I–V–vi–IV progression
[1] Rotations include: The '50s progression uses the same chords but in a different order (I–vi–IV–V), no matter the starting point.
[2] However, examples of the progression appeared in pop hits as early as the 1950s, such as in the Teddy Bears' "To Know Him Is to Love Him", written by Phil Spector.
[1] In this ordering, the progression ends with a double plagal cadence in the key of the dominant (in the Mixolydian mode) and could also be respelled ii–bVII–IV–I, opening with a backdoor turnaround.
[7] It is also common to substitute the supertonic (ii) for the submediant (vi) resulting in the similar sounding I-V-ii-IV.
This is present in such songs as the Cure's Just Like Heaven,[8] Taylor Swift's Getaway Car, Semisonic's Closing Time and Smash Mouth's All Star.
A 2008 medley by the comedy group the Axis of Awesome, called "Four Chords", demonstrated the ubiquity of the progression in popular music, for comic effect; for instance, as the progression is played as an ostinato, sometimes it is used as a vi–IV–I–V (i. e. the "pessimistic" inversion).
It consists of two IV chord progressions, the second a whole step lower (A–E–G–D = I–V in A and I–V in G), giving it a sort of harmonic drive.
The use of the flattened seventh may lend this progression a bluesy feel or sound, and the whole tone descent may be reminiscent of the ninth and tenth chords of the twelve bar blues (V–IV).
This progression is used in other songs including "Turning Japanese" (1980) by the Vapors, "Sample in a Jar" (1994) by Phish (I–iii–♭VII–IV), "Waterfalls" (1995) by TLC,[13] and "Don't Tell Me" (2000) by Madonna.
[14] It opens the verse to "Brown Eyes" by Lady Gaga, is used in the chorus to "Rio" (1982) by Duran Duran and "Sugar Hiccup" (1983) by the Cocteau Twins, and is in the 2nd part of the bridge in "Sweet Jane" (1988) by the Cowboy Junkies.
The progression is also used entirely with minor chords[i-v-vii-iv (g#, d#, f#, c#)] in the middle section of Chopin's etude op.
I–IV–♭VII–IV is a similar chord progression which is arch formed (I–IV–♭VII–IV–I), and has been used in the chorus to "And She Was" (1985) by Talking Heads,[16] in "Let's Go Crazy" (1984) by Prince,[17] in "Like a Rock" (1986) by Bob Seger,[18] in "Steady, As She Goes" (2006) by the Raconteurs (minor tonic: i–V–♭VII–IV).
