Royal road progression

In Japanese, the expression ōdō (王道, "royal road") is used to describe an easy or painless method to do something.

[2] The opening of the latter song is very similar to Edward Elgar's "Land of Hope and Glory", which contains a IV−V4/2−I6−vi (F-G7-C/E-Am) progression.

[2] Lowering the C in the C/E chord to B would give Em (iii), thus producing a complete Royal Road progression.

[2] Arai's use of the progression led to other 1970s and 1980s J-Pop artists, such as Hiroshi Madoka and Akiko Yano, using it.

[2] However, the progression reached a new level of popularity after its use in Stock Aitken Waterman's Eurodisco-influenced pop tracks such as Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" and Kylie Minogue's "I Should Be So Lucky", the latter of which was a top 10 hit in Japan.

[2] In the 1990s, the immense popularity of Eurobeat in Japan furthered this trend,[2] and the chord progression became so prolific in J-pop to the point where it has become a core part of modern Japanese music.

Examples include: C minor IV-V-I-vi IV-V-III⁷-vi (bridge, line 3) The Princess Kenny theme from South Park also used this chord progression.

[citation needed] Camille Saint-Saens' Aquarium movement from Carnival of animals in A minor, features an Am-F(Aug5)-G-E7 chord progression.

IV M7 –V 7 –iii 7 –vi chord progression in C. Play ⓘ
One potential way to resolve the chord progression using the tonic chord: ii–V 7 –I . Play ⓘ
Ōdō progression in major with cadential resolution: IV M7 –V 7 –iii 7 –vi–ii 7 –V 7 –I .
Ōdō progression in minor with cadential resolution: iv 7 –v 7 –III M7 –VI–ii ø7 –V 7 –i .
IV–V 7 –iii–vi–ii 7 –V 7 –I progression the third movement of Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2