Verse, chorus, and bridge define the standard sectional song form used in most commercial and pop-derived music

Verse (A section): a recurring section (~16 or 32 bars) that tells the story; melody and harmony repeat but lyrics change across iterations. Chorus (B section): also recurring; contains the hook; typically more harmonically stable or resolved than the verse; shares melody and lyrics across all repetitions; often contains the song title; first chorus typically follows a verse. Bridge (C section): appears once; contrasts both verse and chorus; often in a different key or with unusual harmony or density; often used for an instrumental solo. Common pop form is ABABCB (verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus), the structure of ‘Royals’ by Lorde and a large fraction of radio pop.

Examples

ABABCB: verse 16 bars, chorus 16 bars, verse 16 bars, chorus 16 bars, bridge 8 bars, chorus 16 bars. The bridge creates contrast and makes the final chorus feel earned.

Assessment

Listen to three songs in different genres that use verse-chorus-bridge form. Map each one to A/B/C notation. Identify whether any song deviates from the ABABCB pattern and describe how.