Great one-chord jams

Who needs changes? Sometimes the band can just lock onto a groove on a single chord and ride it out to heaven ... The king of one-chord jams is "Electric Avenue" by Eddie Grant, and I could probably come with a few more by digging in the Sly Stone or George Clinton crates... But a more recent great one is "Wogs Will Walk" on the last (and apparently final) Cornershop album HANDCREAM FOR A GENERATION. There's a little accent note but the song is essentially one chord one groove one love...

Comments

[J.]

Not the "king" of monochordal songs, in my opinnion, but a pretty famous single chord jammer is a guy who went by the name "Bo Diddly." Sly and George rock too though...

[MG]

I'm setting up a playlist on my iPod of one chord songs as well. Thus far I have Chain of Fools (Aretha), Stupidly Happy (XTC), I'm a Man (Bo Diddley); You Need Love(Muddy Waters); Show Biz Kids (Steely Dan); and Tomorrow Never Knows (Beatles); I could also probably used Beatles Indian Songs (Love You To and Within You Without You). Can anyone think of any others?

[Caleb]

• Bullet the Blue Sky, U2
• On the Road Again, Canned Heat
• Exodus, Bob Marley

[Bob Christie]

Here's a one chord song (C7) that was very popular for a spell:
"The Beat Goes On" (1967), words and music by the late Sonny Bob.

[Bob Christie]

correction: The Beat Goes On was written by Sonny Bono. Sorry about that.

[Robert Sylvain]

My favorite ONE chord songs:

Hollis Brown by Bob Dylan - (Em)
Dog Hill by Boozoo Chavis
J'ai Vu le Loup by the Balfa Brothers

lots of kids' tunes:
This Old Man
Hole in the Bucket
It's Raining It's Pouring
L'il Liza Jane

Some people will say that some of these songs have a V7 chord, but if you try them you'll see they work quite well without that turnaround. John Lee Hooker almost never plays the V7 turnaround.