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When it comes to creating music that resonates, chord progressions are the backbone of the operation. Boil your favourite tune down to its absolute essence, and you’ll find a set of chords that combine to establish a tonality through which the song's emotional centre is expressed. Whether you're composing a heartfelt ballad, a stomping dance record, or an ambient soundscape, it’s the chord progressions and the melodies that they support which ultimately define your sonic narratives.

 

For this reason, it’s important to get a handle on the most popular chord progressions that make up the Western musical tradition. Some are staples of classical masterpieces, while others dominate modern hits. There are progressions so iconic they’re found in pretty much every pop song ever (no, really) and others that act as all kinds of emotional gateways. Whilst there’s some music theory involved in understanding chord progressions, you don’t have to be Mozart to realise how useful these emotional triggers can be in your productions.

 

So, whether you’re a seasoned producer or just starting out, buckle up and prepare for a harmonic journey through eight common chord progressions you need to know. Each one has its own place in recording history, and we hope you’ll continue to add to that lineage in your next project.

 

 

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We’ve just updated Loopcloud to offer a huge number of MIDI files right alongside your samples! Using the Loopcloud app or sounds.loopcloud.com, you can search for files using the MIDI or MIDI Files tag.

 

There are tags for type to further refine your choice of MIDI (keys, drums and so on). You can filter by intended tempo, key, and lock to your currently selected key before dragging files into your project.

 

 

1. I - V - vi - IV

 

Where else to start except for the four chord wonder that is the I - V - vi - IV progression (or 1564, but we’ll be using Roman numerals throughout this article because we’re very cultured). Simply put, this chord progression is one of the most universally recognized and beloved in modern music. There are too many examples of classic songs that use this timeless four chord trick, but some that stand out include The Beatles' "Let It Be" or U2's "With or Without You".

 

 

The joy of this chord progression is in its simplicity. Essentially, it's just the most common four chords in a major key, arranged in a non-traditional way. It takes the fifties cliché I - v i - IV - V (which you’ll meet later in this article), removes the V from the end and inserts it between I and vi. This removes the cheesy IV - V - I from the cadence, giving it more of a streetwise appeal, while doing exactly what the ear expects.

 

The reason these chord progression loops are popular is they can be cycled many many times. They never reach an endpoint, but always loop back. Lack of resolution is therefore a positive aspect, as the groove can keep going ad infinitum. Each root movement is different from the last, which keeps it interesting, and not utterly predictable to the ear.

 

 

2. ii - V - I

 

Step in from the cold and welcome to the jazz club. The ii - V - I progression is the cornerstone of jazz harmony; sophisticated yet approachable, the musical equivalent of sipping an Old Fashioned. Despite being a near trademarked property of the jazz scene and appearing in standards like “Autumn Leaves”, its distinctive sound has found a home in pop tracks like Post Malone’s “Better Now”.

 

 

This is a chord progression that works for creating cool, accessible music. ii - V - I’s elegance comes from its smooth flow: the minor ii chord provides motion and tension, the dominant V chord amplifies it with a sense of action, and the resolution to the I chord grants the listener some rest and stability. All in all, the three-chord progression feels like a perfectly resolved conversation. 

 

The ii - V - I progression is the best way to cement a tonality. It has a finality to it that can be used to temporarily imply passing tonalities or to lead strongly toward a musical goal. In jazz, this kind of sequence is used to keep the key centre constantly shifting under the listener's feet. In a style of music that is continually modulating, it’s understandable why such a pattern is a useful inclusion in a piece of music.

 

 

3. vi - IV - I - V

 

Here comes another heavy hitter used in contemporary popular music, and one that provides an interesting twist on the venerable I - V - vi - IV progression. We’re talking about vi - IV - I - V, a magic combination of chords which is ubiquitous in modern music. Linkin Park used it in their most well-known and critically acclaimed song “Numb”, and two icons of rap and pop music combined over a vi - IV - I - V loop in Eminem and Rihanna’s “Love the Way You Lie”.

 

 

One of the reasons why the vi - IV - I - V progressions is used in many songs is because it uses the main chords of the key and follows the rules of resolution, but does both in a unique way. It uses the same pattern as I - V - vi - IV, but it starts with the submediant chord, giving it a deceptive cadence in each passage that works better for chord loops than something that includes strong resolutions.

 

Emotionally, this chord progression can also be used to implement a more dramatic and conflicting sound. The first two chords have a minor key feel, which posits a sad feeling, but instead of continuing in this vein we hear the more positive I and V thereafter, which acts as an optimistic return.

 

 

4. I - IV - V

 

While it may not be the flashiest progression on the list, I - IV - V stands out as one of the most reliable sequences around. Ask anyone who’s ever picked up a guitar and they’ll tell you! This humble collection of chords is used by none other than the twelve-bar blues progression itself, with the tonic (I), the subdominant (IV), and the dominant (V) chords combining to establish a satisfying foundation for lead instrumentalists to solo over. 

 

Aside from being the bedrock of blues, you’ll also find the I - IV - V progression in a lot of contemporary rock music, which is hardly surprising considering the genre’s 12-bar roots. Tom Petty’s “Free Falling” is a good example of it being put to work, as is Deep Blue Something’s “Breakfast At Tiffany’s”. While in modern pop songs the vi chord is more likely to make an appearance somewhere in between, you can still find the I - IV - V in tracks like Charlie XCX’s “Detonate” and “Mr Saxobeat” by Alexandra Stan.

 

 

The sturdiness of this progression results from the fact that the I, IV and V chords cover every note in the scale. There is a relationship between the I chord and the IV chord in that the tonic note is in both; and the I chord and the V chord are linked by the fifth note of the scale. With this there is a beautiful build and release, and then a solid closing statement.

 

 

5. I - vi - IV - V

 

Remember the fifties progression we mentioned earlier? Well, here it is in all its jukebox-jumping and sock-hopping glory. The I - vi - IV - V progression is also referred to as the doo-wop progression, named after the acapella vocal harmony groups that defined the music of the time. The first known song that used this chord progression is “Blue Moon” by Richard Rodgers from 1934, and it can also be heard in fifties classics like The Everly Brothers’ “All I Have to Do Is Dream” and Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B Goode”.

 

 

The first three chords in the fifties progression share common notes, giving it a coherence that was seemingly appreciated by every songwriter under the sun during that era. Perhaps due to its overuse it went slightly out of fashion the ensuing years. However, nowadays there is a cultural overlay of nostalgia and melancholy when it comes to those mid-twentieth century jitterbuggers, which translates through the progression itself.

 

Although I - vi - IV - V has obvious ties to a very distinct era of music, it still receives plenty of use by contemporary songwriters. One such example is the song “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran, where he uses the fifties chord progression in the verse and pre chorus. It is particularly suited to this due to its satisfying resolution through the cadence V to I. A variation of the movement is to omit the V chord, giving it more of a modern pop feel. This can be heard in “Just the Way You Are” by Bruno Mars.

 

 

 

6. i - VII - VI - V

 

Olé! Also known as the Andalusian cadence, the i - VII - VI - V progression is rooted in the traditional music styles of southern Spain. Andalusia is the birthplace of Flamenco guitar music, and the i - VII - VI - VII progression heavily features in this genre, as well as in the work of artists who originate from Latin cultures, like Santana (“Smooth”) or the Gypsy Kings (“Bamboleo”).

 

 

This descending motion of the chords (from i to VII to VI to V) creates a strong, almost hypnotic feel, which is why it is often associated with Latin music intended to be accompanied by dancing. The resolution from the dominant V chord back to the tonic minor (i) provides a satisfying close to the phrase while retaining an air of intensity, useful for upbeat, rhythmic contexts.

 

While the Andalusian cadence is deeply connected to Flamenco, it can also be found in plenty of other styles of music in the West. The dramatic descent of the chords has been used in perhaps the most famous classic rock intro of all time, Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway To Heaven”, and contributes to the fizzy energy of Dire Straits’ “Sultans of Swing” and Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations”.

 

 

 

7. I - V - vi - iii - IV - I - IV - V

 

This extended sequence owes its fame to the German composer Johann Pachelbel’s Canon in D, which is why it is more commonly known as Pachelbel’s progression. A canon was a musical form that involved overlapping melody lines using the chord progression (i.e. underlying harmony) as an unifying element. Even though it was written over 300 years ago, Canon in D’s influence can be blatantly observed in modern pop songs like “Memories” by Maroon 5 and “Starships” by Nicki Minaj.

 

 

While its heritage is classical, Pachelbel’s progression has found a second life in ballads and songs with a wistful sentimentality. Its elongated structure offers a grand and graceful flow, and the mechanics of the progression appeal to expectant ears. Even when the pattern is interrupted when moving from IV to V at the end of the progression, it sounds good due to the authentic cadence pattern it creates when you restart the progression with IV – V – I. 

The scale of the influence of Canon in D on popular music in the 21st century is so large that it’s hard to fully appreciate. It has been taken by songwriters and used in new ways for years, with variations of the progression appearing in hits like “Don’t Look Back in Anger” by Oasis. As music consumer’s our ears have long since been conditioned to recognise these chord movements as being “right”, and there’s even a study on how listening to the chord progression positively affects brain activity.

 

 

8. IV - V - vi - I

 

In the 2010s, a four chord progression started to proliferate in pop music and beyond, now known as the Hopscotch schema (another word for musical pattern). The reason for IV - V - vi - I’s unusual nickname is due to the fact that it exhibits a step, step, skip root motion. What does this mean? Well, essentially the root notes of the chords go up first in steps (consecutive pitch notes) and then a skip (more than a step away from the first note). 

 

Examples of the hopscotch schema include “Dancing with a Stranger” by Sam Smith and “No Brainer” by DJ Khaled, Justin Bieber, and Quavo. The reason why it works in chart-topping hits is because of its journey towards resolution in the tonic chord, with an uplifting quality that builds towards emotional catharsis. This is ideal for anthemic tracks with big, sweeping moments, as is the case with Coldplay’s “Fix You”. It also helps that it’s a re-ordering of the tried and tested four chord wonder.