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Billy Joel - It’s Still Rock ‘N’ Roll To Me Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsC, Em, Bb, F, Am, D, G, A, G#, Eb, E7, C7
Strumming↓-↓↑-↑↓↑

Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.

  • Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
  • Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram
  • Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram Fingering: x-1-3-3-3-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram
  • Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram
  • Guitar Am chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-1-0Guitar Am chord diagram
  • Guitar D chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-2Guitar D chord diagram
  • Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram
  • Guitar A chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-2-0Guitar A chord diagram
  • Guitar G# | A♭ chord diagram Fingering: 4-3-1-1-1-x Barre at fret 1.Guitar G# | A♭ chord diagram
  • Guitar D# | E♭ chord diagram Fingering: x-x-1-3-4-3Guitar D# | E♭ chord diagram
  • Guitar E7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-0-1-0-0Guitar E7 chord diagram
  • Guitar C7 chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-3-1-0Guitar C7 chord diagram

[Opening]
[C]What’s the matter with the [Em]clothes I’m wearing ?
“Can’t you [Bb]tell that your tie’s too [F]wide ?”
[C]Maybe I should buy some [Em]old tab collars ?
“Welcome [Bb]back to the age of [F]jive.”

[verse 2]
[Em]“Where have you been hiddin’ [Am]out lately, honey?
You [Em]can’t dress trashy till you [D]spend a lot of [G]money.”
[C]Everybody [Em]talking ’bout the [Bb]new sound, [F]funny,
but it’s [Am]still rock and [G]roll to [C]me.

[verse 3]
[C]What’s the matter with the [Em]car I’m driving?
“Can’t you [Bb]tell that it’s out of [F]style?”
[C]Should I get a set of [Em]white wall tyres?
“Are you [Bb]gonna cruise the miracle [F]mile?”

[verse 4]
[Em]“Nowadays you can’t be [Am]too sentimental,
your [Em]best bet’s a true, baby, [D]blue Conti[G]nental.”
[C]Hot funk, [Em]cool punk [Bb]even if it’s [F]old junk,
it’s [Am]still rock and [G]roll to [C]me.

[verse 5]
Oh, [G]it doesn’t matter what they [F]say in the papers,
’cause it’s [Em]always been the same old [A]scene.
There’s a [G]new band in town but you [F]can’t get the sound
from a [Em]story in a maga[G#]zine, [Eb]aimed at your average [F]teen. [G]

[verse 6]
[C]How about a pair of [Em]pink sidewinders and a [Bb]bright orange pair of [F]pants?
[C]“Well, you could really be a [Em]Beau Brummel, baby,
if you [Bb]just give it half a [F]chance.”

[verse 7]
[Em]“Don’t waste your money on a [Am]new set of speakers.
you [Em]get more mileage from a [D]cheap pair of [G]sneakers.”
[C]Next phase, [Em]new wave, [Bb]dance craze, [F]anyways,
it’s [Am]still rock and [G]roll to [C]me.

[interlude]
[G] [F] [E7] [Am] [G] [F] [E7] [G#] [Eb] [F] [G]

[verse 8]
[C]What’s the matter with the [Em]crowd I’m seeing?
“Don’t you [Bb]know that they’re out of [F]touch?”
[C]Should I try to be a [Em]straight A student?
“If you [Bb]are, then you think too [Em]much”.

[verse 9]
[Em]“Don’t you know about the [Am]new fashion, honey?
[Em]all you need are looks and a [D]whole lot a [G]money.”
It’s the [C]next phase, [Em]new wave, [Bb]dance craze, [F]anyways,
it’s [Am]still rock and [G]roll to [C]me.

[Closing]
[C]Everybody’s [Em]talking about the [Bb]new sound, [F]funny,
but it’s [Am]still rock and [G]roll to [C]me. [C7]

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SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookDiscover the most-used three-chord combinations in songs and build real command on guitar.
14,015 TRANSITIONS ANALYZED#1 at 23%: Which Transition?Master guitar today with the most repeated high-impact chord transitions.
ArtistBilly Joel
AlbumGlass Houses
GenresPop
Year1980
KeyC

How to play It's Still Rock 'N' Roll on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Billy Joel - It's Still Rock 'N' Roll on guitar requires 12 chords and 21 core chord transitions. You can find the full step-by-step guide below. Before you start, tune your instrument. The song uses the ↓-↓↑-↑↓↑ pattern; practice it muted first, or simplify to downstrokes while you learn the changes.

It's Still Rock 'N' Roll uses these transitions most often: C → Em (13), Em → Bb (13), and Bb → F (12). These transitions may feel a little challenging at first, but with steady practice you can play this song quickly.When you are ready, begin with C - Em chord transition.

1. C → Em chord transition

Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram

To move from C to Em;

  1. While playing C, lift your index finger from B string fret 1.
  2. Lift your middle finger from D string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger from A string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
C to Em

2. Em → Bb chord transition

Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram
Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram Fingering: x-1-3-3-3-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram

To move from Em to Bb;

  1. Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 3.
  2. Slide your ring finger from D string fret 2 to G string fret 3.
  3. Place index finger on A string fret 1.
  4. Place pinky on B string fret 3.
Em to Bb

3. Bb → F chord transition

Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram Fingering: x-1-3-3-3-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram
Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram

To move from Bb to F;

  1. Lift your index finger from A string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 3 to G string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from G string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.
  4. Slide your pinky from B string fret 3 to D string fret 3.
Bb to F

4. F → C chord transition

Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram
Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram

To move from F to C;

  1. While playing F, lift your pinky from D string fret 3.
  2. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
  3. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
  4. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
F to C

5. F → Em chord transition

To move from F to Em;

  1. While playing F, first lift your index finger and pinky.
  2. Lift your middle finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger from A string fret 3 to D string fret 2.

6. Em → Am chord transition

To move from Em to Am;

  1. Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 2.
  2. Slide your ring finger from D string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
  3. Place index finger on B string fret 1.

7. Em → D chord transition

To move from Em to D;

  1. Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 2.
  2. Slide your ring finger from D string fret 2 to B string fret 3.
  3. Place index finger on G string fret 2.

8. D → G chord transition

To move from D to G;

  1. Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.

9. G → C chord transition

To move from G to C;

  1. Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.

10. F → Am chord transition

To move from F to Am;

  1. While playing F, lift your pinky from D string fret 3.
  2. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
  3. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
  4. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 2.

11. Am → G chord transition

To move from Am to G;

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from G string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 3.

12. G → F chord transition

To move from G to F;

  1. Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to G string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on D string fret 3.

13. Em → A chord transition

To move from Em to A;

  1. Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
  2. Slide your ring finger from D string fret 2 to B string fret 2.
  3. Place index finger on D string fret 2.

14. A → G chord transition

To move from A to G;

  1. Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from B string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 3.

15. Em → G# chord transition

To move from Em to G#;

  1. Slide your middle finger on A string from fret 2 to fret 3.
  2. Slide your ring finger from D string fret 2 to E string fret 4.
  3. Place index finger on D string fret 1.

16. G# → Eb chord transition

To move from G# to Eb;

  1. Keep index finger on D string fret 1.
  2. Lift your middle finger from A string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.
  3. Slide your ring finger from E string fret 4 to G string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on B string fret 4.

17. Eb → F chord transition

To move from Eb to F;

  1. Lift your index finger from D string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to G string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from G string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.
  4. Slide your pinky from B string fret 4 to D string fret 3.

18. F → E7 chord transition

To move from F to E7;

  1. While playing F, first lift your ring finger and pinky.
  2. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 1.
  3. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to A string fret 2.

19. E7 → Am chord transition

To move from E7 to Am;

  1. Lift your index finger from G string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from A string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
  3. Place ring finger on G string fret 2.

20. E7 → G# chord transition

To move from E7 to G#;

  1. Lift your index finger from G string fret 1 and place it on D string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger on A string from fret 2 to fret 3.
  3. Place ring finger on E string fret 4.

21. C → C7 chord transition

To move from C to C7;

  1. Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
  2. Keep middle finger on D string fret 2.
  3. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on G string fret 3.

It's Still Rock 'N' Roll chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in It's Still Rock 'N' Roll.

  • It's Still Rock 'N' Roll includes 106 chord transitions, 21 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.03% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • It's Still Rock 'N' Roll contains 8 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how It's Still Rock 'N' Roll connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After Em, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (26%), G (18%), and D (17%).
    • Em → D: 17%
    • Em → Am: 12%
    After C, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).
    • C → G: 35%
    • C → Em: 8%
SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookThe 200 most popular three-chord chains from real songs. See which songs use each chain and expand your repertoire with patterns that actually matter.