Music · I–IV–V in 12 bars

Twelve-bar blues

One of the most prominent chord progressions in popular music, built mostly on the I, IV and V chords of a key and twelve bars long. Dominant seventh chords are generally used throughout. The melody usually follows an AA′B shape: a phrase, its repeat with a small change, then something new. The long stay at home, the move to IV and the push through V and back are a trip taken slowly.

Watch for: Four bars at home, a trip to IV and back, then V, IV and home again before the turnaround on V.

Songs that use it

Hound Dog, Big Mama Thornton (1953) source: Wikipedia: Hound Dog (song)
Tutti Frutti, Little Richard (1955) source: Wikipedia: Tutti Frutti (song)
Red House, The Jimi Hendrix Experience (1967) source: Wikipedia: Red House (song)

The others

The four-chord loop I–V–vi–IV
The 50s progression I–vi–IV–V
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: Twelve-bar blues · The basic twelve-bar form on I, IV and V, dominant sevenths, and the AA′B melody
Wikipedia: Hound Dog (song) · "Hound Dog" is a twelve-bar blues song by Leiber and Stoller; Big Mama Thornton recorded it in 1952 and it was released in February 1953
Wikipedia: Tutti Frutti (song) · "Tutti Frutti", Little Richard, released October 1955, with a twelve-bar blues chord progression
Wikipedia: Red House (song) · "Red House", written by Jimi Hendrix, has the musical form of a conventional twelve-bar blues; first released on the British edition of Are You Experienced in May 1967