Comedy Band Proves 38 Hit Songs Share Same 4 Chords

When Australian comedy group Axis of Awesome sat down with their guitars in 2009, they had a point to prove: some of the world's biggest hits are built on the exact same foundation.

Their sketch became a viral sensation. The trio played a medley of 38 chart-topping songs, seamlessly transitioning from Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" to The Beatles' "Let It Be" to Lady Gaga's "Poker Face," all using the same four-chord progression.

For musicians, it's called the I–V–vi–IV progression. In simpler terms, it's the sequence C, G, A minor, F when played in the key of C.

The impressive lineup includes U2's "With or Without You," Bob Marley's "No Woman No Cry," Toto's "Africa," and even the Australian folk classic "Waltzing Matilda." The diversity is stunning: rock anthems, pop ballads, reggae classics, and electronica all sharing identical DNA.

Their official 2011 music video added even more songs to the mix, including Train's "Hey, Soul Sister," John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads," and The Black Eyed Peas' "Where is the Love?" The list kept growing because the progression keeps working.

This musical revelation gained fresh relevance when Ed Sheeran faced a 2023 lawsuit claiming he copied Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On" for his hit "Thinking Out Loud." Courts ruled in Sheeran's favor twice, confirming that basic musical building blocks aren't copyrightable. They're shared tools anyone can use.

Why This Inspires

What makes this story beautiful isn't just the comedy or the clever musicology. It's the reminder that creativity doesn't require completely original ingredients.

Great artists take the same chords, the same progressions, the same tools available to everyone and create something that moves us. "Let It Be" and "Poker Face" couldn't sound more different, yet they share the same foundation.

The 12-bar blues powered countless classics. Simple I-IV-V progressions built the backbone of folk and country music for generations. In inexperienced hands, these formulas produce forgettable songs, but skilled musicians transform them into magic.

Axis of Awesome officially disbanded in 2018, but their "4 Chords" sketch continues proving its point across millions of views. The songs they featured aren't boring or derivative, they're beloved bangers that people can't stop singing.

The lesson resonates beyond music. Sometimes the most profound creativity comes not from inventing new tools, but from using shared ones in ways that connect with human hearts.