# Songs with I-vi-IV-V Progression? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 29, 2004, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-i-vi-iv-v-progression/237167 "2004-03-29T21:27:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f19dbf/32.png) [@Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Only_Mostly_Dead)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-i-vi-iv-v-progression/237167/1 "2004-03-29T21:27:36Z")
A suggestion I made in [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=247951) has me thinking. What are well known songs with the chord progression I-vi-IV-V (most commonly C-Am-F-G or G-Em-C-D)? There are many, I know. I once made a list of somewhere around 15 songs when I played guitar far more often than I do now, but when I was responding to the thread, I couldn’t remember but three of them: Please Mr. Postman Earth Angel Last Kiss So remind me what songs I’m forgetting. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-i-vi-iv-v-progression/237167/2 "2004-03-29T22:00:50Z")
This is just top of mind: - You Really Got a Hold on Me - Smokey Robinson and the Miracles (G, Em, C, D) - What a Wonderful World - Same Cooke (“Don’t know much about history…”) (A, Gm, D, E) - So Lonely - the Police (A, E, Gm, D) - Goin’ Down - Bruce Springsteen (same as So Lonely - diff beat) - Heard it Through the Grapevine - Marvin Gaye, et. al (like the others matter) - Bye Bye Love - Everly Brothers (I think) - Runaround Sue (Dion and the Belmonts - D, Bm, A, G) - Stacy’s Mom (Chorus - A, E, B, Dm - verses = E, A, B, A; main riff = E, A) A pretty useful little progression… ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-i-vi-iv-v-progression/237167/3 "2004-03-29T22:03:38Z")
Oh, jeez, and who could forget Under the Boardwalk - Verse = G - D; Chorus = C, G, D with bridge (Under the Boardwalk - Out of the Sun…etc. = G to Em and back…) ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-i-vi-iv-v-progression/237167/4 "2004-03-29T22:06:21Z")
Oh and the Beatles’ I Feel Fine Verses = G, D, C, G Bridge (I’m so glad, she’s my little girl) = G, Bm, C, D I realize these are all exactly the chord progression you are looking for but they pretty much use the same chords are easy and sound great… ---
**Author:** ![Karmagun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Karmagun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karmagun)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-i-vi-iv-v-progression/237167/5 "2004-03-29T22:32:57Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > So Lonely - the Police (A, E, Gm, D)… The third chord there would be an F# actually. It’s a 1-5-6-4 progression, like Bob Marley’s ‘No woman no cry’. An acceptable substition for the third chord (the 4) would be a 2 - i.e. substitute the F with a Dm if you start the sequence on C. Another 1-6-4-5 is Blue Moon. And Il cielo in una stanza, of course (hey - I’m half Italian). ---
**Author:** ![Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f19dbf/32.png) [@Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Only_Mostly_Dead)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-i-vi-iv-v-progression/237167/6 "2004-03-29T22:43:28Z")
> [@Karmagun](#): > > Another 1-6-4-5 is Blue Moon. And Il cielo in una stanza, of course (hey - I’m half Italian). Yeah, that one definitely used to be on my list. It kills me that I’ve forgotten so many songs once responsibility ruined my playing time. ---
**Author:** ![Murcielago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Murcielago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Murcielago)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-i-vi-iv-v-progression/237167/7 "2004-03-29T23:00:01Z")
Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me” is a nice one IMO. I learned it as: A - F#m - D - E - A ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-i-vi-iv-v-progression/237167/8 "2004-03-29T23:02:27Z")
Most versions of Blue Moon I’ve heard are I-vi(7)-ii(7)-V7. But substituting a IV for the ii7 works fine. Of the top of my head, there’s Ben E. King’s “Stand by Me.” ---
**Author:** ![Hoops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoops/32/6408_2.png) [@Hoops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoops)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-i-vi-iv-v-progression/237167/9 "2004-03-30T00:59:43Z")
Fun fact: here in San Diego at least, and particularly among older musicians, this progression is sometimes referred to as _ice cream changes_. Mmmm, ice cream changes. ---
**Author:** ![Hoops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoops/32/6408_2.png) [@Hoops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoops)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-i-vi-iv-v-progression/237167/10 "2004-03-30T01:07:22Z")
Almost forgot the grandaddy of them all: _Heart And Soul_, beloved of first-graders everywhere. I still remember as a kid realizing that the chords to Elton John’s _Crocodile Rock_ were in many places the same as _Heart And Soul_. I was incredulous: _“You can **do** that?”_ ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-i-vi-iv-v-progression/237167/11 "2004-03-30T02:26:30Z")
There are probably a zillion of songs with this progression. Here’s a few: **Rinky Dink** - an instrumental from WAY back when **Wild Weekend** the Rockin’ Rebels - another instrumental **In the Still of the Night** - 5 Satins **One Summer Night** **Johnny Get Angry** - Joannie Summers (actually it goes I; VI; I VI; IV; V; IV ;V) **My True Story** Jive Five **Angel Baby** Rosie and the Originals **Dream Lover** Bobby Darrin (actually, as with “Johnny Get Angry”, it repeats chords in certain places rather than going I; VI; IV; V) **Come Go With Me** the Dell Vikings **Stay** Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs **Octopus’ Garden** the Beatles **2525** Zager and Evans **Keep On Dancin’** the Gentrys **Little Star** the Elegants \*\* Baby Talk\*\* Jan and Dean (RIP Jan Berry who passed away a few days ago) ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-i-vi-iv-v-progression/237167/12 "2004-03-30T02:30:19Z")
Wow - I think I made 2 "mis-postings. I think “Wild Weekend” goes I; IV; V and “2525” is Am, G, F, E Serves me right for trying to post so many. (They’d better revive that ‘smack the head’ icon soon - I need it a LOT) ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-i-vi-iv-v-progression/237167/13 "2004-03-30T04:21:42Z")
“Stand by Me”, “Why Do Fools Fall in Love?”, “Blue Moon”, “Beyond the Sea”, “This Boy” ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-i-vi-iv-v-progression/237167/14 "2004-03-30T11:04:41Z")
Penny Lane ---
**Author:** ![Karmagun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Karmagun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karmagun)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-i-vi-iv-v-progression/237167/15 "2004-03-30T12:01:44Z")
**Magic Moment** - Cliff Richard ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-i-vi-iv-v-progression/237167/16 "2004-03-30T12:36:07Z")
> [@Karmagun](#): > > The third chord there would be an F# actually. It’s a 1-5-6-4 progression, like Bob Marley’s ‘No woman no cry’. > > An acceptable substition for the third chord (the 4) would be a 2 - i.e. substitute the F with a Dm if you start the sequence on C. > > Another 1-6-4-5 is Blue Moon. And Il cielo in una stanza, of course (hey - I’m half Italian). Of course you’re right - I meant to write Gb, not Gm, and it’s more correct I think to write F#… ---
**Author:** ![Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f19dbf/32.png) [@Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Only_Mostly_Dead)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-i-vi-iv-v-progression/237167/17 "2004-03-31T18:52:29Z")
This thread has hit upon a good number of the ones on my original lost list, though I still have a nagging suspicion some are missing. Good job. And I just remembered another one myself. From the original Broadway version of **Grease** is a song called “Those Magic Changes.” The lyrics at the very beginning of the song, in which the character is learning to play the song, are, and I quote: > [@](#): > > C, C, C, C, C, C > A, A, A, A minor > F, F, F, F, F, F > G, G, G, G seven… How I didn’t remember that first, I really don’t know.