Songwriting·3:30 read
How Do You Know If Your Chorus Is Strong Enough?
The short answer
Your chorus is strong enough when someone hears the song once and can tell you which part was the chorus, sing a piece of it back, and would know what words to type to find it again. If people have to ask what the chorus was, it isn't finished yet.
In this article
I’ve listened to a lot of songs from up-and-coming songwriters. And there’s one comment I end up making more than any other.
“Hmm. What was the chorus?”
It’s not a trick question. They spent weeks on the song, the verses are good, the production might be great. But after one listen I honestly can’t point to the part I’m supposed to remember.
That’s a problem, because the chorus is the part that sells the song.
Why the chorus carries the whole song
People don’t remember verses. They remember the chorus. The words from your chorus are what they’ll type into a streaming service or YouTube when they want to hear your song again.
Think about that for a second. Your chorus is the search term.
If it’s forgettable, nobody can find the song, and the song gets forgotten. A weak chorus sinks everything around it.
Four tests I use on every chorus
You don’t need a label or a producer to check this. You need a few honest listeners and some nerve.
1. The “what was the chorus?” test
Play the song for someone who’s never heard it. Don’t tell them anything. When it ends, ask them which part was the chorus.
If they hesitate, or point to the wrong section, you’ve got work to do. The chorus should be so obvious that they’re already singing it in their head before the song ends.
2. The sing-back test
Ask the same person to sing, hum or say any piece of the chorus back to you. Even one line counts.
One listen is a tough bar, so try again after a second play. If nothing sticks after two, the chorus isn’t sticky enough yet.
3. The search bar test
Look at your chorus and ask yourself: if someone heard this in a store and wanted to find it later, what words would they type?
If you can’t answer that quickly, neither can they. The phrase people would search for should be sitting right there in your chorus, and it should be easy to catch.
4. The stand-out test
Play the verse and then the chorus back to back. Does the chorus feel like a moment? Does the energy lift, does it hit harder, does it feel like the part the whole song was building to?
If the chorus sounds like a third verse, listeners won’t know it’s the part to hold on to.
Spend most of your time here
Here’s the habit that changed things for me. I spend way more time on the chorus than on anything else in the song. I’ll agonize over it. I make sure the chorus is right before I touch any other part, because it’s the part with the most impact.
That’s also why I write it first. When the chorus is the destination, the verses only have to lead there. (Here’s the full reasoning on writing the chorus first.)
Not every song you write this way will be a hit. Mine aren’t either. But practicing this on every song is how you build the habit, so when the really good idea shows up, you know exactly how to finish it.
Run your current song through these four tests tonight. Whichever one it fails, that’s where you start.
Frequently asked questions
What makes a chorus memorable?
It stands out clearly from the rest of the song, it's simple enough to repeat after one or two listens, and it carries the main idea of the song in a few words. If a listener can sing it back without trying, it's doing its job.
Why does a weak chorus hurt the whole song?
Because the chorus is what people remember. The words from your chorus are what they'll type into a streaming service or YouTube to find the song again. If the chorus is forgettable, the song gets forgotten with it.
How can I test my chorus without a producer or a label?
Play it for a few people who've never heard it, then ask them which part was the chorus and whether they can sing any of it back. Their answers tell you more than any amount of re-listening on your own.
Should I keep rewriting my chorus or move on?
Keep working on it until it passes the tests in this article. Spend more time on the chorus than on any other part of the song. Once it's solid, the rest of the song gets much easier to write.