5 Common Chord Progressions (with song examples)

Finding the best chord progression can be a great way to kickstart your songwriting ideas. There are countless possibilities, and although finding a unique group of chords can be a great idea, there's nothing wrong with going for something more commonplace.

There's a reason why we use the same chord progressions over and over again. Most simply put: they sound great and work well. But perhaps the best thing about them is that nobody owns a chord progression, which means you're free to use them how you wish!

In this article, we'll show you 5 of the most popular chord progressions and some well-known songs that use them. We'll also explain the music theory behind each one so that you can use them in your music!

1. I - V -vi -IV (The Famous One)

Let's start with the obvious one, shall we? The infamous I - V -vi - IV progression.

You can find it used in every musical genre, and most of its fame is thanks to the iconic Axis of Awesome video above. We almost didn't include it in this list since most of you probably already know it (if that's the case, feel free to skip to number 2). However, we thought it best to have it here anyway for some of the newer songwriters who may not be familiar with it.

So, in the key of C, the progression is: C - G - Am - F

(For simplicity, we're going to show each chord progression in the key of C, however, we strongly recommend learning these progressions in multiple keys)

In both major and minor keys, the 1,4,5, and 6 chords always sound good together, whatever the order. The 5 chord provides dominant function, giving the music momentum and tension, and the other 3 chords allow for fluent voice leading.

Take a look at the notes of the chords C, F, and Am and see how many of the notes overlap.

C: C - E - G

F: F - A - C

Am: A - C - E

Because of this, these chords sound perfect together and allow for great melodies that are super catchy to the listener's ears. If you want a few bonus progressions try these chords but starting from a different place (iv - VI - I - V is particularly great) and you'll see just how well they work together.

There are so many songs that use this chord progression, so instead of listing some of them here, we suggest either watching the Axis of Awesome video linked above or checking out this extensive list.

2. i - iv - VII - III - VI - ii - V (The Cycle of 4ths)

Here's a lesser-known and more complex chord progression, that's in a minor key.

In C minor, the chords are: Cm - Fm - Bb - Eb - Ab - Ddim - G

See if you can work out the intervals between each chord. Have you got it?

That’s right, each chord is a 4th apart which is why this chord progression is called the cycle of 4ths. In fact, all of them are a perfect 4th from each other, apart from the Ab and Ddim chord, which have the interval of an augmented 4th. When chords change by the same interval each time it creates a very smooth sound, which is why this progression works well.

One of the most popular songs that uses this progression is 'I Will Survive' by Gloria Gaynor. Take a listen to the track to familiarise yourself with the sound and listen to how fluent it is. We can also trace the use of this progression back to the 18th century when it was used by Mozart in his piano sonata in F major, which he published in 1784! Take a listen to it here, the chord progression first appears between 3:30-3:38 in the key of C minor.

Another thing we like about this progression is how it uses every diatonic chord available in the harmonic minor scale. The mix of major, minor and even a diminished chord gives this progression a dramatic flavour and we recommend using it if that's the feel you want for your track.

If you don't want to use so many chords, a variation of this is just to use the first 4 chords (i - iv - VII - III). A recent and popular song that uses this variation is 'Kiss Me More' by Doja Cat ft. SZA.

3. I - V/vii - VI/vi - I/V - IV - I/iii - ii - V (The Descending Major)

This one might look complicated at first with so many slash chords, but let us break it down for you.

Here it is in C major: C - G/B - F/A - C/G - F - C/E - Dm - G

If you're unfamiliar with slash chords, they simply mean we play a note other than the tonic in the bass. So with a chord like G/B, we'd play a G major triad with our right hand on the piano and our left hand would play a B note in the bass.

The reason we've called this the descending major progression is because it's in a major key and the bass line is going down the major scale (C - B - A - G - F - E - D) until it reaches the note D then goes back up to the 5th (G), allowing for a perfect cadence back to the 1 chord and the start of the progression.

This progression is used in both the verse and chorus of 'Piano Man' by Billy Joel, however, there are variations of the progression which give the same effect.

'Changes' by David Bowie also uses it in its chorus, but in that song, the progression looks like this: C - Em/B - Am - C/G - F - Am/E - D - G - F

Some of the slash chords have changed, but we still have that same descending bass line going down the major scale. The other differences are the D chord instead of Dm, and the F chord added on right at the end, but the idea is still the same.

For our last example, we want to quickly take you over to the world of musical theatre, and have a look at the song 'One Day More' from Les Miserables. In this piece, we hear many of the characters singing different melodies, heard earlier in the show, pretty much at the same time. So how does this work?

Well, it's because each melody has been used with the major descending chord progression.

In this song, the variation is: C - C/B - Am7 - C/G - F - F/E - Dm7 - Dm/G

In this variation, we have moments where the chords stay the same but the bass note changes (C - C/B and F - F/E). This technique is called line cliche and is common in many chord progressions.

In this song, the progression appears throughout but give it a listen from 2:48 until the end, as this is the part where the most overlapping of melodies/voices takes place.

4. i - VII - VI - V (The Descending Minor)

So you've probably guessed from the heading that this is just like the descending major progression but in a minor key? You're exactly right, the only difference here is that this progression has fewer chords.

In C minor, the progression is: Cm - Bb - Ab - G

Again we have a descending bass line, this time going down the minor scale until it reaches the 5th of the key to create a perfect cadence back to the start of our progression. Whereas the major descending has a brighter and more uplifting feel, this progression is far darker and tense.

(Hint: if you want it to sound even more dramatic, try switching the Bb chord for a G/B chord)

This progression is used commonly in rock music, but is also a big part of flamenco music and can even be traced back to the renaissance period!

Here's a short list of songs that use this progression:

'Hit the Road Jack' - Ray Charles

'Knee Socks' - Arctic Monkeys

'Smooth Criminal' - Michael Jackson

'Resistance' - Muse

'Feeling Good' - Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse

5. I - VI - VII -I (The Flat 6th, Flat 7th Progression)

The music theory behind this chord progression is slightly more complex than the others, as it uses a technique called modal interchange, which is where you 'borrow chords' from other keys or modes. In this progression, we're in a major key but are borrowing chords from the parallel minor.

In C major, the chords are: C - Ab - Bb - C

If you know you're C major scale and chords, then you'll know that Ab and Bb don't belong to the key of C major. However, they can be found in the key of C minor, which is where we're borrowing these chords from.

This technique is great because it goes against the listener's expectations and adds more flavour to your harmony. Furthermore, although this progression consists of only major chords, the fact that two of them are borrowed from the parallel minor helps the harmony avoid becoming too cheesy or 'nursery rhyme sounding' (which is a big risk when you only use major chords from a major key) and instead feels bright and uplifting.

We also like the way the progression creates a rising and falling feeling, in the way the chords fall from the C to the Ab, then rise by a tone each time from Ab to Bb and back to C.

This chord progression is especially common in rock and soul music, but it's also used in video game soundtracks and even the Universal Studios Fanfare (the part at 0:15).

Here are a few examples of music that use this progression:

'Lady Madonna' - The Beatles

'I Was Made to Love Her' - Stevie Wonder

'Crazy Little Thing Called Love' - Queen

'The Super Mario Bros. Theme' - Koji Kondo (first heard at 0:20-0:22)

There is a minor key variation of this progression, which has a similar yet darker effect. It's less complicated, as it doesn't borrow chords from other keys, but is still a great chord progression.

In C minor, the chords are: Cm (i), Ab (VI), Bb (VII)

Summary

So there are 5 popular chord progressions (with some extra variations) that you can use in your music!

Don't worry so much about being original and using a chord progression no one's used before (they've all been used anyway) and have a go at using one of these in your next track. They may be overused but they're popular for a reason, and anyway, the average listener won't be bothered about what chord progression you've used (it's just us obsessive musicians that care about that stuff).

Learn them all, try them out, and remember to familiarise yourself with them in multiple keys!