"Dorian I-IV" Phenomenon
"Dorian I-IV" Phenomenon is the name I have given to a sensitivity to this chord progression.
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The chord progression is from the chord I to chord IV in the dorian mode. In the key of D the chord progression is D minor to G major. It corresponds to the chord progression II-V in a major key although this would normally resolve to I. In the Dorian mode, the resolution is a return to the I.
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I discovered at a young age that I had a heightened sensitivity to this chord progression. It causes an emotional and psysiological response. The chord progression has been used in many songs designed to provoke strong emotions - usually sadness.
Here is a playlist I compiled of songs that employ this chord progression in Dorian mode.
​​​​​​​​​​​​​Certain musiciens and composers seem to have a heightened sensitivity to "Dorian I-IV" Phenomenon. In the classical genre, Debussy would fall into this category. A good example is La Mer (listen for the climax at the end). In the pop genre Michael Jackson wrote a lot of songs based on the Dorian I-IV chord see-saw. Here are a few :
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Don't Stop Until You Get Enough
Thriller
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
Bad
I Just Can't Stop Loving You
Jam
Blood on the Dancefloor
Ghosts
Money
Earth Song
This Is It (bridge)
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Variations
Sometimes the chord see-saw is inverted: it starts(and always resolves back to) the major chord. In this case, the key is the Mixolydian mode. For example, the root is G with the chord I being G major, which then moves to the V which is D minor and then continues to oscillate between the two. Some examples of this form of the phenomenon are the following:
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Moby - Porcelain
Gorillaz - Don't Get Lost In Heaven
Millenium - Robbie Williams
Carnavalia – Tribalistas
Yroco - ​Jimmy Sabater
Medieval Music
Dorian Mode comes from medieval music, sacred (such as Gregorian chant) and secular. The Dorian mode is one of 8 modes.