Famously "She Loves You" (The Beatles) was unusual in kicking the song off with the chorus.
Way ahead of their time, as usual.
Seriously though, it does suggest that having a "hook" early in a song was always a good idea, commercially speaking.
Way ahead of their time, as usual.
Seriously though, it does suggest that having a "hook" early in a song was always a good idea, commercially speaking.
Some of the iconic classical pieces start with a "hook" too. Or, at least, a very compelling motive.
These longer songs, like Foreplay / Long Time, have a lot more going on. More ideas. More sections. Dramatic crescendos. Extended instrumental parts. They're harder to write.
The standard verse-chorus-bridge structures are popular because it's a really damn good way to write a song.
The core of the song may only be 3 minutes, and that is what you get in radio edits. Half my bought music collection comes from when I DJd, and you can't really throw the full length songs on shuffle else you'd spend all your time listening to minute long intros and outros.
Speaking of classics for the ages, Nickelback's How You Remind Me drops the hook (and title) at about 15s.
Classic (especially 1980s?) rock seems to have lots of chorus first songs from the likes of Guns N' Roses, Cheap Trick, Journey, Stevie Nicks, Bon Jovi, Slade/Quiet Riot, David Bowie, etc.
Many rock songs start with great hooks/riffs though. I am particularly fond of 20 foot tall guitar riff hooks/intros as practiced by classic hard rock and metal bands, often by doubling the riff/hook on lead guitar and bass.
Rock bands seem to excel at intros, and even the lengthy ones can be riveting.
And some song intros are so great that they overshadow the rest of the song.
Squeeze's "Up the Junction" [1] has no chorus and lyrics ends with the title.
Hem's "Not California" [2] closes with the bridge.
An oddity that has become increasingly popular over nearly 20 years (breaking records for stream counts and singles chart tenure) is the Killers' Mr. Brightside, which only has one (repeated) verse. Which probably makes it a good singalong anthem.
It also starts with a nice (if short) guitar riff/hook.
The start of Judas Priest's "Screaming for Vengeance" album does this with "The Hellion" blending in to "Electric Eye". "Electric Eye" also has one of the greatest riff/hooks in metal starting off right at the beginning of the song.
Though I feel very bad writing ^^^. The rest of those pieces are very worth listening to. I listen more often to the first movement of the Ninth.
Is it by design? Was the composer aware that a certain part would end up being that one exceptionally popular one?
The probabiliy that a part not at the beginning is (becomes) popular is higher than for the part at the beginning, because there's more parts not at the beginning than the one at the beginning.