Songs where the verse is cooler than the chorus

General Music Discussion Songwriting
#1

These are two pop-rock songs that I love from the 90s. When listening to them again more analytically, I noticed that the verse grabs me way more than the chorus. I think it’s because in both cases the verse has some irresistible groove/syncopation (and killer bass lines and bass playing), while the chorus has a more bland rhythmic feel without syncopation.

To me, it’s almost like the role of verse and chorus has been swapped: the chorus provides a sort of break that makes you want to hear the cool verse again

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#2

There’s probably a half dozen Megadeth songs that could fit here but I’ll go with the obvious.
Dave is an absolute madman for that riff.

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#3

How about “One” by Metallica? The chorus is cool and important to the flow of the song but it’s so brief it’s almost a non event. Also, similar to what @tommo said about syncopation, there isn’t much as compared to the verse. Also, the chorus vocals are not much different than the guitar riff. So overall I think the verses are much more interesting.

As for thr bass contributing at all…musicians and even scientists have been searching for ANY BASS on the entire And Justic For All album since its release and come up dry.

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#4

I get what you are saying, but I really dig the chorus in the Alanis track. The second half of the verse, being the way it is, builds the intensity for a more open chorus. Just my opinion

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#5

Although it’s debatable as to whether there even is a “chorus” as such… but the verse parts to me make this song.

Same story, not much of a chorus, verse is king!

#6

Oh thank god I’m not the only metalhead who loves pop songs :sweat_smile:

Here’s some where I like the verse better than the chorus (and god forbid, the pre-chorus):

I could go on. That is a threat.

Note: a lot of these seem to have been intended as chorus-heavy anthems, but the verse has cooler ideas than the chorus IMO.

Oh, one more (I’m on my 3/2th cup of coffee right now):

Rhythmic ideas in the verses are super cool, the refrain is a decent catchy melody but doesn’t quite have the same punch as the verses.

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#7
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#8

First thing that came to mind - chorus is as sparse as it could possibly be.

I love Fiona, and I actually think this chorus is pretty great (and it has a hemiola), but it’s a totally different energy than the verses.

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#9

Classic rock hit like that…makes me wonder why I didn’t submit Stairway to Heaven. The verses are cooler than the chorus, since there is no chorus. That’s probably cheating, which most likely disqualifies me for the grand prize in the event that Stairway is the winning submission :wink:

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#10

How about Bohemian Rhapsody?

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#11

Ha. That is probably the ultimate example (where there is no chorus)

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#12

I feel like rap is cheating .

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#13

The best Wu-Tang songs don’t even have a theme, let alone a chorus. It’s just a beat that the members spit 32-64 bars on. And Doom is a God, so yeah…. Cheat code lol

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#14

Wu Tang is for the Children!

Just for the “little Italy” bit alone

Some other favorites

That flow alone

This is probably the king for me the song would be so much better with just Big and Puff’s verses without Busta screaming in the chorus. One of those songs were the chorus drags it down.

#15

Aesop Rock is my favorite solo hip hop artist but De La is my favorite group. As for Eminem, I’m a total diehard fan. I know he gets a lot of flack for his current day output, but him going and showing off is all that I want from him. I don’t care about the content of the songs at this point. I want the “how does he do that?”

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#16

Thought of a few more non rap songs

The verses still ring true here.
“People livin’ their lives for you on TV
They say they’re better than you and you agree”

“Another day, another dollar, another war, another tower Went up to where the homeless had their homes”
The Woodstock '99 version is iconic, might be my favorite performance from the whole festival.

Billy Joel was on the money with this ode to suburban sprawl and American consumerism. Those verses still cut like a knife.

Bernie Taupin is criminally underrated, and it’s a much better ode to the Indians than whatever Neil Young was smoking when he penned “hate was just a legend war was never known” in Cortez the Killer.

The scariest part of this song is how it could equally be about the homeless drug zombie epidemic currently plaguing cities like Philly.

“I walked the avenue, 'til my legs felt like stone
I heard the voices of friends vanished and gone
At night I could hear the blood in my veins
Just as black and whispering as the rain
On the streets of Philadelphia
Ain’t no angel gonna greet me
It’s just you and I my friend
And my clothes don’t fit me no more
A thousand miles just to slip this skin.”

Another contender for the post prescient verses 30+ years after being penned.

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