Why is thee chorus of a song so memorable?

Cafe Society
1

Many times, I’ll hear a song and not recognize it until it gets to the chorus, then it becomes memorable. Is there a reason for this?

2

Some possible answers:

  1. The chorus is specifically designed to be hooky and memorable.
  2. The chorus is typically simpler, melodically and/or lyrically, than the verses, so that it sticks in your head more easily on first or second hearing.
  3. Repetition: the chorus is the part that you hear multiple times during the song, which helps you to remember it.
3

Repetition: the chorus is the part that you hear multiple times during the song, which helps you to remember it.

4

Repetition: the chorus is the part that you hear multiple times during the song, which helps you to remember it.

5
  1. The chorus also usually contains the title of the song, so when you get to know what song it is. Also why people misname songs like “Teenage Wasteland”.
6

The chorus is typically also meant to be the “highlight” of the song. The stuff that comes before it is often meant as nothing but “buildup”, and the stuff that comes after is often just meant as a descent from the summit.

7

There’s a reason Roxette’s greatest-hits album was entitled Don’t Bore Us… Get to the Chorus!

8

One thing to add. If you are hearing the song on the radio then it is probably popular and therefore something about it is memorable/catchy. There are plenty of songs that don’t have a memorable hook in any part of it.

Given that the song is memorable, the most likely memorable section is the chorus for all the reasons given by @Thudlow_Boink.