The Chords That Should Not Work: Pop's Harmonic Rule Breakers episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 3, 2025 · 18 MIN

The Chords That Should Not Work: Pop's Harmonic Rule Breakers

from Piano Key A to G · host William Haviland

Following on from last week’s episode, I had in my mind the idea of discussing unusual chord progressions in pop music: modern pioneers that pushed the boundaries of what was permissible to listen to. In this week’s podcast, let’s pick three perfectly eccentric examples of harmonic oddity in popular music classics, analyse their content, and speculate on how they get away with it! Following a brief reminder of David Bowie’s ‘Changes’, we’ll look at the following:Wuthering Heights Kate BushLay Lady Lay Bob DylanMad About The Boy Noel Coward/Dinah WashingtonPlease write in to the podcast if you have other examples you think merit a mention - there are many - we just picked three here to keep the show short!For more information: whaviland.com/podcastHappy piano playing/learning!

NOW PLAYING

The Chords That Should Not Work: Pop's Harmonic Rule Breakers

0:00 18:48

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Piano Key A to G?

This episode is 18 minutes long.

When was this Piano Key A to G episode published?

This episode was published on August 3, 2025.

What is this episode about?

Following on from last week’s episode, I had in my mind the idea of discussing unusual chord progressions in pop music: modern pioneers that pushed the boundaries of what was permissible to listen to. In this week’s podcast, let’s pick three...

Can I download this Piano Key A to G episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!