Excessively Re-Used Chord Progressions?

I've always known that music has many overlaps of chords and chord progressions, but I had no idea it was this much:

This makes me wonder: are there certain progressions that everyone just plain likes? As these are famous pop songs, and all, that most everyone know of and like (with maybe a few exceptions). And of course there are plenty of other questions about this one could ask.

Just thought I'd throw this out there. It's probably not a novel thought or anything, I'm just curious as to what you all will say :)

Ah, that clip reminds me of the "Pachelbel Rant". :)

Anyway, as for my favourite go-to chord progression for pop-ish music, mine would have to be a simple I-vi-IV-V progression. Especially easy to write a melody for since scale degree 1 is present in every chord but V. This chord progression is another common one in pop music (though not quite as common as the one shown in that video).

I've always known that music has many overlaps of chords and chord progressions, but I had no idea it was this much:

This makes me wonder: are there certain progressions that everyone just plain likes? As these are famous pop songs, and all, that most everyone know of and like (with maybe a few exceptions). And of course there are plenty of other questions about this one could ask.

Just thought I'd throw this out there. It's probably not a novel thought or anything, I'm just curious as to what you all will say :)

There's actually way more than that even.

Also, no. I hate the progression. And I doubt there is anyone who likes every song that uses I - V - vi - IV.

As to why it's popular in the first place... I dunno. I could postulate some guesses but my brain isn't working well enough right now to get into a long discussion about it. I'm sure some people with a better knowledge of Ethnomusicology could answer the question.

Kind of funny, when I was younger I used to think that there was some deep theory to putting chords together (chord progressions) and that due to the fact I couldn't find anything that showed such theory it must be so hardcore technical that I'll never master it! I found stuff on classical harmony alright, but them mysterious pop/rock music harmony was still some sort of mystical nebulous concept I figured I'll only "get" later when I'm more awesome.

Then later I discovered that, hey it's just throwing scraggy together and winging it.

So yeah.

Kind of funny, when I was younger I used to think that there was some deep theory to putting chords together (chord progressions) and that due to the fact I couldn't find anything that showed such theory it must be so hardcore technical that I'll never master it! I found stuff on classical harmony alright, but them mysterious pop/rock music harmony was still some sort of mystical nebulous concept I figured I'll only "get" later when I'm more awesome.

Then later I discovered that, hey it's just throwing scraggy together and winging it.

So yeah.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

That...is funny. I think you're largely right too! I like the music, but I think a lot of times it's just things falling into place however it will. I know I've done that sometimes with my music.

Funny vid! It's so true about pop music using chord formulas. SSC, I ran into the same thing while studying jazz theory after being classically trained, but I soon came to think of pop and jazz as extended harmony. As far as pop musicians throwing chords together on a whim, also so true, but I'm glad it happens. Otherwise we may not get awesome but occassionally head-scratching songs like this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2BkF073sX0.

this might because a lot of people know that progression, don't know they know it, and are happy to hear that familiar "sound". you know, most people don't play hours every day and look for something different because its been done(like us).

i think it shows that its a classic progression that works for commons, but you still have to create that truthful original idea about those chord changes. its really a hopeful thing that this progression can be repeated so many times and not sound butchered(well, at least to alot of people beside us), the statement of the artist overcomes that.

btw black, thanks for that link, amazing melody there, genesis are such a cinematic band, really connecting with each other and developing each other idea's. its much to complex song to become a hit, you agree :)

Kind of funny, when I was younger I used to think that there was some deep theory to putting chords together (chord progressions) and that due to the fact I couldn't find anything that showed such theory it must be so hardcore technical that I'll never master it! I found stuff on classical harmony alright, but them mysterious pop/rock music harmony was still some sort of mystical nebulous concept I figured I'll only "get" later when I'm more awesome.

Then later I discovered that, hey it's just throwing scraggy together and winging it.

So yeah.

This is going to be one of my favorite posts around. Haha! I hope you don't mind quoting you. You said it damn well.

Haha im deff gonna write a pop song :))

I always wanted to write a pop album and call it

"Cheerleading Music" because a fair amount of it has all the poetic nuance of a Rah Rah Shish Koom Bah. And as harmonically as interesting.In fact there is a predecessor to my idea - good ole Toni Basil did the Micky song with cheerleaders in the video.

Now, we SHOULD poke at how formulaic classical music can be. For example, Telemann, who did write some great music, also churned out far too much music blithely going along in 4/4 and a bass of half notes for 32 bars with some busy work above it. Vivaldi - another culprit. Beethoven - my god I hate the conclusion of the last movement of the 5th symphony - after about the 4th or 5th reiteration of C major chord I get it and wish it begone.

Stravinsky too - just take an artificial or quasi modal scale and/or folk melody and divide it up into 4/5/2/3/7, orchestrate with some extreme registers and viola- Stravinsky neoclassical!

We are such blind monkeys sometimes.

Yeah, but we can say this about every kind of music at some points. And of course it matters to what degree we apply it. And... +1 for Telemann, who is among my favorite composers.