The_Complete_Idiot%27s_Guide_To_Music_Theory

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Part 3: Tunes
Old Johann was able to wring the most out of a very simple chord progression;
in this case nothing more than I-IV-I-IV-I-V-I. Of course, this shows that you
don’t need a complex chord progression to create great music.
Dvorˇák’s New World Symphony
The chords to Dvorˇák’s New World Symphony.
The chords to Pachelbel’s Canon in D.
Dvorˇák’s New World Symphony uses another relatively simple chord progression,
as you can see here:
The chord progression is basically I-V-I, with a neat little ii-V-I imperfect
cadence at the end. There’s also a very unique nonscale twist in the second half
of the third measure, where the I chord (D♭) suddenly gets a raised fifth and
goes augmented. (In the orchestral score, the fifth is in the bass in this measure,
for a very dramatic effect.) The use of the augmented tonic sets up an unexpected
tension, without messing up the harmonic structure by throwing in
something like a IV or a V chord where it wouldn’t really belong.
Pachelbel’s Canon in D
Even more simple is the chord progression behind Pachelbel’s Canon in D, as
you can see here:
Note how the chords flow, one into the next, based on established chord leading
rules—I-V-vi-iii-IV-I-IV-V—and then back to the I, again and again. You can
play this progression all night long and not get tired of it; that’s what makes it
such a classic.