rock-findings · declercq2011-rock-harmony

After IV and V, VI and bVII form a clear secondary category ... With regard to patterns of harmonic progression, the strong asymmetries of root motion found in common-practice music are notably absent in rock. ... Again, a striking symmetry is seen between the ascending and descending forms of each interval, with motion by ascending and descending fourths being by far the most common. ... the most notable pattern that emerges is a shift between the 1950s, when harmonic structures are almost exclusively confined to I, IV and V, and later decades, when a broader distribution emerges that remains fairly stable between 1960 and 2000.