Chord Progressions of Popular Songs, by Genre

89 chord progressions from 13 genres, with the hit songs and standards that use them. Pick a genre, switch to any key, hear every loop in your browser and download it as a free MIDI file.

6 PROGRESSIONSPopSomeone Like You, Wagon Wheel, Stand By Me, Every Breath You Take 5 PROGRESSIONSEDM / DanceFaded, Wake Me Up, Levels, Clarity 7 PROGRESSIONSIndie / AltCreep, Where Is My Mind?, Riptide, Boulevard of Broken Dreams 6 PROGRESSIONSCountryWagon Wheel, Take Me Home, Country Roads, Fast Car, Something in the Orange 7 PROGRESSIONSK-popInto the New World, Me Gustas Tu, Bubble Gum, Dynamite 6 PROGRESSIONSR&B / SoulJust the Two of Us, Kill Bill, Redbone, Thinkin Bout You 5 PROGRESSIONSHip-HopStill D.R.E., Lose Yourself, Gangsta's Paradise, God's Plan 6 PROGRESSIONSRockDon't Stop Believin', Smells Like Teen Spirit, Sweet Home Alabama, Knockin' on Heaven's Door 8 PROGRESSIONSLatin / ReggaetonDespacito, Tití Me Preguntó, Dákiti, Provenza, Tusa 7 PROGRESSIONSAnime / J-popGunjou, Racing Into the Night, Lemon, Peace Sign, Zenzenzense 8 PROGRESSIONSJazz / BluesAutumn Leaves, Fly Me to the Moon, I Got Rhythm, C Jam Blues, Take Five 10 PROGRESSIONSNeo-Soul / GospelBest Part, Bad Habit, Good Days, Snooze, Kirk Franklin 8 PROGRESSIONSLo-FiNujabes, J Dilla, Joji, Kina 24 PROGRESSIONSBy moodDark, hopeful, tense, euphoric, melancholy and more

Looking for a feeling rather than a genre? See sad, emotional, dark, happy, epic, romantic chord progressions, each with song examples and free MIDI.

Same chords, different genres

A progression doesn't belong to a genre. The chorus of Green Day's Boulevard of Broken Dreams and the chorus of Zach Bryan's Something in the Orange use the same loop (VI – III – VII – i). Adele's Someone Like You and Old Crow Medicine Show's Wagon Wheel share I – V – vi – IV. And the minor loop i – VI – III – VII drives both Alan Walker's Faded and the chorus of Despacito.

What makes each one sound like its genre is everything else: tempo, rhythm, instruments, voicings and above all the melody. That is good news for songwriters. You can borrow a progression from any genre and make it yours.

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72 progressions from hit songs and moods, in all 12 keys: 864 MIDI files for any DAW. Plus The Songwriter's Cheat Sheet (PDF).

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