Great Chorus - but the rest of the song sucks

scotchandcigar

scotchandcigar

All I wanted was some steak
I was listening to this on First Wave the other day. The lyrics are really weak, but the chorus is great. So good, in fact, that the song starts with the melody from it. And then for the entire song, you're just waiting for it to come back.

Nik Kershaw - Wouldn’t It Be Good​




This one seems to know that the chorus is the only good part of the song. Because once they get to it, they basically keep repeating it.

Fun. - We Are Young ft. Janelle Monáe​




The latest entry into the category is this mostly lame song, with a great chorus.

Shadow dancing Andy Gibb​




This one was pointed out to me by John Mayer. The chorus is so good, they open with it. The rest of the song is "meh".


Philip Bailey, Phil Collins - Easy Lover​




What other songs should be here?
 
Every time I look around for songs with a catchy chorus but dumb lyrics, I think of How Bizarre by OMC. Lead singer Pauly Fuemana was born in Ōtara, a suburb of South Auckland, New Zealand. OMC stands for Ōtara Millionaires Club. This peaked at #4 on the July 26 1997 Billboard Hot 100.

 
For most of these songs, I can't tell you what the verses are. I only remember/listen to the chorus so yes, the verses are unremarkable.
 
Avril Lavigne's Smile, which peaked at #68 on the August 20 2011 Billboard Hot 100 but reached #25 on the Pop Airplay chart, has horrible lyrics but a catchy chorus. Hey, Avril, do you dye your hair or are you just prematurely green?

 
Reverse of this thread, I'm okay with the verse part of the song Footloose, but hate the chorus. Not saying it's a horrible chorus because it evidently was a major hit, I just can't stand the chorus.
 
I'd say that most of us don't know the lyrics, other than the chorus

Dexys Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen​




Not only is the chorus the only memorable thing about this song, but it's not even much of a chorus.

Blur - Song 2​




Yes, this is the song that put them on the map. But it's very simplistic, and really just a vehicle for the chorus.

Radiohead - Creep​

 
IdRatherBeSkiing said:



Great chorus. Some of the verses not that bad. But the 4th or 5th verse descends into really bad rap. This makes it qualify.
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Agreed. I've noticed there's a few songs that my least favorite part of the song is the rap part in an otherwise non-rap song.

"Waterfalls" by TLC
"Dear God" by XTC (not exactly rap, but the ending, ugggh)
"You Get What You Give" by The New Radicals
"Red Red Wine" by UB40 (but really I'm sick of the entire song)
"Wild Wild West" by The Escape Club

On a related note, I do love Blondie's rap part in Rapture.

Other songs with a part that annoys me:
"Can We Still be Friends" by Todd Rundgren. The song is very melodic but the instrumental solo is too basic.
"Every Little Thing She Does is Magic" by the Police. Good song, but I always tune out before the long outro.
"Something in the Air" by Thunderclap Newman. Classic hippie era song but the piano solo in the middle is dull.
 
Also, I do like the ending half of "Layla" by Derek and the Dominos even though it feels like an entirely different song.
I know not everyone is crazy about the ending of that one.

I'm not a fan of the ending of the Beatles "Hello Goodbye".
 
Aaron said:
"You Get What You Give" by The New Radicals
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I like all the lyrics. I believe in an interview, The Edge from U2 said it's the one song he wishes he wrote.
Aaron said:
"Something in the Air" by Thunderclap Newman. Classic hippie era song but the piano solo in the middle is dull.
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I've been considering a thread for good songs with bad solos, and that would be one. BTW, that's Newman on piano, so there was no chance it was going to be cut. I would also include the xylophone solo in Gone Daddy Gone by The Violent Femmes.
 
Aaron said:
Also, I do like the ending half of "Layla" by Derek and the Dominos even though it feels like an entirely different song.
I know not everyone is crazy about the ending of that one.
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That's Duane Allman on slide guitar. I saw a documentary where Eric Clapton was thinking of quitting music after the breakup of Cream and Blind Faith. Then his manager brought him to see the Allman Brothers, and that renewed his passion for music. That's why he had Allman play on that song.
 
Aaron said:
"Wild Wild West" by The Escape Club
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When I was looking for the CD back in the day The Escape Club was listed in the rap section which is why I was having trouble finding it. I suspect you are referring to the passages where he is rolling his rs. I actually like that about this song.
 
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