3 One-Chord Songs That Used Minimalism To Become Pop Staples

It’s hard to imagine putting together a successful, charting pop song with just one chord. However, that’s exactly what the following three musicians and bands did with their respective hits. Sometimes, one chord and a solid idea are all you need to dish out an incredible pop song. Let’s take a look!

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“Coconut” by Harry Nilsson (1972)

This novelty calypso song from Harry Nilsson only uses on arpeggiated C7 chord from start to finish. And, interestingly enough, it works quite well. This song was released in 1972 on the record Nilsson Schmilsson, and it was quite a hit as well. “Coconut” peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and also saw some success in the UK and Canada. If you’re a fan of Reservoir Dogs, you might remember this song being at the end of the film.

“Crosseyed And Painless” by Talking Heads (1980)

This new wave track might not meet your definition of pop, considering it failed to reach the main pop chart in the US. However, it was a hit on the dance charts and remains a popular club song today, so I’ll go ahead and include it on our list of one-chord pop songs.

“Crosseyed And Painless” by Talking Heads was released in 1980 and peaked at No. 20 on the US Dance chart. As a result, this single is Talking Heads’ highest-charting dance song to date. And despite being rich in instrumentation (cowbells, congas, bells, etc.), this song only uses one chord. That chord is a Bm that is played from the intro through the verses and chorus to the end of the song. And it really does suit the song well.

“Get This Party Started” by Pink (2001)

How about some good ol’ new millennium pop music? This pop rock jam from Pink hit the airwaves in 2001 and was a fast hit on the pop charts. “Get This Party Started” peaked at No. 4 on the Hot 100 and reached the Top 5 in quite a few countries. Surprisingly, there isn’t much musical diversity in this anthem jam. “Get This Party Started” only features a constant Bm chord throughout the song, though one can detect an occasional E and Badd9 chord in certain parts.

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