This Is the One

The song works within a plain diatonic major framework — its harmonic interest comes from texture and pacing, not chord complexity. John Squire's arpeggio-led guitar style turns I-IV-V movement into something atmospheric, a trick central to the debut album's psychedelic shimmer. The band's deliberate avoidance of harmonic tension is itself a stylistic statement.

Written by Ian Brown and John Squire, 'This Is the One' came out of the creative surge that produced The Stone Roses' entire debut. Brown and Squire were the credited writers on virtually all the band's material — Squire supplying the guitar architecture, Brown shaping the lyrical tone. The track sits tenth on the album's eleven-song run, acting as a measured build toward the closing epic 'I Am the Resurrection'.

Appearing near the end of The Stone Roses' self-titled debut on Silvertone Records, 'This Is the One' captures the band at their most hypnotic — unhurried, guitar-drenched, and quietly triumphant. Produced by John Leckie, its layered texture and understated confidence placed it among the defining statements of the late-1980s British indie scene. The track has endured as a fan favourite precisely because it refuses to oversell itself.