Songs With No Chorus?

[silvercord]

"paranoid android" by radiohead comes to minda very cool 'through-composed' song~and just for my fellow nerds...any one know how they got thethe song title from?a coffee and a donut to the super nerd that knows!peacegeoff

[Casey H]

You might be able to get away with a song (as opposed to a score) in ABAB format for film/TV, but your odds are still lower. The reason is (for better or for worse), a lot of the listening for film/TV is done 'looking for a great song' with a similar definition of a great song that the chorus is everything. Exceptions include where a very clear mood is expressed or where the target is a replacement track. Don't get me wrong, there are opps in film/TV for non-chorus songs. I'm just saying the odds are still a bit lower. I have one song in ABAB that is signed with a library and about to be used in an indie film. Although, I do think I wrote a very good SONG, it's the mood setup by the production and performance on top of the music and lyrics that made it work.You may have noticed that on TV shows, they sometimes use a song in a scene where they keep in faded far in the background until a certain point where they bring up the volume for the chorus. The chorus repetition of a key phrase can be a big part of how it comes together. An total aside, yup... some great songs used a riff as part of or all of the hook... Pretty Woman, Day Tripper, Something, Satisfaction, and many more. Casey

[liamkelly]

Jun 11, 2008, 5:45am, silvercord wrote:"paranoid android" by radiohead comes to minda very cool 'through-composed' song~and just for my fellow nerds...any one know how they got thethe song title from?a coffee and a donut to the super nerd that knows!peacegeoffDouglas Adams He who said one of my favourite sayings: I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by. Can I have a beer instead, Geoff ? Liam

[53mph]

There are many great songs without choruses. Think of early Neil Young's Harvest.In modern music there are plenty of bands that regularly make non-chorus driven songs, Silver Cord mentioned Radiohead whose new album doesn't have any hook chorus songs on it but I can think of plenty of other bands such as The Doves, Portishead, My Morning Jacket.These bands will never be MTV favourites or promoting products anytime soon (except in the case of Portishead) but they are great bands producing great music.

[silvercord]

Liam! sweet! good job!nothing but the best for you bro!heres a Pabst Blue Ribbon for ya!"`The first ten million years were the worst,' said Marvin, `and the second ten million, they were the worst too. The third ten million I didn't enjoy at all. After that I went into a bit of a decline.'" -- Marvin reflecting back on his 576,000,003,579 year career as Milliways' car park attendent.

[Casey H]

Clearly there are MANY great songs with no choruses and some bands today are producing such songs.The issue (I think) brought up on this thread is about the commercial viability of these songs for new songwriters/artists like most of us. We are pitching songs to publishers, artists, libraries, film/TV music supervisors, etc who generally are looking for the 'hit' format of VCVC etc... For example, a publisher would be unlikely to sign a non-chorus song nowadays. They are pitching to artists who only want the next greatest hit. Most artists also are looking for that. As I mentioned, film/TV libraries and supervisors may be looking for mood or "sounds like" so there is a bit more of a shot.Like everything else, it comes down to odds. You could write a song without rhymes or with very vague lyrics and sometimes succeed but the probability is less. If you are deciding whether to invest money in a demo and the song has no chorus, you have to at least be aware of the realities even if the realities bite and the song is really good. It's so hard out there, tilting the odds is recommended. If one considers that "selling out" and doesn't want to do that, that's fine too-- we all make our choices and have to comfortable in our own skin.Artists, gigging and selling their own CDs, can do what they want if CD sales and gigs are their main goal.Funny thing is I am working on one of my ABAB format songs right now. I mentioned before I may chose to demo it for my own pleasure and never complain if it doesn't get signed.Yea, yea... me too... I miss the good old days where song format was optional and people were stoned and stared at album covers while separating seeds and trading rumors as to what the lyrics really were about. Casey

[cameron]

I'm working on a song today that I'm writing for a western swing group in Texas. So far it's all chorus with instrumentals in between. Lot's of fun! I'm trying to decide right now if it needs a bridge.Cameron

[Mark Kaufman]

Gerry Rafferty's "Baker Street" is one of the most interesting examples, to me. This song has a verse, prechorus, chorus structure...only the chorus is "sung" by the saxophone, as an instrumental. Very odd, very cool.

[devin]

Ya Mark, "Baker Street" is on my "only one iPod worth of music on a deserted island" list for sure. I don't think I've met anyone that doesn't like it.Anyone? Hello? Bueller?

[mojobone]

Many of the songs named above as having no chorus actually do have a chorus with an instrumental hook. (Seven Nation Army, Something) Guess It's a perception thing.