"Going backwards", or anti-clockwise, is known as the "circle of 4ths".

Going forwards, or clockwise, is 5ths.

4th - e.g. G a b C

5th - e.g. G a b c D

Rock, country, blues, etc. tend to favour 5ths

Jazz players lean towards 4ths (mainly, I suspect, due to the number of Bb and Eb instruments in Trad Jazz).