

My music teacher showed this in class a few years ago, and I'm still watching it D:

[Aisamakes]

I sometimes find myself singing this as if it was a real song. Loved this!

[Kirbytroid]

I'm completely addicted to this song, I can't stop watching it.
These guys are great.

[MarcusMeyerTricks]

1:48 This is the most beautiful and most intense part.

[ecat]

"We never wrote a four chord song"
Puts their own song in it

[baileys]

No it's not jack black, but it is jack blacks Australian cousin!

[sultanjelle]

Without a doubt the most amazing video on YouTube. I’ve come through and sussed it out ATLEAST one a week

[yell]

Its finding that unique melody that people can sing or hum too that is why the Beatles were musical genius's because they could construct fantastic great melodies, its the melodies u copyright and own. No one can copyright a chord progression, chords are free for everyone. you opinion is that all pop songs sound the same, obviously not every body shares your opinion because the music industry is a thriving world market that shows no signs of slowing down, people buy want they want to hear.

[firstdance]

One of the most entertaining and fun videos on You Tube!

[GodlessGlen]

Fucking awesome. I was rolling on the floor (well, not literally, I've not done that since my Pentecostal days).

[Franzibald_]

The description is misleading, yes all these songs use the same 4 chords, but they do cover in fact two entirely different progressions in two different keys. The  I-V-vi-IV in the key of E major that is mentioned in the description but also the i-VI-III-VII in the key of C# minor. 

They switch from chord progression at Save Tonight, which uses C#m - A - E - B. The fact that it is a different chord progression is more significant than the fact that they are the same chords, because the order of the chords is what makes a song. Therefore Don't Stop Believing sounds nothing like Save Tonight, despite using the same chords.

[irspeshul]

The keys can be different, but the chord structure remains the same.
They took some liberties with a few of these songs, though. In some songs, only certain sections use a familiar chord pattern, and other songs can be bent slightly to fit the 4-chord format while still sounding familiar.

[sholemburstin]

is anyone else watching this 10 year old video in 2020

[JasonLiew]

I've probably watched this 50 times. Still cracks me up.

[Jationator]

Absolutely amazing, I love this (even though I am a fan of quite a few of those songs haha). And the amount of effort you've put into the description! Wow!

[alexharnage]

I heard this on Pandora. Damn I still love it.

[Geordnet]

Thanks for the timelinks now in the descriptions!

[happySYSY]

awesome!!!they are so talented!!!and hilarious!!!hahahaha

[mtmello]

from time to time I'm back here. really awesome

[nickcandoit]

@ArfJason doesn't actually matter that much what pitch the chords are it just has to be a I-V-vi-IV progression it can be in any key it will sound the same just at a different pitch but the relative intervals are all the same