Verse–chorus form
Verse–chorus form is a musical form going back to the 1840s, in such songs as "Oh! Susanna", "The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze", and many others.[1] It became passé in the early 1900s, with advent of the AABA (with verse) form in the Tin Pan Alley days.[2][3] It became commonly used in blues and rock and roll in the 1950s,[4] and predominant in rock music since the 1960s. In contrast to 32-bar form, which is focused on the refrain (contrasted and prepared by the B section), in verse–chorus form the chorus is highlighted (prepared and contrasted with the verse).[5]
The chorus often sharply contrasts the verse melodically, rhythmically, and harmonically, and assumes a higher level of dynamics and activity, often with added instrumentation. This is referred to as a "breakout chorus".[6] See: arrangement.
Contrasting verse–chorus form
[edit]Songs that use different music for the verse and chorus are in contrasting verse–chorus form. Examples include:
- "That'll Be the Day" by Buddy Holly (1957)[7]
- "Be My Baby" by The Ronettes (1963)[7]
- "California Girls" by The Beach Boys (1965)[7]
- "Penny Lane" and "All You Need Is Love" by The Beatles (1967)[7]
- "Foxy Lady" by Jimi Hendrix (1967)[7]
- "Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple (1973)[7]
- "Can't Get Enough" by Bad Company (1974)[7]
Simple verse–chorus form
[edit]Songs that use the same harmony (chords) for the verse and chorus, such as the twelve bar blues, though the melody is different and the lyrics feature different verses and a repeated chorus, are in simple verse–chorus form. Examples include:
- "Shake, Rattle, and Roll" by Big Joe Turner (1954)[7]
- "Louie, Louie" by The Kingsmen (1963 cover), example not using blues form[7]
- "La Bamba" by Ritchie Valens (1959)[7]
Simple verse form
[edit]Songs which feature only a repeated verse are in simple verse form (verse–chorus form without the chorus). Examples include:
- "Evil Ways" by Santana (1969)[7]
- Blues-based songs which are not simple verse–chorus form (above), such as "Heartbreak Hotel", "Jailhouse Rock", "Hound Dog", and "Lucille"[7]
and with a contrasting bridge:
- "Eight Miles High" by The Byrds (1966)[7]
- "Tomorrow Never Knows" by The Beatles (1966)[7]
- "Purple Haze" by Jimi Hendrix (1967).[7]
Both simple verse–chorus form and simple verse form are strophic forms.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ von Appen, Ralf; Frei-Hauenschild, Markus. "AABA, Refrain, Chorus, Bridge, Prechorus — Song Forms and Their Historical Development" (PDF). www.gfpm-samples.de. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
- ^ Ewen, David (1964). The Life And Death Of Tin Pan Alley: The Golden Age of Popular Music (First ed.). Funk & Wagnalls. ASIN B000GVN3X4.
- ^ "Tin Pan Alley". Britannica. 3 March 2025 [20 July 1998]. Archived from the original on 5 October 2025. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
- ^ Campbell, Michael; Brody, James (2007). Rock and Roll: An Introduction. Cengage Learning. p. 117. ISBN 978-0-534-64295-2.
- ^ Covach, John (2005). "Form in Rock Music: A Primer". In Stein, Deborah (ed.). Engaging music: essays in music analysis. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 71. ISBN 978-0-19-517010-8.
- ^ Doll, Christopher (2011). "Rockin' Out: Expressive Modulation in Verse-Chorus Form". Music Theory Online. 17 (3). §2. Archived from the original on 28 August 2025. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Covach 2005, pp. 71–72.
