A Dozen Classic Songs without Choruses
Almost every popular song has a chorus, that repeating part that often contains the song’s hook, its most memorable musical passage. Strong choruses are considered almost essential for a song’s success. But not always.
Here’s a list of classic songs with no discernable chorus:
- “Stairway to Heaven”/Led Zeppelin
- “Bohemian Rhapsody”/Queen
- “Sympathy for the Devil”/Rolling Stones
- “Maggie May”/Rod Stewart
- “Wish You Were Here”/Pink Floyd
- “All Along the Watchtower”/Jimi Hendrix
- “Cool for Cats”/Squeeze
- “Baker Street”/Gerry Rafferty (the repeating sax bit doesn’t count)
- “Virginia Plain”/Roxy Music
- “Bittersweet Symphony”/The Verve
- “Paranoid Android”/Radiohead
- “Losing My Religion”/REM
Let’s see if we can add to this. Any suggestions?
The “That’s me in the corner” sections don’t count as a chorus in Losing My Religion? And doesn’t Bittersweet Symphony start with the chorus?
“The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald” has no chorus or bridge.
“My Sister” by The Juliana Hatfield 3
Every song Neutral Milk Hotel has ever put out.
“Nautical Disaster” by the Hip.
“Powderfinger” by Neil Young is also one.
I don’t understand. Sympathy For the Devil has a chorus and it’s repeated like any other song.
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name
But what’s puzzling you
Is the nature of my game