So, I was listening to this music from Civilization IV and for some reason the bit from 1:45-2:05 caught my attention. Then I realized that it was actually the same as this other music that is used in just about everything (listen to 1:24-2:08). In fact, variations of that particular chord progression seem to show up in a great deal of music, like, say, this , along with plenty of others I can't think of off the top of my head. Does it have a name? Is there a particular piece that popularized it?

EDIT: here's a clip of all three pieces I mentioned layered on top of each other to illustrate the similarity.

Reminds me of (warning, 1 use of the F-word):
[media][/media]

Reminds me of ...

Which is itself very closely related to Canon in D (notice that this guy even uses some of the same examples).

EDIT: I just saw that this was in the related videos for the video you posted, so you've probably seen it already.

So, I was listening to this music from Civilization IV and for some reason the bit from 1:45-2:05 caught my attention. Then I realized that it was actually the same as this other music that is used in just about everything (listen to 1:24-2:08). In fact, variations of that particular chord progression seem to show up in a great deal of music, like, say, this , along with plenty of others I can't think of off the top of my head. Does it have a name? Is there a particular piece that popularized it?

All three have similar but different progressions. There are also multiple parts playing on each song. The main themes use (very common) descending with returns and one uses a (very common) circle progression. They also each use different syncopations for tension.

The progressions themselves are fairly basic, much like counting down 5-4-3-2-1. They sound nice and are a staple in music.

All three have similar but different progressions. There are also multiple parts playing on each song. The main themes use (very common) descending with returns and one uses a (very common) circle progression. They also each use different syncopations for tension.

The progressions themselves are fairly basic, much like counting down 5-4-3-2-1. They sound nice and are a staple in music.

Your post is remarkably lacking in specifics.

[quote name='frob' timestamp='1300471874' post='4787588']

Does it have a name?

All three have similar but different progressions. There are also multiple parts playing on each song. The main themes use (very common) descending with returns and one uses a (very common) circle progression. They also each use different syncopations for tension.

The progressions themselves are fairly basic, much like counting down 5-4-3-2-1. They sound nice and are a staple in music.
[/quote]

Your post is remarkably lacking in specifics.
[/quote]
Really? I thought circle progression and descending chord progression were rather clear names.

I could spend a few minutes figuring out which specific chords they are using in each progression from tonic, but I thought it would be a waste of time because the OP didn't seem to be at that level or he would have done it himself and seeing labels like V, v7, iii, etc., aren't that useful to a non-musician. Even then they're not too useful in this case since all three songs are different.

[quote name='cowsarenotevil' timestamp='1300472587' post='4787600']
[quote name='frob' timestamp='1300471874' post='4787588']

Does it have a name?

All three have similar but different progressions. There are also multiple parts playing on each song. The main themes use (very common) descending with returns and one uses a (very common) circle progression. They also each use different syncopations for tension.

The progressions themselves are fairly basic, much like counting down 5-4-3-2-1. They sound nice and are a staple in music.
[/quote]

Your post is remarkably lacking in specifics.
[/quote]
Really? I thought circle progression and descending chord progression were rather clear names.

I could spend a few minutes figuring out which specific chords they are using in each progression from tonic, but I thought it would be a waste of time because the OP didn't seem to be at that level or he would have done it himself and seeing labels like V, v7, iii, etc., aren't that useful to a non-musician. Even then they're not too useful in this case since all three songs are different.
[/quote]

I'm sure he was being sarcastic.

The I-vim-IV-V progression is yer basic garden variety progression used in a major key. Lost in the history of time, it is the fundamental progression for many folk and popular songs and the underlying chord progression in many classical constructs.

Theory labels that a "circle progression". It is not the circle progression, there are an infinite number of those. It's just one of many.

OK, let me try to be a bit more clear this time.

Really? I thought circle progression and descending chord progression were rather clear names.

They're clear, yes, but they're also quite general. Saying "the progressions themselves are fairly basic, much like counting down 5-4-3-2-1" doesn't really say anything at all and seems a bit patronizing. I just got the impression you were identifying the most outwardly obvious (and perhaps in this case superficial) traits about them but dismissing out of hand the possibility that there's a deeper similarity between the pieces.

I could spend a few minutes figuring out which specific chords they are using in each progression from tonic, but I thought it would be a waste of time because the OP didn't seem to be at that level or he would have done it himself and seeing labels like V, v7, iii, etc., aren't that useful to a non-musician. Even then they're not too useful in this case since all three songs are different.[/quote]

Of course I could have done it myself, but I'm not very quick at it since I typically prefer not to do that sort of thing. Also, I don't think it would have been particularly elucidating. As you said, the pieces each have multiple distinct voices, but that's actually what makes the similarity so striking. If, as you said, the pieces were merely different pieces that happen to share only the extremely common traits that you mention, then if you played all three of them together you'd still expect to get a lot of dissonance between the distinct voices in different pieces.

What's interesting, though, is that you really don't, even when you play all three together. (obviously to compile that I transposed them to the same key and adjusted the tempo accordingly). This is compelling evidence that there is an underlying implied chord structure that is consistent between all three pieces. So chord labels are indeed not particularly useful, but not because the songs are different, but because they're the same.

EDIT: When I said "lacking in specifics" I was referring mainly to the fact that you said "... and one uses a (very common) circle progression" without specifying which "one" you meant or which progression you meant. I assume you were referring to the "Expressions" piece?