by Dean Salant

10 most popular chord progressions of all time

Despite melody often taking the spotlight, chord progressions are an equally important part of the core identity of many iconic songs. They give these tracks the harmonic structure necessary to support the melodies and drive the emotional narratives of songs.

Understanding and using popular chord progressions is essential to being a great producer, songwriter, or beat maker. They are an accessible way to resonate with your audience as they provide a well-established framework for original ideas to build on.

In this article, we’ll break down a list of chord progressions that are widely used to understand what they’re made of and look into how they’ve shaped the sound of popular music across genres.

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Popular chord progressions are simply combinations of chords that have been used in the same order, many times, in a vast range of music across different genres.

One can only speculate why these particular chord progressions are so commonly used. Perhaps it is because they resonate emotionally with listeners, or perhaps it is simply that in the context of Western tonality and keys, certain notes tend towards each other naturally.

Regardless of the reason, understanding these progressions and being able to incorporate them into your music is a great way to evoke particular moods.

You can think of popular chord progressions as a part of the “grammar” of music. Just like how sentences follow grammatical rules to make sense, chord progressions follow certain patterns that listeners recognize as musically satisfying.

Check out this guide to learn more about the basics of music theory.

Remember that no one has any ownership over chord progressions. You can, and should, use the same chord progressions as any of your favorite songs.

What are chords?

Before we start looking into actual chord progressions, we should understand what chords themselves are. A chord is simply a combination of two or more notes played simultaneously. More often though, chords are made up of three notes, forming what we call a “triad.” Triads typically include a root note, a third, and a fifth note.

The numbers we are referring to here are degrees of a scale. So when we say something like a “third” we are referring to the third note in a scale. Check out this article if you’d like to wrap your head around the degrees of the scale and how they form different chords.

Triads can be categorized into a few basic types. A few of those types are:

1. Major triads – these have a bright sound which some people describe as “happy.”

2. Minor triads – darker counterparts of the major triads which some people call “sad”

3. Suspended triads – these have a floating, unresolved feeling

4. Diminished triads – Feels unstable

The chords that are derived from the major scale are as follows. We’ll use the key of C to illustrate examples:

I – C major (C)

ii – D minor (Dm)

iii – E minor (Em)

IV – F major (F)

V – G major (G)

vi – A minor (Am)

vii° – B diminished (Bdim or B°)

Chords from C major scale
These are the chords that we derive from a C major scale — using only the notes in that scale.

Roman numerals are traditionally used to describe the chords found in a scale. When they are capitalized, the chord’s “quality” is major. When they are written in lowercase, they are minor. The degree symbol (°) means that a chord is diminished.

What chords are used in most popular chord progressions?

Most popular chord progressions revolve around just the handful of the chords we discussed above. The most common chords in pop, rock, EDM, folk, and many other genres exclude the vii° chord. While it can be found occasionally, the chord is a bit too unstable to use regularly in a popular context. It is, however, very common in jazz, soundtracks, and classical music, among other genres.

With that theoretical framework behind us, let’s break down some of the most popular chord progressions that have been on countless records.

Variations on the “famous four-chord progression”

These famous four-chord progressions can be found in a few permutations in popular music. Listen out for these variations, as they are some of the most popular chord progressions of all time:

1. I—V—vi—IV

The I-V-vi-IV is one of the most ubiquitous pop chord progressions in music today. Maybe that’s because it creates a great balance between tension and resolution. Starting on the stable I chord establishes the tonal center, while the following chords introduce anticipation, eventually moving back to the tonic. In the key of C major, this progression would be C (I), G (V), Am (vi), and F (IV).

You can hear it in “Love” by Lana Del Rey:

2. vi—IV—I—V

This is a minor variation of the above progression which starts on the vi chord and gives it a more somber feel. The shift from the minor chord towards the major chords creates a particularly emotional sonic journey which is why it has been used in so many powerful tracks. In the key of C major, this progression would be Am (vi), F (IV), C (I), and G (V).

Listen to this progression in Alan Walker’s “The Spectre”:

3. I-vi—IV—V

This version of the four-chord progression creates a more uplifting cycle than the vi—IV—I—V. In the key of C major, this progression would be C (I), Am (vi), F (IV), and G (V). This is a great choice for feel-good, melodic tracks

The I—vi—IV—V can be heard in Taylor Swift’s  “ME!” ft. Brendon Urie:

4. IV-V-I-vi

While this variation is still a popular chord progression, it is probably the least used of the four permutations we’ve discussed. This sequence starts on the IV and ends on the vi, which gives it a cyclical feeling as it doesn’t truly resolve. This makes it stand out.

Breakout pop icon Chappell Roan uses this progression on her hit “Good Luck, Babe!”

5. ii—V—I

The ii—V—I (we say “two, five, one”) is a staple of jazz music. In the key of C major, the progression would be Dm (ii), G (V), and C (I). The ii chord acts as a stepping stone between the tonic (I) and dominant (V), and gives us a uniquely jazzy tonality. To add even more of a jazzy feel, consider adding chord extensions like sevenths or ninths.

While it’s often heard in jazz, Maroon 5 used it in a pop context in their classic “Sunday Morning”:

6. i—VII—VI—V

This chord progression creates a strong descending bassline that lands on a tense dominant chord. In the key of A minor (the ‘relative minor’ of C major, which uses the same chords), this progression would be Am (i), G (VII), F (VI), and E (V). Notice that the E is a major chord. This is to emphasize the strength of the dominant chord and create tension that needs to be resolved by returning to the i chord.

This chord progression can be heard on “Sultans of Swing” by rock legends Dire Straits:

7. I—IV—V

One of the simplest, most effective, and most common chord progressions around is the I—IV—V. It was initially the foundation of rock, blues, and country songs, but over time has made its way into pop as well. In the key of C major, this would be C (I), F (IV), and G (V). This progression creates a strong sense of forward momentum.

Charli XCX used a subtle arpeggiated version of the I—IV—V on “detonate”:

8. I—III—IV—iv

This progression uses a technique called ‘modal interchange’ with major and minor chords to create a surprising tonal shift. That shift occurs on the IV chord which changes its third degree from major to minor. In the key of C major, this would be C (I), E (III), F (IV), and F minor (iv). The III chord is also major, which is unusual in the context of a major key.

Perhaps the most famous use of this popular chord progression is Radiohead’s “Creep”:

9. i-VII-VI-VII

This is another popular progression in minor keys. In the key of A minor, it would be Am (i), G (VII), F (VI), and G (VII). This progression creates a sense of emotional power and intensity, with the VI and VII chords building up to the resolution on the minor tonic chord.

This evocative chord progression can be heard on “Rolling In The Deep” by Adele:

10. Blues

This chord progression only has three chords: I, VI, and V. It is its structure, however, that gives it its signature sound which has made its way onto many blues and rock recordings.

The progression uses the chords in this order:

I—I—I—I

IV—IV—I—I

V—IV—I—I (V)

This is also referred to as the “twelve-bar blues.”

While you could easily find blues or rock recordings with this progression, Prince & The Revolution used it in a light pop style on “Kiss”:

Start using these common chord progressions in your own music

Composers and songwriters constantly borrow popular chord progressions and create new songs from familiar harmonic structures. These progressions can be adapted and transformed in many ways, so why not use them yourself?

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