JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Songwriter Message Forum How necessary is a chorus?

The most memorable songs (and the most popular) have either a chorus with the hook OR a repeated line or phrase with the hook.

As already mentioned, "The First Time Ever I …" is a good example of the hook repeated in a line. It is repeated at the beginning of each verse and then at the end of the song. A repeated hook in the line is kind of like a mini-chorus.

People do like to sing along and the repetition allows them to participate easily. Making sure that the chorus or repeated line has the coolest part of the melody is important. For some reason, people like patterns and look forward to hearing that part again. If the hook is repeated too often it becomes tedious, no matter how cool it is.

In some songs, it a repeated instrumental hook that people enjoy. Like Sunshine of Your Love or Daytripper etc. People like to get out their air guitars or air basses, pianos etc. and play along. Sometimes they don't even like the rest of the song, just that cool repeated instrumental bit.

It isn't a rule to have a chorus. It's just a good idea and the fact that most songs have them is a reflection of what the majority of people want to hear.