MelodyMake

Pop chord progressions

Tap a progression to hear it loop, then change the key to match your voice.

Minor progressions use C minor; major ones use C major.

  1. Axis progression

    I – V – vi – IV

    CGAmF

    The most used four-chord loop in pop: bright, open, endlessly repeatable.

  2. Axis from vi

    vi – IV – I – V

    AmFCG

    Same chords, starting on the minor. Often used for verses before the chorus switches to I–V–vi–IV.

  3. 50s progression

    I – vi – IV – V

    CAmFG

    The doo-wop loop behind “Stand by Me”. The V at the end pushes strongly back to I.

  4. I–IV–vi–V

    I – IV – vi – V

    CFAmG

    A gentler variant that delays the minor chord to the third bar.

  5. IV–I–V–vi

    IV – I – V – vi

    FCGAm

    Starts away from home, so the chorus feels like it is lifting off.

  6. Royal road

    IVmaj7 – V7 – iii7 – vi

    Fmaj7G7Em7Am

    The staple of J-pop and anime themes: a yearning climb that lands on the minor vi.

  7. Mixolydian rock-pop

    I – ♭VII – IV – I

    CA♯FC

    The borrowed ♭VII gives a confident, anthemic rock colour.

  8. Minor pop loop

    i – ♭VI – ♭III – ♭VII

    CmG♯D♯A♯

    The go-to loop for darker pop and EDM drops.

Want your own? Loop, randomise and export any of these in the chord progression generator.

Why these progressions work

Pop songwriting runs on a small set of four-chord loops built from the I, IV, V and vi chords of a major key. The difference between them is mostly where the loop starts and which chord it lands on before repeating.

The Roman numerals describe each chord by its position in the key, so the same progression works anywhere: upper case is major, lower case is minor, ° is diminished, ø is half-diminished and ♭ marks a chord borrowed from outside the scale. To see which chords belong to a key, open chords in the key of C or any other key, or spin the circle of fifths.

More progressions

Questions

What is the most common pop chord progression?

I–V–vi–IV (in C: C–G–Am–F), along with its rotation vi–IV–I–V. Together they are behind a huge share of pop hits since the 1990s.

Why do so many pop songs use the same chords?

I, IV, V and vi are the strongest chords in a major key and support almost any melody in that key. Chord progressions are not copyrightable, so songs are distinguished by melody, lyrics and production.

How do I make a pop progression sound less generic?

Change the rhythm of the chord changes, add a borrowed chord (♭VII or iv), use inversions so the bass moves stepwise, or start the loop on a different chord.

What key should I write a pop song in?

Choose the key that puts the chorus melody in the strongest part of the singer’s range. Guitar-led pop often sits in G, D, C or E because of the open chord shapes.