Good examples of songs that have a very standard song structure?

[dchalo]

trying to look to examples to help with song structuring. Having trouble fitting in certian parts into my own songs.

 

[mixsit]

A list would be so very long! Let's narrow your scope some.

 

[VomitHatSteve]

You mean... just any old example of Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Bridge, Chorus, Chorus?

 

[bouldersoundguy]

You mean... just any old example of Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Bridge, Chorus, Chorus?

I was going to post that, but with an instrumental verse after the bridge. Not that I could say what's most common.

 

[VomitHatSteve]

I was going to post that, but with an instrumental verse after the bridge. Not that I could say what's most common.

I'm more of a punk-with-no-solos kind of guy!

 

[famous beagle]

Start with Nirvana's hits. Those are some of the most formulaic song structures I've ever seen.

Very often, it's:
Intro
Verse 1
Chorus
Verse 2
Chorus
Bridge or Solo
Chorus
Outro or Coda
(Sometimes there will be a pre-chorus as well)

You can hear this form in:
Smells Like Teen Spirit
All Apologies
Heart Shaped Box
In Bloom
Rape Me

Interestingly, when the song does have an actual bridge (as opposed to a guitar solo), they'll often repeat it after the last chorus and then go to the outro. You can hear this in:
Lithium
Come as You Are

 

[KrystianL]

[MENTION=15168]famous beagle[/MENTION] is right. Kurt Kobain who criticized popular music ironically chose a pop structure for most of Nirvana's hits. He even said of Teen Spirit he was trying to make the ultimate pop song.

A lot of the more traditional Beatles songs will have some of the more common song structures as well. When I was learning song structure I found listening to their music helpful because there is a good amount of variation on simple song structures. For example "In my Life" has no choruses but instead uses refrains.

 

[famous beagle]

[MENTION=15168]famous beagle[/MENTION] is right. Kurt Kobain who criticized popular music ironically chose a pop structure for most of Nirvana's hits. He even said of Teen Spirit he was trying to make the ultimate pop song.

A lot of the more traditional Beatles songs will have some of the more common song structures as well. When I was learning song structure I found listening to their music helpful because there is a good amount of variation on simple song structures. For example "In my Life" has no choruses but instead uses refrains.

Good point. The same can be said for "Yesterday" (no choruses, but refrains).

 

[AwThrash]

Depends on if you want to write something meant to be mainstream for radio play. Mainstream is meant to be catchy and repetitive. Since my music won"t be on the radio any time soon I try not to worry about the structure as long as it flows well and it interests me. If my song reaches four minutes I try to start resolving the end.

Then again if your wanting to brainwash the masses...

The University of London has determined that ...

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," the 1991 hit by Nirvana, is the most iconic song ever, with U2's "One" and John Lennon's "Imagine" coming up closely behind.