Songs With Common Chord Progressions: Ear Training Library

Ever noticed that two hits from different decades feel strangely alike? This library collects songs with common chord progressions: 16 progressions that turn up again and again in pop, rock, blues, metal and jazz, each paired with real recordings, the key they were recorded in and the section where you hear it. Every song links to an official YouTube upload, so you can press play, sing the bass line and check your ears against the answer.

Once you can hear a 1 5 6m 4 or a 1 b7 4, you stop learning songs one chord at a time and start recognising patterns. Dozens of songs with the same chord progression become one skill. That is what chord progression ear training is about, and it gets you playing along with records instead of hunting for chord charts.

Start here. U2’s With Or Without You sits on I V vi IV in D major (D A Bm G) for the whole song. Hum the lowest note and notice how it moves four times, then starts again.

How to use this library of songs with common chord progressions

This page is the listening companion to Learning the chord progression of a song by ear, which explains a melody first method for working out a whole song. Here we come at it from the bass up: the songs below are your reference points, and once they stick you will start spotting songs with common chord progressions everywhere.

Each progression gets its own section with:

• Roman numerals: capitals are major chords, lower case are minor, and b means flat (bVII is the major chord built on the flat 7).
• Number notation: the way I write charts in lessons, for example 1 5 6m 4. An m marks a minor chord, 1m is a minor home chord and b7 is the flat 7.
• An example in a guitar friendly key, such as G, A, D, E or A minor, so you can play it straight away with open chords.
• Ear cues: what to listen for, usually in the bass.
• A table of songs with the recorded key and the section where you hear it.

A few honest notes. The song data comes mainly from Hooktheory TheoryTabs, which analyse songs section by section; the 12 bar blues layouts and tuning notes were checked against a second source. Close variants (an extra chord, a minor v, a rotation) are marked, and the few medium confidence entries are flagged under their tables. There are no timestamps, because I only list what could be checked. If the recorded key is awkward (Ab, Eb, F#), use a capo or play along in the guitar friendly key.

I V vi IV Songs

The four chord loop behind countless pop, rock and pop punk hits, often called the axis progression. Learn this one first. It sits in the Contemporary group of Popular major progressions: here are I V vi IV songs to hear it in.

Numerals: I V vi IV
Number notation: 1 5 6m 4
Example: G D Em C (key of G)

Ear cues

• Home, then the bass drops to the 5 (G down to D).
• Bar 3 is the sad bar: the minor 6 lands on beat one.
• The 4 leans back home, so the loop never quite stops. Bass in G: G D E C.

Song	Artist	Key	Where you hear it	Listen
Let It Be	The Beatles	C major	Verse (close variant)	Watch on YouTube
Don’t Stop Believin’	Journey	E major	Intro, verse, chorus, solo	Watch on YouTube
With Or Without You	U2	D major	Whole song	Watch on YouTube
Someone Like You	Adele	A major	Chorus	Watch on YouTube
Afterlife	Avenged Sevenfold	F major (chorus)	Chorus	Watch on YouTube

Notes: Let It Be is a close variant (IV7, then ii). Someone Like You voices the IV without its 3rd. Afterlife’s verse is in D minor.

I vi IV V Songs

The 50s or doo wop progression. Similar chords to the axis, but the minor 6 arrives straight away, so it sounds sweet, then wistful.

Numerals: I vi IV V
Number notation: 1 6m 4 5
Example: G Em C D (key of G)

Ear cues

• The minor 6 comes in bar 2.
• The 5 at the end pulls hard back to 1. Bass in G: G E C D.

Song	Artist	Key	Where you hear it	Listen
Every Breath You Take	The Police	Ab major	Intro and verse	Watch on YouTube
Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine)	The Penguins	Ab major	Chorus	Watch on YouTube
I Will Always Love You	Whitney Houston	A major	Chorus	Watch on YouTube
The Reason	Hoobastank	E major	Chorus	Watch on YouTube
Follow You Down	Gin Blossoms	G major	Chorus (close variant, ends on vi)	Watch on YouTube

Notes: Every Breath You Take adds add9 and sus2 colours. I Will Always Love You changes key later.

vi IV I V Songs

The axis chords rotated to start on the minor chord, so the loop feels minor and brooding until the 1 and 5 lift it. Many players hear it as i bVI bIII bVII in a minor key.

Numerals: vi IV I V (or i bVI bIII bVII)
Number notation: 6m 4 1 5
Example: Em C G D (key of G, or E minor)

Ear cues

• The first chord is minor and feels like home.
• The bass climbs E C G D in G; the lift comes on the 1 and 5.

Song	Artist	Key	Where you hear it	Listen
Zombie	The Cranberries	E minor	Whole song (Em C G D/F#)	Watch on YouTube
Numb	Linkin Park	F# minor	Intro, verse, chorus	Watch on YouTube
Poker Face	Lady Gaga	B major / G# minor	Chorus	Watch on YouTube
Save Tonight	Eagle Eye Cherry	A minor	Intro (the verse rotates it)	Watch on YouTube

Notes: Numb adds a 7th to the VI chord. Poker Face’s verse appears under i bVI bVII below.

I IV V Songs

Three chord rock: three major chords, no minor colour. Berklee’s ear training lessons use Louie Louie and Wild Thing as benchmark I IV V songs.

Numerals: I IV V
Number notation: 1 4 5
Example: A D E (key of A)

Ear cues

• The 4 sounds like a step away; the 5 sounds tense and wants home.
• The bass moves up a 4th, then up a step.

Song	Artist	Key	Where you hear it	Listen
Twist And Shout	The Beatles	D major	Chorus	Watch on YouTube
Wild Thing	The Troggs	A major	Verse (close variant: I IV V IV)	Watch on YouTube
Louie Louie	The Kingsmen	A Mixolydian	Main riff (close variant: minor v)	Watch on YouTube
You Shook Me All Night Long	AC/DC	G major	Chorus (close variant: I IV I V IV)	Watch on YouTube

Notes: Twist And Shout is the cleanest example; the other three are close variants.

I vi Songs

The two chord vamp: home and the relative minor, rocking back and forth. They share two notes, so it feels like light and shade rather than tension and release.

Numerals: I vi
Number notation: 1 6m
Example: G Em (key of G)

Ear cues

• The bass drops a minor 3rd (G to E) and climbs back.
• No 5 chord, so no strong pull home, just a sway.

Song	Artist	Key	Where you hear it	Listen
Runaway	Del Shannon	Bb major	Chorus	Watch on YouTube
Still Into You	Paramore	F major	Verse and pre chorus	Watch on YouTube
Oh, Pretty Woman	Roy Orbison	A major	Chorus	Watch on YouTube
My Sweet Lord	George Harrison	F# major (late section)	Chorus lead out and solo	Watch on YouTube
The Loco Motion	Little Eva	Eb major	Verse	Watch on YouTube

Notes: My Sweet Lord changes key (E to F#). Runaway is a great contrast song: I vi chorus, Andalusian verse.

I IV Songs

Home and the 4 chord: bright, open and never really tense, because there is no 5. Think gospel, anthems and drones.

Numerals: I IV
Number notation: 1 4
Example: E A (key of E) or C F (key of C)

Ear cues

• The bass moves up a 4th, or down a 5th.
• The 4 feels lifted rather than tense.

Song	Artist	Key	Where you hear it	Listen
Born in the U.S.A.	Bruce Springsteen	B major	Intro riff and verses	Watch on YouTube
Imagine	John Lennon	C major	Verse (C Cmaj7 F)	Watch on YouTube
Don’t Look Back In Anger	Oasis	C major	Intro	Watch on YouTube

ii V I Songs

The jazz cadence: minor 2, dominant 5, home, usually with 7th chords. These ii V I songs run from Duke Ellington to Maroon 5. For the theory, see Cadences.

Numerals: ii V I
Number notation: 2m 5 1
Example: Dm7 G7 Cmaj7 (key of C); Am7 D7 Gmaj7 (key of G)

Ear cues

• Roots move in 4ths (D G C), a very strong pull home.
• The 7th of each chord slides down a semitone into the next: listen for that smooth inner line.

Song	Artist	Key	Where you hear it	Listen
Sunday Morning	Maroon 5	C major	Verse and chorus (with extensions)	Watch on YouTube
Fly Me To The Moon	Frank Sinatra (with Count Basie)	A minor / C major	Verse (variant)	Watch on YouTube
All My Loving	The Beatles	E major	Verse opening (ii V I, then vi IV)	Watch on YouTube
Satin Doll	Duke Ellington	C major	Opening (variant)	Watch on YouTube
Autumn Leaves	Cannonball Adderley (with Miles Davis)	Not confirmed	A section (ii V I chains)	Watch on YouTube

Notes: Fly Me To The Moon and Satin Doll are variants inside longer chains. Autumn Leaves is medium confidence: Wikipedia is the source and this recording’s key is not confirmed (lead sheets usually give G minor).

12 Bar Blues Songs (I7 IV7 V7)

Twelve bars, three chords, the foundation of rock and roll. For the backstory read the history of blues guitar; for the form, see 12 bar blues. These 12 bar blues songs cover blues, rock and roll and the Beatles.

Numerals: I7 IV7 V7 (12 bar form)
Number notation: 1 4 5 (12 bars): 1 1 1 1 | 4 4 1 1 | 5 4 1 1
Example: A7 D7 E7 (key of A); E7 A7 B7 (key of E)

Ear cues

• Count bars: the first change to the 4 comes at bar 5 (bar 2 in a quick change).
• The 5 at bar 9 is the climax; bars 11 and 12 often hold a turnaround.

Song	Artist	Key	Where you hear it	Listen
Johnny B. Goode	Chuck Berry	Bb major	Verse and chorus	Watch on YouTube
Hound Dog	Elvis Presley	C major	Verse	Watch on YouTube
Rock Around The Clock	Bill Haley & His Comets	A major	Verse (from ‘Put your glad rags on’)	Watch on YouTube
Pride and Joy	Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble	E (sounds Eb)	Whole song	Watch on YouTube
Can’t Buy Me Love	The Beatles	C major	Verse only	Watch on YouTube
Shake, Rattle and Roll	Big Joe Turner	Eb major	Verse	Watch on YouTube

Notes: Pride and Joy is played in E with the guitar tuned down a semitone, so it sounds in Eb. Johnny B. Goode varies bar 10 (5 in most choruses, 4 in the first). Shake, Rattle and Roll is medium confidence: one source (Hooktheory).

I bVII IV Songs

The Mixolydian rock progression, from the Mixolydian mode: home, the flat 7 chord a whole step below, then the 4. With no 5 chord it sounds open, bluesy and swaggering.

Numerals: I bVII IV
Number notation: 1 b7 4
Example: D C G (key of D); E D A (key of E)

Ear cues

• The second chord is a whole step BELOW home.
• Bass in D: down a whole step, then down a minor 3rd (D C G).

Song	Artist	Key	Where you hear it	Listen
Hey Jude	The Beatles	F major	Outro, the na na na coda	Watch on YouTube
Sweet Home Alabama	Lynyrd Skynyrd	D Mixolydian	Intro, verse, chorus	Watch on YouTube
Back In Black	AC/DC	E Mixolydian	Verse riff (E D A)	Watch on YouTube
Gloria	Them (Van Morrison)	E Mixolydian	Chorus (close variant)	Watch on YouTube
Sweet Child O’ Mine	Guns N’ Roses	Db (D shapes, Eb tuning)	Verse and solos	Watch on YouTube
Thunderstruck	AC/DC	B Mixolydian	Pre chorus and chorus (close variant)	Watch on YouTube

Notes: Some analysts hear Sweet Home Alabama as V IV I in G. Sweet Child O’ Mine uses D C G shapes with guitars tuned down a semitone, so it sounds in Db.

i bVI bVII Songs

Minor rock: a minor home chord, then two major chords that climb back to it. Stadium rock and power metal.

Numerals: i bVI bVII
Number notation: 1m b6 b7
Example: Em C D (key of E minor)

Ear cues

• The bass falls a major 3rd to the b6 (E to C), then climbs a whole step.
• The b7 pushes straight back up to the minor 1.

Song	Artist	Key	Where you hear it	Listen
Livin’ On A Prayer	Bon Jovi	E minor	Verse (Em C D)	Watch on YouTube
Poker Face	Lady Gaga	G# minor	Intro and verse	Watch on YouTube
Fear Of The Dark	Iron Maiden	D minor	Verse	Watch on YouTube

Notes: Fear Of The Dark is medium confidence: one source, and the only official upload is live (Donington), so the key may differ slightly from the studio take.

i bVII bVI bVII Songs (Aeolian Descent)

The bass walks down the natural minor scale, 1 b7 b6, then often back up to b7. Dark, hypnotic and epic. It is one of the two shapes in 2 very popular minor progressions.

Numerals: i bVII bVI (bVII)
Number notation: 1m b7 b6 (b7)
Example: Am G F G (key of A minor); Em D C D

Ear cues

• The bass steps down A G F in A minor.
• Only the home chord is minor; the rest sound bigger and brighter.

Song	Artist	Key	Where you hear it	Listen
All Along The Watchtower	The Jimi Hendrix Experience	C#m shapes, sounds about C minor	Whole song	Watch on YouTube
Stairway To Heaven	Led Zeppelin	A minor	The build before the final section	Watch on YouTube
Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine	The Killers	D# minor	Intro (close variant)	Watch on YouTube
Nothing Else Matters	Metallica	E minor	Verse (close variant)	Watch on YouTube
Fade To Black	Metallica	B minor (outro)	Outro	Watch on YouTube

Notes: All Along The Watchtower uses C#m B A B shapes in Eb tuning (down a semitone), so it sounds about C minor: tune down or play a fret lower. Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine and Nothing Else Matters do not return to the bVII.

i bVII bVI V Songs (Andalusian Cadence)

The same descending bass, but the last chord is a MAJOR 5, which sounds Spanish, flamenco or surf. It is the other shape in 2 very popular minor progressions; the borrowed V is covered in Modal interchange, Andalusian cadence and Neapolitan.

Numerals: i bVII bVI V
Number notation: 1m b7 b6 5
Example: Am G F E (key of A minor); Em D C B

Ear cues

• The bass walks down A G F E in A minor.
• The last chord is E major: its G# is not in the A minor scale, and it pulls hard home.

Song	Artist	Key	Where you hear it	Listen
Hit The Road Jack	Ray Charles	G# minor	Intro and verse	Watch on YouTube
Sultans Of Swing	Dire Straits	D minor	Verse (Dm C Bb A)	Watch on YouTube
Runaway	Del Shannon	Bb minor	Verse	Watch on YouTube

Notes: I could not verify a metal example, so none is claimed.

I V vi iii IV Songs (Pachelbel Canon)

The Canon sequence: a long, singable descending bass that starts like the axis, adds a minor 3 chord and often carries on to I V.

Numerals: I V vi iii IV (I V)
Number notation: 1 5 6m 3m 4 (1 5)
Example: D A Bm F#m G (key of D); G D Em Bm C

Ear cues

• The bass is the hook: G D E B C in G.
• The 3m chord is the giveaway: gently sad before the 4 lifts it.

Song	Artist	Key	Where you hear it	Listen
Memories	Maroon 5	B major	Intro, verse, pre chorus	Watch on YouTube
Basket Case	Green Day	Eb major	Verse (power chords)	Watch on YouTube
Don’t Look Back In Anger	Oasis	C major	Verse and chorus (close variant)	Watch on YouTube

Notes: Memories is openly based on Pachelbel’s Canon. Don’t Look Back In Anger uses E major in place of the iii.

iii vi ii V Songs

The turnaround from Popular major progressions. Every root falls a 5th and every chord is minor until the 5. Only two songs were verified, so treat it as a bonus.

Numerals: iii vi ii V
Number notation: 3m 6m 2m 5
Example: Bm Em Am D (key of G)

Ear cues

• The 3m start sounds like home, but darker.
• Roots fall in 5ths (B E A D), sliding towards home.

Song	Artist	Key	Where you hear it	Listen
You Can’t Hurry Love	Phil Collins	G major	Verse	Watch on YouTube
After The Love Has Gone	Earth, Wind & Fire	Ab major (chorus)	Chorus (close variant)	Watch on YouTube

Notes: After The Love Has Gone is medium confidence: one source, 7th chords, and a key change.

IV V vi IV V I Songs

Also from the Contemporary group: it starts on the 4, climbs to the 5 and minor 6, repeats the climb and only lands on 1 at the end. One verified song, so another bonus.

Numerals: IV V vi IV V (I)
Number notation: 4 5 6m 4 5 (1)
Example: C D Em C D (G) (key of G)

Ear cues

• It does not start at home.
• The bass rises C D E in G, and the 1 arrives late: that delay is the point.

Song	Artist	Key	Where you hear it	Listen
You Gotta Be	Des’ree	C major	Verse and chorus (close variant)	Watch on YouTube

Notes: Medium confidence: one source, and it resolves to I only at the end of phrases.

IV iii ii I Songs

A stepwise fall of four chords from the 4 down to home, also from the Contemporary group.

Numerals: IV iii ii I
Number notation: 4 3m 2m 1
Example: C Bm Am G (key of G)

Ear cues

• The bass walks down the major scale: F E D C in C.
• The middle two chords are minor, then it lands home.

Song	Artist	Key	Where you hear it	Listen
Let It Be	The Beatles	C major	Bridge link (F Em Dm C)	Watch on YouTube

The 15 Minute Chord Progression Ear Training Method

Berklee Online explains that we recognise progressions by each chord’s function relative to home, not by exact pitches, which is why a progression is recognisable in any key. Berklee’s Harmonic Ear Training course starts with the bass line, and The Improving Musician and The Real Easy Ear Training Book both have you sing the roots in numbers over a recording. This routine puts those ideas together. Do it daily with one or two songs.

1. Find home (2 minutes). Hum the note that feels like rest and find it on the low E or A string. That is 1.
2. Sing the bass (4 minutes). Hum the lowest notes and say the numbers aloud: 1, 5, 6, 4. When the bass moves, a chord changes.
3. Major or minor? (4 minutes). For each bass note, strum the major chord and then the minor chord. Keep the one that blends with the record and write the result as 1 5 6m 4.
4. Match the library (5 minutes). Check your answer against the tables, then play along with the official video, with a capo if needed.

Two tips. Songs with common chord progressions are the best training material, because each one you crack makes the next easier. And if you get stuck, sing the bass note and arpeggiate the chord slowly against the record: a wrong chord sounds sour, a right one disappears into the mix.

Self Test: Name the Progression

No peeking. Listen to each section named, write the numerals and numbers, then open the answers. If the bass is hard to follow, warm up with interval ear training with reference songs and its descending intervals companion first.

Round 1

1. With Or Without You (U2), any section
2. Zombie (The Cranberries), verse
3. Sultans Of Swing (Dire Straits), verse

Show the round 1 answers

1. I V vi IV, or 1 5 6m 4 (D A Bm G)
2. vi IV I V, or 6m 4 1 5 (Em C G D/F#)
3. i bVII bVI V, or 1m b7 b6 5: the Andalusian cadence (Dm C Bb A)

Round 2

1. Hey Jude (The Beatles), the na na na coda
2. Born in the U.S.A. (Bruce Springsteen), intro
3. Livin’ On A Prayer (Bon Jovi), verse

Show the round 2 answers

1. I bVII IV, or 1 b7 4 (F Eb Bb)
2. I IV, or 1 4 (B major and E major)
3. i bVI bVII, or 1m b6 b7 (Em C D)

Bonus: Runaway (Del Shannon) and Poker Face (Lady Gaga) each use two progressions. Name both.

Show the bonus answers

Runaway: the Andalusian cadence (i bVII bVI V) in the verse, then I vi in the chorus. Poker Face: i bVI bVII in the intro and verse, then vi IV I V in the chorus.

Download the Free Cheat Sheet

All 16 progressions on one printable A4 page: numerals, numbers, example chords, songs, ear cues and the 15 minute routine. Stick it on the wall next to your amp.

FAQ

What is the most common chord progression?

I V vi IV is one of the most widely used progressions in modern pop and rock, while I IV V and the 12 bar blues run through early rock and roll. Hooktheory’s popular chord progressions page shows which progressions turn up most in its database of analysed songs.

Why do songs with the same chord progression sound so different?

Chords are only the frame; melody, rhythm, tempo, key and voicings change the feel. Let It Be and Don’t Stop Believin’ share I V vi IV, but nobody would mix them up.

Is vi IV I V the same as I V vi IV?

Same four chords, different starting point. Starting on the minor chord makes the loop feel minor, so many players hear vi IV I V as i bVI bIII bVII in a minor key. Train your ear on the first chord: is home major or minor?

How long does chord progression ear training take?

It varies. With 15 minutes a day, I IV V and I V vi IV usually click first because they are everywhere; minor and Mixolydian shapes take longer. Go one progression at a time and use the self test to check yourself.

Sources

• Hooktheory TheoryTabs: section by section analyses for most songs here.
• Hooktheory: popular chord progressions
• Berklee Online: ear training exercises
• Berklee Online: Harmonic Ear Training, recognising chord progressions (Roberta Radley)
• Music Theory for the 21st Century Classroom (Puget Sound): twelve bar blues
• Comprehensive Musicianship (Iowa State University): harmonic progressions
• The Real Easy Ear Training Book (Sher Music, sample PDF)
• The Improving Musician: singing bass lines
• Second sources for single songs: Wikipedia and Guitar World.

The more songs with common chord progressions you can name, the faster new songs fall into place. Want someone to check your ears and hands? See the lesson options and fees when you are ready.