What Makes a Great Rock Song?

What Does Make a Great Rock Song?

Rock music has captivated audiences for decades, offering unparalleled energy and emotion. Some rock tracks transcend era and genre and have become renowned staples of pop culture. Who can stop themselves tapping their feet when “Living on a Prayer” kicks in or when the first riff of “Sweet Child ‘O Mine” is heard on the radio?

They’re great rock songs, but what separates a good rock song from a great one? While personal tastes may vary, several key elements consistently make certain rock songs stand out. In this article, we will explore the crucial components that contribute to the greatness of a rock song.

Structure

A well-structured rock song often follows a tried-and-true formula, typically consisting of verses, choruses, and possibly bridges or pre-choruses. Songwriter Max Martin uses these elements to induce a sense of familiarity in a listener, and great rock songs also manipulate them to good effect. It’s the creative use and arrangement of these sections that can make a rock song truly great. Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven,” which masterfully builds from a delicate acoustic introduction to a thunderous crescendo, is a fine example of a structure being used to great effect. Modern rock songs can play with the structure, such as “When We Were Young” by the Killers, which opens with the intro, great for filling a dancefloor.

Lyrics

Lyrics are just as important as the music. Songs are created to convey a message to elicit an emotion in the listener. That can be through the tune but is often through the lyrics. Great rock lyrics can resonate with listeners, tell compelling stories, or evoke powerful emotions. For instance, Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” uses poetic and introspective lyrics to capture the disillusionment and rebellion of the 1960s, making it one of the most iconic rock songs of all time. Sometimes, misunderstood lyrics can help create a genuinely great rock song. “Born in the USA” by Bruce Springsteen is often used as a patriotic anthem by Americans but is a staunch anti-war song.

Chorus

The chorus is the focal point of a rock song, the part that listeners eagerly anticipate and sing along to. A memorable chorus often features a catchy melody and simple, relatable lyrics that stick in the listener’s mind. It can be explosive, adding the ‘rock’ to a rock song, and if it gets in a listener’s head, it can help to make the song a classic. Blink 182, a pop punk rock band, managed this with “All The Small Things”, a catchy tune and easily remembered lyric that is repeated multiple times throughout the song – it even helped elevate the band to superstardom. Nirvana were also the masters of a chorus, from the nonsense of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” to the strained cries of “Lithium”.

Dynamics

Some rock songs we’ve mentioned, such as “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, manage to rock out by going slow. The verse can be broody, slow and heavy, with an explosive chorus that gives the listener a shot of adrenalin. That’s something even budding amateur songwriters can consider – Bacon James Music explains how switching dynamics ensures interest in a song, allowing the performer to go somewhere as if the song was a journey. The Pixies track “Debaser” is a great example of what James means, messing with dynamics through a loud verse with a more melodic chorus, all against a backdrop of Black Francis’s strained vocals contrasting the upbeat riff. It’s a masterpiece.

Solo Section

A blistering guitar solo has become a defining characteristic of many great rock songs, and it showcases the talents of individuals whose performances are often part of a wider ensemble. The solo section allows the guitarist to showcase their technical prowess and inject a burst of emotion into the song, and one man does them better than most. Guns N’ Roses “November Rain” is the perfect example of what Slash can do. His iconic guitar solo builds tension and adds a climactic moment to the song, as he does at the start of “Sweet Child ‘O Mine” and during “Don’t Cry”. Guns ‘N Roses are one of the most revered rock bands of all time, as much for Slash’s guitars as Axl’s vocals.

Conclusion

Creating a great rock song requires a combination of several essential elements, but in the end, the greatness of a rock song lies not only in the skill and talent of the musicians but also in their ability to connect with listeners on a deep and emotional level. It’s the ability to evoke strong emotions, provide an escape, or simply make us want to turn up the volume and rock out.

 

Written exclusively for totalrock.com by JB Thompson