4 Examples of How Just Three Chords Can Make a Legendary Song

A good song is the sum of its parts, but that doesn’t necessarily mean a song’s quality comes down to how much instrumentation is packed into it. These four famous songs in country and rock prove that all you need to put together a legendary song is three chords and some creativity. Let’s take a look and get inspired!

1. “Save It For Later” by The English Beat

Better known as The Beat across the pond, The English Beat are known for their magical way of blending wildly different genres together. They’ve put out hits that merge together everything from Latin music to ska to reggae to even punk rock and soul music.

“Save It For Later”, in particular, is a great example of a stellar song that only really uses three chords. According to frontman Dave Wakeling, he wrote the song far before its release in 1982. In fact, he wrote it when he was just a teenager.

2. “Ring Of Fire” by Johnny Cash

This brooding, addicting country tune is one of Johnny Cash’s finest releases. And it’s become a memorable, haunting classic, years after its release in 1963.

“Ring Of Fire” only uses three main chords, and they’re easy ones: G, C, and D. It’s a very cyclical song, both in the guitar track and in the lyrical songwriting. June Carter is the magic-maker behind this tune that was made famous by her husband.

3. “Mr. Tambourine Man” by Bob Dylan

This classic Bob Dylan tune is one of his finest pieces of work. It’s also ridiculously simple when you break it down into its core songwriting components. Dylan’s version (not The Byrds’ version) features just his voice, an acoustic guitar, and a harmonica. 

While The Byrds’ version is much grander and features a pretty substantial session band, Dylan’s version is a beautiful example of how someone can make truly meaningful music without laying down track after track after track. Three chords make up the bulk of this song: G, A, and D.

4. “Bad Moon Rising” by Creedence Clearwater Revival

Even if you’re not a huge CCR fan, you probably can belt out “Don’t go around tonight / Well it’s bound to take your life” at the right time when “Bad Moon Rising” comes on the radio. 

It’s a stunning number written in a simple fashion when you really listen to it. John Fogerty simply slapped together some D, A, and G chords and sang above them, resulting in one of the most memorable songs to come out of the tail-end of the 1960s.

Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

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