7 Classic Songs Whose Verses Outshine Their Choruses

By Jack Haworth /

A great song €“ like a great story €“ needs a polished beginning, middle and end. If even one of these segments is off-key, it can bring the whole thing right down. But when a song€™s verses are more exciting than their choruses, is that considered a fault? Raging Bull€™s exhilaration and drama is focused primarily at the middle, yet the film as a whole is still considered a classic. The same applies to music; it€™s rare, but it often happens that the sheer eminence of a verse outshines the chorus, not because the chorus is of a low quality, but because comparison brings it down in our minds. Conversely, some verses are made to look good simply because of the refrains€™ inadequacy. Here are my top 7 tracks at the moment that peak before they should for one reason or another€

7. S.O.S €“ ABBA

Now, don€™t get me wrong here €“ the classic bubbly euro-pop Abba is a guilty pleasure that I€™ve always retained, but it€™s songs like €˜S.O.S€™ that make me question whether they might€™ve been capable of something beyond cheesy karaoke hits for the British public to dance ironically to. The opening interplay of melancholic pianism and melodious splashes of synth is a genuine spark of pure pop gold; guilty pleasures wholly aside. But then, after the mournful vocals and their sombre keyboard accompaniments twist into a very Abba chorus, the brief illusion is shattered into a glittery array of very ordinary bubble-gum. From then on, it floats between the two unremarkably and the end result is another hit for them, but a miss when you consider what it might have been€