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Some common pop chord progressions

Pop music tends to be formulaic. That is, it tends to use an approach where what has gone before is used again. There are different kinds of patterns that are used in this kind of approach. There are some basic drum, bass, piano and guitar rhythmic patterns, melodic patterns, and harmonic patterns associated with different styles of music. There are also some basic patterns of arranging songs (verse chorus sequences) and some basic sequences or progressions of chords. The following sections describe sixty or so chord progressions that have been common in pop music over the last 50 years or so.
Each progression is presented in either C major or a minor for now. I may have some time soon to reorganise this so that there is some audio and so that each progression is also represented as a roman numeral functional harmony progression. When done, this last version should enable you to identify how to work each progression out in other keys.
When writing a new song, it may be possible to combine two or more of these progressions to create a new progression.

1C:| C / / / | G / / / | G / / / | C / / / |
2C:| C / / / | Am / / / | F / / / | G / / / |
3C:| C / / / | Am / / / | Dm / / / | G / / / |
4C:| C / / / | Em / / / | Dm / / / | G / / / |
5C:| C / / / | F / / / | C / / / | G / / / |
6C:| C / / / | F / / / | G / / / | G / / / |
7C:| C / / / | F / / / | G / / / | C / / / |
8C:| C / / / | G / / / | F / / / | C / / / |
9C:| C / / / | G / / / | F / / / | F / / / |
10C:| C / / / | C / / / | G / / / | F / / / |
11C:| C / / / | Eb/ / / | F / / / | C / / / |
12C:| C / / / | Eb/ / / | F / / / | Ab / Bb / |
13C:| Cm / / / | Eb/ / / | F / / / | Ab / Bb / |
14C:| C / / / | G / / / | C / / / | F / / / | Fm / / / | C / / / | G / / / | C / / / |
15C:| C / / / | G / / / | G / / / | C / / / | F / / / | C / / / | G / / / | C / / / |
16C:| F / / / | C / / / | G / / / | C / / / |
17C:| F / / / | C / / / | D7/ / / | G / / / |
18C:| F / / / | C / / / | Dm / / / | G / / / |
19C:| C / / / | C / / / | C / / / | C / / / | F / / / | F / / / | C / / / | C / / / | G / / / | F / / / | C / / / | G / / / |
20a:| Am / / / | Dm / / / | Am / / / | Dm / / / |
21a:| Am / / / | E / / / | E / / / | Am / / / |
22a:| Dm / / / | Am / / / | E / / / | Am / / / | Dm / / / | Am / / / | Bm7b5 / / / | E / / / |
23a:| Am / / / | D / / / | E / / / | E / / / |
24a:| Am / / / | D / / / | Am / / / | D / / / |
25a:| Am / / / | Dm / / / | E / / / | Am / / / |
26C:| C / / / | Dm / / / | F / / / | G / / / |
27a:| Dm / / / | G / / / | C / / / | F / / / | Bm7b5 / / / | E / / / | Am / / F | E / / / |
28a:| Am / / / | Am / / / | Am / / / | Am / / / |
29a:| Am / / / | Dm / / / | G / / / | E / / / |
30a:| Am / / / | Am / / | Dm / / / | C / C/B / |
31a:| Am / / / | Am / / | Dm / / / | C / G/B / |
32a:| Am / / / | E / / | F / G / | E / / / |
33a:| Am / / / | Am / / | E / / / | E / / / |
34a:| Am / / / | Am / / | F / / / | F / / / |
35a:| Am / / / | Am / / | F / / / | E / / / |
36a:| Am / / / | Am / / | Dm / / / | E / / / |
37a:| Am / / / | Bdim / / / | C / / / | Dm / / / || Am / / / |
38C:| Dm / / / | Am / / / | Bdim / / / | C / / / |
39a:| Am7 / / / | Bm7 / / / | CMaj7 / / / | Bm7 / / / |
40a:| Am / / / | Bm / / / | Am / / / | Bm / / / |
41a:| Bm / / / | Am / / / | Bm / / / | Am / / / |
42C:| C / / / | Bb / / / | F / / / | C / / / |
43C:| C / / / | F / / / | Bb / / / | F / / / |
44C:| C / / / | C#5 / / / | C6 / / / | C#5 / / / |
45C:| C / / / | C#5 / / / | C6 / / / | C7 / / / |
46C:| C / / / | C#5 / / / | C6 / / / | C#5 / / / | C / / / | C#5 / / / | C6 / / / | C7 / / / |
F / / / | Fm / / / | C / / / | A7 / / / | D7 / / / | G7 / / / | C / / / | G7 / G7#5 /|
47C:| C / / / | C#5 / / / | C6 / / / | C#5 / / / | C / / / | C#5 / / / | C6 / / / | C7 / / / |
F / / / | Ab / / / | C / / / | A7 / / / | D7 / / / | G7 / / / | C / / / | G7 / G7#5 /|
48C:| C / / / | Eb / / / | Bb / / / | F / / / |
49C:| C / / / | G / / / | Bb / / / | F / / / |
50C:| C / / / | Bb / / / | F / / / | F / / / |
51C:| C / / / | Ab / / / | Bb / / / | C / / / |
52a:| Am / / / | G / / / | Am / / / | G / / / | Am / / / | G / / / | F / / / | F / / / |
53a:| Am / / / | F / / / | G / / / | Am / / / |
54C:| CMaj7 / / / | BbMaj7 / / / | CMaj7 / / / | BbMaj7 / / / |
55a:| Am / / / | G / / / | F / / / | E7 / / / | Am / / / | G / / / | F / E7 / | Am / / / |
56C:| C / / / | G / / / | F / / / | E7 / / / | Am / / / | G / / / | F / / / | E / / / |
57a:| Am / / / | E7 / / / | G / / / | D / / / | F / / / | C / / / | B7 / / / | E7 / / / |
58C:| Dm7 / / / | G7 / / / | CMaj7 / / / | CMaj7 / / / | Cm7 / / / | F7 / / / | BbMaj7 / / / | BbMaj7 / / / |
Bbm7 / / / | Eb7 / / / | AbMaj7 / / / | AbMaj7 / / / | Abm7 / / / | Db7 / / / | GbMaj7 / / / | GbMaj7 / / / |
F#m7 / / / | B7 / / / | EMaj7 / / / | EMaj7 / / / | Em7 / / / | A7 / / / | DMaj7 / / / | DMaj7 / / / |
59 C:| Dm7 / / / | G7 / / / | CMaj7 / / / | CMaj7 / / / | Am7 / / / | D7 / / / | GMaj7 / / / | GMaj7 / / / |
Em7 / / / | A7 / / / | DMaj7 / / / | DMaj7 / / / | Bm7 / / / | E7 / / / | AMaj7 / / / | AMaj7 / / / |
F#m7 / / / | B7 / / / | EMaj7 / / / | EMaj7 / / / | C#m7 / / / | F#7 / / / | BMaj7 / / / | BMaj7 / / / |
G#m7 / / / | C#7 / / / | F#Maj7 / / / | F#Maj7 / / / | Ebm7 / / / | Ab7 / / / | DbMaj7 / / / | DbMaj7 / / / |
Bbm7 / / / | Eb7 / / / | AbMaj7 / / / | AbMaj7 / / / | Fm7 / / / | Bb7 / / / | EbMaj7 / / / | EbMaj7 / / / |
Cm7 / / / | F7 / / / | BbMaj7 / / / | BbMaj7 / / / | Gm7 / / / | C7 / / / | FMaj7 / / / | FMaj7 / / / |
60 C:| C / / / | Em / / / | F / / / | G / / / |
61 C:| C / / / | C / / / | G / / / | G / / / | G / / / | G / / / | C / / / | C7 / / / |
F / / / | F / / / | C / / / | C / / / | G7 / / / | G7 / / / |C / / / | C / / / ||
62 a:| Am / / / | Dm / / / | F / / / | E7 / / / ||
63 a:| Am / / / | Dm / / / | F / Bm7b5 / | E7 / / / ||
64 a:| Am / / / | Bdim / / / | Am / / / | E7 / / / ||
65 C:| C / / / | C / / / | F / / / | F / / / | C / / / | G / / / | C / / / | C / / / |
C / / / | C/E / / / | F / / / | F#dim7 / / / | C / / / | G7 / / / |C / / / | G7 / / / ||
66 a:| Am / / / | Em / / / | Am / / / | Em / / / ||
67 a:| Am / / / | D / / / | Am / / / | D / / / ||
68 C:| C / / / | F / / / | G / / / | F / / / ||

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