Throwbacks and Nostalgia
26. Toto – Africa (B Major)
27. Cyndi Lauper – Time After Time (F Major)
28. Roxette – Listen to Your Heart (B♭ Major)
29. Bon Jovi – It’s My Life (E Major)
30. Cutting Crew – I Just Died in Your Arms Tonight (C Major)
Indie Favorites
31. Vance Joy – Riptide (C Major)
32. The Lumineers – Ho Hey (C Major)
33. Gotye – Somebody That I Used to Know (D Major)
34. Passenger – Let Her Go (G Major)
35. Mumford & Sons – I Will Wait (D Major)
Pop-Punk and Rock
36. Blink-182 – All the Small Things (C Major)
37. Paramore – The Only Exception (F Major)
38. Jimmy Eat World – The Middle (D Major)
39. Avril Lavigne – Complicated (E♭ Major)
40. The Killers – Mr. Brightside (A♭ Major)
Classics with Variations
41. Queen – We Are the Champions (C Major)
42. Eagles – Desperado (G Major)
43. Billy Joel – Piano Man (C Major)
44. Simon & Garfunkel – The Sound of Silence (D Minor/variation)
45. Leonard Cohen – Hallelujah (C Major)
Country Crossovers
46. Dixie Chicks – Not Ready to Make Nice (C Major)
47. Taylor Swift – You Belong with Me (F Major)
48. Rascal Flatts – Bless the Broken Road (E Major)
49. Kacey Musgraves – Rainbow (C Major)
50. Shania Twain – You’re Still the One (E Major)
What to Listen For
• Chord Movement: How the I–V–vi–IV sequence creates emotional tension and release.
• Key Changes: Analyze how shifting the key alters the mood (e.g., C Major feels brighter, A Minor feels darker).
• Instrumentation: Notice how genres adapt the chords with varying instrumentation (e.g., piano, synths, acoustic guitar).
• Pacing: Some songs slow the progression for ballads, while others speed it up for high-energy hits.
• Melody Interaction: Study how vocal lines sit on top of the chord progression to complement or contrast it.
This chord progression’s universal appeal lies in its versatility. Though not all these songs are in the same key, they demonstrate how the I–V–vi–IV sequence resonates across decades, genres, and styles.
