Music · I–V–vi–IV
The four-chord loop
Four chords from one key: home (I), the dominant (V), the relative minor (vi) and the subdominant (IV). Wikipedia calls it the axis progression, after the comedy band The Axis of Awesome, whose 2008 medley showed how many songs repeat it. The same four chords started from another one, such as vi–IV–I–V, are rotations of it.
Watch for: Home, a jump to the pull of V, a step into the shadow with vi, then away to IV, and round again.
Songs that use it
- With or Without You, U2 (1987) source: Wikipedia: I–V–vi–IV progression
- No Woman, No Cry, Bob Marley (1973) source: Wikipedia: I–V–vi–IV progression
- I'm Yours, Jason Mraz (2008) source: Wikipedia: I–V–vi–IV progression
- Africa, Toto (1982), the chorus, as vi–IV–I–V source: Wikipedia: I–V–vi–IV progression
The others
- The 50s progression I–vi–IV–V
- Twelve-bar blues I–IV–V in 12 bars
- The Andalusian cadence i–♭VII–♭VI–V
- Pachelbel's Canon I–V–vi–iii–IV–I–IV–V
- ii–V–I ii7–V7–Imaj7
- Type your own →
Sources
- Wikipedia: I–V–vi–IV progression · The axis progression; rotations such as vi–IV–I–V; the table of songs that repeat it at least four times in a row