3 Great Rock Songs That End Abruptly

A song can end in a variety of ways. Though there isn’t a hard-and-fast rule, there are conventions to keep. Whether it’s a fade-out or a gentle trill of music that helps close out a hit, there are agreed-upon methods. Then some artists don’t care about rules at all. The three bands below all decided to try something new with their songs, hitting an abrupt ending to help round out their rock masterpieces. These songs are iconic, in part thanks to their unconventional endings.

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“I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” (The Beatles)

The Beatles’ “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” is an onslaught of sound from start to finish. One of the band’s heavier offerings, this song is anything but subtle. However, they curbed the expectations put on this song at the end by adding an abrupt stop.

“I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” cuts off in a jarring way. Though it can be quite disorienting for the listener, it’s the kind of risk-taking the Beatles became legends for. This song was stellar without the hard stop, but that added bit of defiance gives it even more of an edge.

“Song 2” (Blur)

Similarly, Blur’s “Song 2” is upended by an abrupt stop. This track’s abrasive driving rhythm makes the song’s ending, with almost no fanfare or flourish, disarming.

The entirety of “Song 2” was the band pointing the finger at American grunge. Ironically, this song became massively popular in the United States, despite the group’s attempt to distance themselves from that scene. Given their intent with this song, it’s not surprising they chose to end this song in the way they did. It’s natural to break the rules when you’re writing a song that was never meant to be taken seriously.

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“Heartbreaker” (Led Zeppelin)

Led Zeppelin’s “Heartbreaker” doesn’t just end on a hard note; it cuts Robert Plant off mid-sentence. The frontman only gets through half of the word “heartbreaker” before the song ends, leaving the audience on the edge of their seat.

The abrupt stop was meant to help the song transition into another on the accompanying record. However, without the added context and different listening habits nowadays, the stop seems like an odd choice from the group.

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