Pop AnthemChord progression · I – V – vi – IV
The backbone of modern pop — endlessly loopable with a lift on the vi.
In C major
Why the Pop Anthem progression works
Home, a leap to V, a dip to the sad vi, then the IV lifts without landing. It never resolves, so it loops forever, and a singer can put almost any tune on top.
Songs built on it, each in its own key:
- Let It Be
- No Woman No Cry
- With or Without You
- Don't Stop Believin'
- I'm Yours
- Someone Like You
- Poker Face
- Take Me Home, Country Roads
Heard in: Indie rockPunkPopPop balladCountryFolk
How to play Pop Anthem in C major
One voicing per chord, each the nearest to the chord before, so your hand stays in one spot. Open any chord in the chord library for every other way to play it.
Pop Anthem chords in all 12 keys
The same numerals in every key. Each chord opens in the chord library, and each key plays in the progression builder.
What scale to play over Pop Anthem
Over the whole progression in C major: C Major, C Major pentatonic. To follow every chord, switch to the scale the progression builder picks for it.
| Chord | Scale over it |
|---|---|
| I · C | C Major |
| V · G | G Mixolydian |
| vi · Am | A Natural minor |
| IV · F | F Lydian |
Pop Anthem questions
What are the chords of the Pop Anthem progression?
I – V – vi – IV. In C major that is C, G, Am, F; in G major it is G, D, Em, C.
Which songs use the Pop Anthem progression?
Let It Be, No Woman No Cry, With or Without You, Don't Stop Believin', I'm Yours, Someone Like You, Poker Face and Take Me Home, Country Roads, each in its own key.
What scale do you play over the Pop Anthem progression?
C Major and C Major pentatonic fit the whole progression in C major. Chord by chord: C Major over C, G Mixolydian over G, A Natural minor over Am, F Lydian over F.
How do you play the Pop Anthem progression in another key?
Keep the numerals and move every chord by the same distance. The table on this page spells it in all 12 keys, and each key opens in the progression builder.