Sometimes, bad choruses really can make or break an otherwise good song. The following four songs have arguably less-than-stellar choruses holding them together, and I think these songs avoided the No. 1 spot because of it. Let’s take a look! Many of these tracks are incredible, even with their controversial choruses.
“emo girl” by Machine Gun Kelly feat. Willow
This collaboration between MGK and Willow is a standout single from the former’s 2022 pop punk album, Mainstream Sellout. This song, produced by Blink-182’s Travis Barker, was an excellent collaboration between the three musicians.
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However, that chorus just doesn’t hit and tends to get repetitive. Still, the song did pretty well on the charts. “emo girl” peaked at No. 77 on the Billboard Hot 100 and hit the Top 10 on the US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart.
“Yellow Submarine” by The Beatles
Out of all of The Beatles’ discography, the chorus of “Yellow Submarine” is probably the least inventive. However, I’m not going to act like this isn’t one of the most legendary Fab Four tracks of all time.
This 1966 banger made it to No. 2 on the Hot 100 chart and topped multiple other charts as well. I think it would have secured that top spot on the Hot 100 if the chorus had been just a little less repetitive.
“Frantic” by Metallica
“Frantic” is a killer Metallica song. However, that chorus is just… not it. At least to me. “Frantic, tick tick tick tick tick tick tock” gets a little nerve-frying after a while.
Still, the song is an excellent opener on St. Anger. “Frantic” hit No. 4 on the UK Rock & Metal chart and ranked even higher elsewhere, but it didn’t make it to the Hot 100 after its release in 2003.
“Riot” by Bullet For My Valentine
Remember this heavy metal tune from Bullet For My Valentine? This 2013 track makes it to our list of good songs with bad choruses because its chorus just doesn’t match the power of the song’s verses. “Whoa-oa-oah / Here come the sirens, here comes the law / Whoa-oa-oah / Run from the sirens, run from the law” is far from the most poetic focal point of the song.
Still, “Riot” did pretty well chart-wise and hit No. 22 on the Mainstream Rock Songs chart.
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