Axis progression

noun

A chord progression, I–V–vi–IV, used in Western popular music, common since the 1970s.

“The Axis progression in the key of C: {1}”

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Meanings

nounAxis progression (uncountable)
  1. uncountableA chord progression, I–V–vi–IV, used in Western popular music, common since the 1970s.

    The Axis progression in the key of C: {1}

Origin

From the name of a musical comedy group, The Axis of Awesome, whose 2009 song Four Chords comments on the ubiquity of this progression.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Axis progression. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Axis%20progression

MLA

“Axis progression.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Axis%20progression. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Axis progression,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Axis%20progression.

Source: Axis progression on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.