It is no secret that musicians like to borrow ideas from each other, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that some of the biggest pop hits in history use the same four chords.
This includes songs like “Let it Be,” by The Beatles, “Don’t Stop Believin’,” by Journey, “With or Without You” by U2, “When I Come Around,” by Green Day and “Someone Like You,” by Adele — the list could go on forever.
The chord progression in question is the I-V-vi-IV progression, which is also referred to as the pop-punk chord progression.
Robert Willey, director and associate professor of music media production at Ball State, said it’s okay that artists keep reusing this chord progression, because there are still a lot places to explore with it.
“If you’re writing a song, this progression will seem very natural for the listener,” Willey said. “Having good lyrics and an interesting melody and groove to put over the chord progression will make the difference.”
Nile Wright, a senior music media production major, said he sees the chord progression as a comfort for the listener, which is why listeners gravitate toward it.
“It plays with the sensibilities we’re used to,” Wright said. “The mix of major and minor chords can be used to bring about all sorts of emotions.”
It might be easier to understand the I-V-vi-IV by choosing a key for the chords to fit in. In the key of C major, the chord progression is C-G-Am-F. The major chords are represented by upper-case numerals, while the minor chords are represented by the lower case ones.
“After the I to V, the vi is a mild surprise,” Willey said. “Ending the phrase on the IV chord is unresolved. ... We want to hear something after it, so it propels us forward.”
Other similar variants of this progression exist, too. For example, the vi-IV-I-V progression is a variant, which is referred to as the “sensitive female chord progression” by Marc Hirsch in The Boston Globe. In this one, the A minor key progression is Am-F-C-G.
“Paradise” by Coldplay and “21 Guns” by Green Day are examples of songs that use this structure.
With so many songs that share the same chord structure, there are some drawbacks.
“I think that if you rely on it, it becomes a lazy songwriting tool,” Wright said. “Crafting the perfect pop song is all about the balance.”
And sometimes, these drawbacks can easily be exploited.
The Axis of Awesome, a musical comedy group from Australia, parodied the use of the I-V-vi-IV progression in their own tune called “4 Chords.” For about six minutes, the band performs a medley of 47 pop songs ranging from Maroon 5’s “She Will Be Loved” to MGMT’s “Kids.”
A live version of the song went viral in 2009, and it has gained more than 28 million views on YouTube. The music video has gained more than 14 million views.
Although this chord progression has been recycled for many ideas and experiments, the future of this chord progression still appears bright. Willey likens it to the 12-bar blues progression, because “there are still plenty of good songs to be written over it.”
But Willey does add that the chord progression might just appeal to us and that, “if you asked people a hundred years in the future or past ... you might get a different response.”
