Standards

It Had To Be You chords & key

Key: G major
Form: ABAC
Bars: 32
Groove: Medium swing
Time signature: 4/4

“It Had To Be You” is a jazz standard by Isham Jones. Most bands play it in G major, medium swing; the tune runs 32 bars in ABAC form. Harmonically it contains 1 major ii–V–I cadence and 2 minor ii–V–i, uses 19 different chords and moves between the key centres E minor, D minor and C major. In this atlas it appears on 24 album tracks.

Chord changes

to key

Showing in: Concert (C) — G major

G^maj7D^7♯5

G^maj7F⁷

E⁷B^m7

E⁷

A⁷E^m7

A⁷

D⁷

F♯^m7♭5B^7♭9

E^m7B^7♭9

E^m7A♯^7♯11

A⁷E^m7

A⁷

A^m7

D⁷D^7♯5

G^maj7D^7♯5

G^maj7F⁷

E⁷B^m7

E⁷

A⁷E^m7

A⁷D^m7G⁷

C^maj7

F⁷

G^maj7B^7♭9

E^m7A♯^dim7

D⁷_/AG♯^dim7

D⁷_/AD⁷

G⁶E⁷

A^m7D⁷

Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.

Harmonic analysis

1Major ii–V–I

2Minor ii–V–i

13ii–V moves

0Tritone substitutions

3Dominant chains

19Different chords

Most used chords

A⁷×10
E^m7×10
G^maj7×5
E⁷×5
D⁷×4
D^7♯5×3

Key centres reached by ii–V

E minor, D minor and C major

Characteristics

ABAC song form

Recorded on these albums

1944	Piano solos Art Tatum · “It Had to Be You”
1955	Music for Torching Billie Holiday · “It Had to Be You”
1955	For Quiet Lovers Teddy Wilson · “It Had to Be You”
1955	Bud Shank Quintets Bud Shank · “It Had to Be You”
1956	Johnny Hodges and the Ellington All Stars Johnny Hodges and The Ellington All Stars · “It Had to Be You”
1956	Duke's in Bed Johnny Hodges · “It Had to Be You”
1957	Tony Tony Bennett · “It Had to Be You”
1958	Saturday Night With Mr. C. Perry Como
1958	The Gilded Hawk Coleman Hawkins · “It Had to Be You”
1958	'S Awful Nice Ray Conniff · “It Had to Be You”
1959	The Genius of Ray Charles Ray Charles · “It Had to Be You”
1959	Cool Heat - Anita O'Day Sings Jimmy Giuffre Arrangements Anita O’Day · “It Had to Be You”
1959	Jazz Alive! A Night at the Half Note Al Cohn and Zoot Sims · “It Had to Be You”
1960	You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby! The Crew-Cuts · “It Had to Be You”
1961	Love Swings Bobby Darin · “It Had to Be You”
1961	String Band Strum-Along Tony Mottola · “It Had to Be You”
1962	Young and Lively Vic Damone · “It Had to Be You”
1962	I Cry By Night Kay Starr · “It Had to Be You”
1964	The Third Album Barbra Streisand · “It Had to Be You”
1964	When Lights Are Low Tony Bennett with The Ralph Sharon Trio · “It Had to Be You”
1968	Easy Does It Julie London · “It Had to Be You”
1972	Two Guitars for Two in Love Tony Mottola · “It Had to Be You”
1974	Meets The Master Saxes - Lester Young, Dexter Gordon, Illinois Jacquet Nat Cole · “It Had to Be You”
1974	The Great Gatsby (Original Soundtrack Recording) Nelson Riddle

Historic 78 rpm recordings

IT HAD TO BE YOU SIDNEY BECHET and his feetwarmers · Kahn · Jones archive.org ↗
IT HAD TO BE YOU HENRY GEORGE · Henry George's Orchestra · Jones · Kahn archive.org ↗
IT HAD TO BE YOU VALAIDA · Billy Mason and His Orchestra · Kahn & Jones archive.org ↗
It Had To Be You Cliff Jackson · Isham Jones · Gus Kahn · 1944 archive.org ↗
IT HAD TO BE YOU GEORGIE AULD And His Orchestra · Lynne Stevens · Isham Jones · 1946 archive.org ↗

Standards with similar changes

Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.

Title	Composer	Key	Form	Groove
Just You, Just Me 27%	Jesse Greer	C major	AABA · 32	Medium swing
The Opener 23%	Bill Evans	C major	ABB · 30	Medium swing
Donna Lee 22%	Charlie Parker	A♭ major	AB · 32	Up-tempo swing
I May Be Wrong 22%	Henry Sullivan	E♭ major	AABC · 32	Medium swing
September In The Rain 22%	Harry Warren	E♭ major	AABA · 32	Medium swing
What A Difference A Day Made 22%	Maria Grever	F major	AB · 32	Ballad
After You 20%	Cole Porter	C major	ABC · 32	Ballad
The Masquerade Is Over 20%	Allie Wrubel	E♭ major	AAB · 44	Ballad

Frequently asked questions

What key is It Had To Be You in?

It Had To Be You is usually played in G major. For B♭ instruments that is A major, for E♭ instruments E major.

Who wrote It Had To Be You?

It Had To Be You was written by Isham Jones.

What is the form of It Had To Be You?

It Had To Be You has 4 sections (ABAC) with 32 bars in total.

How fast is It Had To Be You played?

The usual groove is Medium swing.

What are the chord changes to It Had To Be You?

The opening bars are Gmaj7 D7#5 | Gmaj7 F7 | E7 Bm7 | E7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.