Songs with good/bad bridges

RefD · Post by **RefD** » Thu May 15, 2008 8:05 pm

there's heaps of great songs out there with the simplest structures.

no need to graft on a bridge or coda or extra chorus/refrain if it's not gonna help the song.

but i'm still a fan of good bridges and (especially lately) codas...tho some ppl seem to use a coda as an excuse to tack an unrelated musical idea onto a song, which to me is kinda like surgically implanting a sightless eye into your armpit.

percussion boy · Post by **percussion boy** » Fri May 16, 2008 12:43 am

Tatertot wrote:"If you don't know me by now": great classic song, no bridge, no need for one.

+999

Not to mention that the verse isn't all that radically different from the chorus.

Where do melodies like that come from? Where do singers like that come from? Even the strings are right on.

;ivlunsdystf · Post by **;ivlunsdystf** » Thu May 22, 2008 8:11 am

Hey percussionboy: I have just started reading "Tunesmith" by Jimmy Webb after seeing your mention of it ... that is an AWESOME book so far - I cannot set it down, actually ... thanks for steering me to that book!

percussion boy · Post by **percussion boy** » Thu May 22, 2008 8:13 pm

Yeah -- Some real helpful stuff, plus it's fun to read.

Glad you're enjoying it.

JoshT · Post by **JoshT** » Wed May 28, 2008 7:52 pm

As soon as I saw this thread the first thing that popped into my mind was The Police, "Every Breath You Take." I'm not a huge Police fan and really don't like that song very much, but that bridge is great.

Gebo · Post by **Gebo** » Fri May 30, 2008 10:56 am

Only the Pretenders should modulate up a whole tone in every song. Nobody else can pull it off.

The Ramones do this a lot. Its awesome.

Zoltar · Post by **Zoltar** » Tue Jun 03, 2008 5:52 am

I like this topic. One bridge I always hated was 'the good in everyone' - Sloan. perhaps it is more intro/outro, but I think it sounds forced.

I do like the bridges of the skate rock scene, like Seaweed, Pennywise, green day, although usually formulaic.

Styx - come sail away. Oh yeah!

Smashing Pumpkins - lots on Gish and Siamese Dream, especially the heavier songs. Corgan would describe "resetting the song" which is taking the bridge to a new high/low. ok, a few choice examples - Siva, I am one, Geek USA.

Perhaps stretching the term, but the extenda-bridge in 'Right in Two' by Tool is crazy good.

curtiswyant · Post by **curtiswyant** » Tue Jun 03, 2008 6:19 am

I really like the bridges in Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get it On" and Weezer's "Buddy Holly."

kdarr · Post by **kdarr** » Tue Jun 03, 2008 5:05 pm

Originally hailing from a metal/hardcore background, sometimes I still jokingly refer to ANY bridge in ANY song as "the mosh part."

[<|>]

leigh · Post by **leigh** » Tue Jun 03, 2008 11:22 pm

It took me a while, but I finally stumbled upon one of my least favorite bridges of all time: Guns n' Roses "My Michelle".

The verse and chorus are very different (chorus is double-time from the verse), but they work together well. The bridge, on the other hand, sounds completely tacked on and crappy.

And for those here without the same sense of what constitutes a "bridge" section, I'm talking about the 8 bars that start with "everyone needs love....".

;ivlunsdystf · Post by **;ivlunsdystf** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 8:15 am

OK: "My Sharona" (the Knack) has the absolute WORST bridge I've ever heard. It came around on the radio last night. Holy cow. It leaves the hooks behind altogether and goes into new changes and rocks out for like a minute and half, and there is a total wank-off guitar solo. It has absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the song ... and then the song just starts up again right where it left off, as soon as the guitar solo has reached the inevitable searing climax.

I think mainstream FM has traditionally cut out the 'bridge'/wank-off section altogether, as I don't remember ever hearing it before.

Rex Reason · Post by **Rex Reason** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 2:34 am

Say what you want about the guy but I've always thought that Billy Joel wrote great bridges.

I think of: My Life, Still Rock & Roll to Me, Pressure, Don't Ask Me Why, New York State of Mind, Allentown, Only the Good Die Young...

...this guy's got a million of 'em.

Snarl 12/8 · Post by **Snarl 12/8** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 3:15 am

I love the bridge on "Aids and Armageddon" by Fishbone. It's deliciously creepy and totally groovin' at the same time. I love the way they build the tune back up out of a bridge.

sears · Post by **sears** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 5:08 am

Ultravox: The Collection has wall-to-wall great bridges. That's what they did well. I don't really like Midge Ure's voice (doesn't he sing for Muse now?) but still listen to that album for the beautiful bridges. Sleepwalk and Vienna for starters, obviously.

lyman · Post by **lyman** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 5:55 am

"boys don't cry" has a great, concise, bridge section. it flows well and is the right length for that song.

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