# Best songs without any kind of real chorus **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 22, 2008, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-songs-without-any-kind-of-real-chorus/473990 "2008-11-22T14:12:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2008, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-songs-without-any-kind-of-real-chorus/473990/1 "2008-11-22T14:12:58Z")
The song that inspired this was [Sometime Around Midnight](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2YnDlEMXiU) by The Airborne Toxic Event, which manages to be awesome and sad and perfect without the need for a chorus. Let’s hear some more! ---
**Author:** ![Hi\_Neighbor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hi_neighbor/32/494_2.png) [@Hi\_Neighbor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hi_Neighbor)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2008, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-songs-without-any-kind-of-real-chorus/473990/2 "2008-11-22T14:28:59Z")
Blind Melon - No Rain I don’t think there’s a chorus in there… ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2008, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-songs-without-any-kind-of-real-chorus/473990/3 "2008-11-22T14:37:13Z")
The most recorded song-without-a-chorus has to be Memory from CATS. ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2008, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-songs-without-any-kind-of-real-chorus/473990/4 "2008-11-22T14:38:17Z")
There’s tons and tons of prog rock that has, almost by definition, no proper chorus. How about: Genesis - The Knife Genesis - The Musical Box Genesis - Fountain of Salmasis Genesis - Can-Utility and the Coastliners Genesis - Supper’s ready Genesis - Dancing with the Moonlit Knight Genesis - The Battle of Epping Forest (You get the idea…) Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick King Crimson - 21st Century Schizoid Man King Crimson - Epitaph King Crimson - Lizard King Crimson - Elephant Talk … Pink Floyd - Dogs Pink Floyd - Sheep … As a matter of fact, this is starting to get a bit long, so I’ll leave some for other posters. ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2008, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-songs-without-any-kind-of-real-chorus/473990/5 "2008-11-22T14:39:38Z")
I think **Stairway to Heaven** would qualify. And Billy Joel’s **Scenes from an Italian Restaurant**. Also **Suite: Judy Blue Eyes**. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2008, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-songs-without-any-kind-of-real-chorus/473990/6 "2008-11-22T14:47:52Z")
Unchained Melody? The ‘I need your love’ refrain could be considered a chorus. Not sure. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2008, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-songs-without-any-kind-of-real-chorus/473990/7 "2008-11-22T14:49:17Z")
[What I Did For Love](http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/achorusline/whatididforlove.htm) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2008, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-songs-without-any-kind-of-real-chorus/473990/8 "2008-11-22T15:05:55Z")
Roger Waters - [_4:50 AM (Go Fishing)_](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJ3KtCHnEbo&feature=related) ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2008, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-songs-without-any-kind-of-real-chorus/473990/9 "2008-11-22T17:12:35Z")
Suzanne Vega - _Tom’s Diner_ ---
**Author:** ![Rattlehead02](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rattlehead02/32/3944_2.png) [@Rattlehead02](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rattlehead02)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2008, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-songs-without-any-kind-of-real-chorus/473990/10 "2008-11-22T17:32:16Z")
Megadeth - In My Darkest Hour ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2008, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-songs-without-any-kind-of-real-chorus/473990/11 "2008-11-22T17:47:46Z")
> [@jovan](#): > > Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick I always considered this to be the chorus: > [@](#): > > So you ride yourselves over the fields and > You make all your animal deals and > Your wise men dont know how it feels to be thick as a brick. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2008, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-songs-without-any-kind-of-real-chorus/473990/12 "2008-11-22T19:25:29Z")
What qualifies as a “real chorus”? I suspect there are a lot of songs like this. For example, does “Lola”'s repeated “La-la-la-la-Lola” count as a chorus? Speaking of the Kinks, Ray Davies (at least once you get past the earliest stuff) tends to usually write a complete lyric without resorting to much repetition. In “Come Dancing,” for example, the bit that functions as the chorus has different words each time it comes around. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2008, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-songs-without-any-kind-of-real-chorus/473990/13 "2008-11-22T21:24:34Z")
Dylan and Springsteen had plenty of sogs without choruses: For instance, “All Along the Watchtower” and “Thunder Road”, respectively. ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2008, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-songs-without-any-kind-of-real-chorus/473990/14 "2008-11-22T21:41:54Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > The most recorded song-without-a-chorus has to be Memory from CATS. The Guinness Book of Records says that “[Yesterday](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yesterday_(song))” by The Beatles is the most covered song. “Yesterday” also doesn’t have a chorus. Lots of other Paul McCartney songs lack choruses: “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey” is the first one that pops into my head, but there are a ton of others he wrote in that “suite” style. Not McCartney, but “Happiness is a Warm Gun” also is without a chorus. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2008, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-songs-without-any-kind-of-real-chorus/473990/15 "2008-11-22T22:28:04Z")
“A Day In The Life” by the Beatles doesn’t have any chorus. Unless you count “I’d love to tuuuuuuurrrrn yooooooouuuuuuuuu onnnnnnnnnn” as one! ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2008, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-songs-without-any-kind-of-real-chorus/473990/16 "2008-11-22T22:59:08Z")
Radiohead’s “Pyramid Song” (actually, many, if not most, Radiohead songs don’t have proper choruses) “Little Girl Blue,” as made popular by Frank Sinatra “Margaret vs. Pauline,” “Fox Confessor Brings the Flood,” and “Favorite” by Neko Case ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2008, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-songs-without-any-kind-of-real-chorus/473990/17 "2008-11-23T13:43:33Z")
> [@Lisa-go-Blind](#): > > The Guinness Book of Records says that “[Yesterday](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yesterday_(song))” by The Beatles is the most covered song. “Yesterday” also doesn’t have a chorus. Really? _Why she had to go, I don’t know She wouldn’t say. I said something wrong, now I long For yesterday_ Leonard Cohen has quite a few, including his masterpiece _Bird on the Wire_, Dress Rehearsal Rag, and Joan of Arc. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2008, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-songs-without-any-kind-of-real-chorus/473990/18 "2008-11-23T14:01:35Z")
Kristopherson’s Jody and the Kid and Billy Dee are two more. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2008, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-songs-without-any-kind-of-real-chorus/473990/19 "2008-11-23T15:20:35Z")
Thanks for the OP _The Airborne Toxic Event_ are Gods and have become my new favourite band. May only be for 2 days but they are very, very good and I will own everything they release. ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2008, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-songs-without-any-kind-of-real-chorus/473990/20 "2008-11-23T20:04:29Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > _Why she had to go, I don’t know > She wouldn’t say. > I said something wrong, now I long > For yesterday_ Hmmm, musically it’s structured more like a bridge. I can see how it could be considered a chorus, though, as it repeats once during the song. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-songs-without-any-kind-of-real-chorus/473990.md?page=2)