Progression · I–IV–V–vi

I–IV–V–vi Progression

38 songs from the corpus share this chord-degree set — open one to see and hear the real chords on an interactive fretboard.

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What I–IV–V–vi means

Every song below plays chords built on these scale degrees: I = degree 1, IV = degree 4, V = degree 5, vi = degree 6 (minor) — relative to whatever key that song is actually in. The degrees are the same; the real chords are different in every key, which is exactly why the same progression can sound totally different from one song to the next.

Hear it in C major

One real voicing for each degree, in a key real songs in this set are actually written in — tap any diagram to hear it strummed.

38 songs built on I–IV–V–vi

Alan O'DayUndercover AngelBb major: Bb - Eb - F - Gm7 Arthur ConleySweet Soul MusicC major: C - F - G - Am BaltimoraTarzan Boy (From "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III")F major: F - Bb - C - Dm Bette MidlerThe RoseC major: C - F - G - Am Billy IdolHot In The CityC major: C - F - G - Am Billy SquierMy Kinda LoverC major: C - F - G - Am Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet BandTrying To Live My Life Without YouD major: D - G - A - Bm BreadSweet SurrenderA major: A - D - E7 - F#m Bruce SpringsteenI m Goin DownA major: A - D - E - F#m Bruce SpringsteenMy HometownA major: A - D - E - F#m ChicagoAlong Comes A WomanD major: D - G - A5 - Bm Clarence CarterToo Weak To FightDb major: Db - Gb - Ab - Bbm Crosby, Stills & NashTeach Your ChildrenD major: D - G - A - Bm Cyndi LauperTrue ColorsC major: C - F - G - Am7 David Ruffin, Jimmy RuffinStand By MeG major: G - C - D - Em DionRunaround SueD major: D - G - A - Bm EaglesThe Long RunC major: C - F - G - Am7 Elvis PresleyHis Latest FlameG major: G - C - D - Em Floyd CramerLast DateC major: C - F - G7 - Am Gary U.S. BondsQuarter To ThreeEb major: Eb - Ab - Bb - Cm Gladys Knight & The PipsBaby Don't Change Your MindC major: C - Fmaj7 - G7 - Am7 Irma ThomasWish Someone Would CareD major: D - G - A7 - Bm J. Frank Wilson & The CavaliersLast KissE major: E - A - B - C#m Jackson BrowneBoulevardA major: A - D - E - F#m Jimmy JonesHandy ManBb major: Bb - Eb - F - Gm Kenny RogersSweet Music ManD major: D - G - A7 - Bm Led ZeppelinDyer MakerC major: C - F - G - Am Linda RonstadtWhen Will I Be LovedE major: E - A - B - Dbm7 Otis ReddingChained And BoundBb major: Bb - Eb - F - Gm Rick SpringfieldJessie's GirlD major: D5 - G5 - A5 - Bm Rod StewartTwisting the Night AwayD major: D - G - A - Bm Solomon BurkeIf you need meA major: A - D - E7 - F#m Swingin' MedallionsDouble Shot (Of My Baby's Love)Ab major: Ab - Db - Eb - Fm The CrystalsThere's No Other (Like My Baby)D major: D - G - A - Bm The Everly BrothersOn The Wings Of A NightingaleA major: A - D - E - F#m The FalconsI Found A LoveG major: G - C - D - Em WednesdayLast KissE major: E - A - B - C#m Wilson PickettI Found A True LoveC major: C - F7 - G - Am

Closely related progressions

I–IV–V48 songs I–ii–IV–V–vi27 songs I–II–IV–V–vi12 songs I–III–IV–V–vi9 songs
🎭 Character: vi shares two notes with I and is one of the most common substitutions in tonal harmony — swapped in for I, it gives a softer, more wistful landing instead of a full resolution. V (the dominant) has the strongest pull back to I of any diatonic chord — its own third is the key's leading tone, the single note that wants most to resolve upward. IV (the subdominant) is what produces a plagal, hymn-like “amen” cadence when it resolves straight to I, skipping V entirely.
🔄 Inversions: An inversion is the same chord with a different note in the bass — first inversion puts the 3rd on the bottom, second inversion the 5th. Try playing any chord above with its 3rd or 5th as the lowest note instead of the root: the chord itself doesn't change, but the bass line moves by step instead of jumping around, which is what makes a progression feel smoother from one chord to the next.

Learn the theory

Music TheoryThe "Pop" Progression (I-V-vi-IV) Music TheoryRoman Numeral Analysis Music TheoryCommon Progressions by Genre

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