4 Iconic Classic Rock Songs From the 60s and 70s Without Choruses

For so many songwriters, the chorus is the key to their work. Many of the best and catchiest songs from The Beatles, for example, even begin with the chorus to catch the listener’s ear with the stickiest part of the song. It’s the part of the composition that people sing along to and remember most. But what about those classic rock songs that don’t even have a chorus?

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Here below, we wanted to examine four songs that have become iconic hits over the decades but that also, remarkably, don’t feature any sort of chorus or refrain. Let’s dive into a quartet of tracks that flout the rules and succeed without them. Indeed, these are four iconic classic rock songs from the 1960s and 1970s without choruses

“Stairway To Heaven” by Led Zeppelin (1971)

For many, “Stairway To Heaven” is the quintessential classic rock song. Maybe it’s the best, or maybe it’s the most of the genre, but either way, there is no chorus on the track. The closest thing is lead vocalist Robert plant singing: “Ooh, it makes me wonder / Ooh, really makes me wonder.” But the whole thing is like a short story put to music, telling the tale of a woman who thinks she can buy a stairway to the great kingdom in the clouds.

“All Along The Watchtower” by Jimi Hendrix (1968)

Originally written by Bob Dylan but made famous by Jimi Hendrix, this is another short story put to rock music. As a result, it also doesn’t feature any sort of refrain. We hear a tale about two figures, a joker and a thief, and how they live in a deceitful world. When Hendrix plays the tune, the listener is constantly thinking about his guitar playing. His virtuosity, his prowess… There’s no time to think about a lyrical refrain!

“Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen (1975)

This song from the British-born boisterous classic rock band Queen boasts many vocal flourishes, but none of those are choruses. Lead vocalist Freddie Mercury elucidates the story of a poor young man who has just committed murder. Now he’s on the run. What will his mother think? What is his fate? And with each detail, with each stanza, we go deeper into his story. But never does Mercury return to a lyrical refrain or chorus of any kind. It’s quite the magic trick—one you don’t realize until you go back through the lyrics.

“White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane (1967)

This iconic track from Jefferson Airplane takes images and story details from the novel Alice In Wonderland. However, the song is also rooted in drug use. “Feed your head!” sings lead vocalist Grace Slick. But never does she sing any sort of chorus. It’s a song that goes straight from beat to beat without repeating swaths of language. Yet, it’s as compelling and memorable and sing-along-able as any tune from its generation. Remarkable stuff.

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