What are the 3 most common chords in pop music?

C major and G major, along with their relative minor counterparts A minor and E minor, are often considered the best key and scales for Pop music.

mixedinkey.com - Common Chord Progressions - Pop Music - Mixed In Key

Who is the master of melody?

Composer M.K. Arjunan, better known as Arjunan Master, turned 80 yesterday. His compositions were so good, many thought they were not his own. Mar...

Last updated Jul 26, 2021

What are the 12 parts of a circle?

What are the parts of a circle? The parts of a circle are the radius, diameter, circumference, arc, chord, secant, tangent, sector and segment.

Last updated Sep 21, 2019

Join almost HALF A MILLION Happy Students Worldwide

Promotion

Common Chord Progressions – Pop Music

Pop music, or popular music, is a term we as music consumers have been familiar with since the 1950s. Although it can be considered a music genre, Pop music is actually concocted from various genres, comprising of songs which have been commercially successful.

This begs the question, what makes music popular?

The answer, when disregarding clever marketing strategies and other non-music related elements, comes down to several factors. One of which is chord progressions. Similar to telling a story, chord progressions have the ability to form the underpinnings of a musical piece. Shaping it’s mood and direction, whilst throwing some curveballs into the equation. Melodies are also important, but without a pleasing chord progression to offer support, it’s likely the song will lack substance.

Which chord progression?

[the_ad id=”8174″]

Not all chord progressions will suit a Pop song. As a matter of fact, upon analyzing some of the biggest hits in Pop music, it’s evident that many of them share the same chord progressions. The video below demonstrates just how common some progressions are in Pop music. In this example, there are no less than twenty-five well known songs using the same chord progression – G, D, Em, C. This chord progression can also be written in the format I – V – vi – IV using roman numerals or 1 – 5 – 6 – 4. It’s important to note, the actual chords will depend on which key is being used. In this instance it’s the key of G Major. Pro Tip Using roman numerals, to identify the chords, is more logical than using numbers. This is because we are able to distinguish between Major and minor chords by using upper or lowercase characters. UPPER CASE for Major chords, lowercase for minor chords.

Using different keys

The video below shows the I – V – vi – IV chord progression played back using several keys within Captain Chords. The list of Pop songs using the I – V – vi – IV chord progression is staggering. Here’s a small selection of famous songs which employ this popular chord progression. Artist Title Year The Beatles Let It Be 1970 Calvin Harris I Need Your Love 2012 Natalie Imbruglia Torn 1997 MGMT Kids 2008 Katy Perry Save As Draft 2017 Taylor Swift All Too Well 2012 Macy Gray I Try 1999

Major or Minor scale?

C major and G major, along with their relative minor counterparts A minor and E minor, are often considered the best key and scales for Pop music.

What is the most famous chord progression?

1. C - G - Am - F (I - V -vi - IV) This just might be the most popular chord progression in Western popular music. There is an actual mathematical...

Last updated Aug 21, 2022

What age gap is too big?

A relationship age gap bigger than 10 years often comes with its own set of issues. “While there are always exceptions to rules, a good rule to...

Last updated May 3, 2022

Promotion

You can use Major or Minor scales. However, if you want the song to have a happy or upbeat feeling, then the Major scale is best. Alternatively, if you are planning a more somber vibe, for your Pop song, then a minor key would be the first choice.

Top 5 common chord progressions

We’ve looked closely at one very popular chord progression for Pop music, however there are more. Here’s what we found for the top 5 most common chord progressions in Pop music.

I – V – vi – IV

From The Beatles to Calvin Harris, the I – V – vi – IV chord progression is undoubtedly the king of Pop music.

I – IV – V

Dating back to 1950s Rock & Roll and delivering hit records for the likes of Led Zeppelin and U2, this chord progression is small but packs a mighty punch.

I – vi – IV – V

Loved by The Beatles and more recently Justin Bieber. The I – vi – IV – V or 1 – 6 – 4 – 5 chord progression can also be played with a triplet rhythm to create a classic Rock Ballad.

vi – IV – I – V

The Rolling Stones, Lady Gaga and Black Eyed Peas are all fans of the vi – IV – I – V chord progression. This could be due to its familiar, catchy sound and its ability to complement powerful melodies.

I – IV – vi – V

Last but by no means least, the I – IV – vi – V chord progression is responsible for hits by the likes of One Direction and Boston (More Than A Feeling).

Over to you

Writing music should never be considered formulaic. However, there is lots of science to prove that using some tried and tested techniques will help to achieve the desired results. Now it’s your turn, try using some of these most common chord progressions for your next Pop song.

Write your own Chords using Captain Chords

It’s super easy to create your own ideas from scratch. Visit the official Chords homepage and see how it will help you explore music and write your own original productions.

mixedinkey.com - Common Chord Progressions - Pop Music - Mixed In Key

How long should a piano lesson be for an 8 year old?

How Often Should Children Practice Piano? Child's Age Length of Piano Session 5-6 years 15 minutes 7-8 years 20 minutes 9-10 years 25 minutes 11-14...

Last updated Mar 22, 2018

What are supercardioid microphones used for?

A supercardioid provides better isolation from room noise and nearby instruments and can be more resistant to feedback than a cardioid mic, but it...

Last updated May 4, 2018

Join almost HALF A MILLION Happy Students Worldwide

Pianoforall is one of the most popular online piano courses online and has helped over 450,000 students around the world achieve their dream of playing beautiful piano for over a decade.

Learn More »

Promotion

How long should a piano lesson be?

So, how long should be piano lessons be? Piano lessons should last 30 minutes for young beginner students. For advanced and adult piano students,...

Last updated May 6, 2019

Promotion

How heavy is the cast iron in an upright piano?

What is this? Typically the plate weighs around half the weight of the piano itself. Sometimes it can be as much as 70% of the overall weight of...

Last updated Apr 4, 2020