The Best Examples of AABA Format Breakdown: 3 Song Case Studies

Before we talk theory, let’s go straight to the songs. When people ask for examples of AABA format breakdown: 3 examples, I like to start with three very different tracks:

• A jazz standard from the Great American Songbook era
• A 60s pop classic
• A rock ballad that feels verse–chorus, but is really AABA

We’ll unpack each one, then look at more examples so you can recognize the pattern in any style.

Example of AABA format #1: “Over the Rainbow” – Judy Garland

If you want a textbook example of AABA format, “Over the Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz is hard to beat. It’s one of the best examples because you can clearly hear each section.

Think of AABA as:

• A section: main theme or “verse-like” idea
• A section: repeat, often with new lyrics
• B section: contrasting “bridge” or “middle eight”
• A section: return to the original idea

Now listen to “Over the Rainbow” with that in mind.

A section 1 – “Somewhere over the rainbow…”

The first A section begins with:

“Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high…”

Musically, this section introduces the main melody and the emotional core of the song. Lyrically, it sets up the dream of a better place. This A section is about 8 bars long—classic for AABA.

A section 2 – “Someday I’ll wish upon a star…”

The second A feels familiar because it’s basically the same melody and chord progression with new lyrics:

“Someday I’ll wish upon a star, and wake up where the clouds are far behind me…”

Same musical idea, slightly developed. This is what makes AABA feel so strong and memorable: you get repetition without it being boring.

B section – “Somewhere over the rainbow, bluebirds fly…”

Now we hit the B section—the contrast.

“Somewhere over the rainbow, bluebirds fly…”

You’ll hear a change in harmony, range, and emotional color. This “bridge” feels like a lift, a departure from the main idea. In classic AABA, this B is also about 8 bars.

Final A section – “If happy little bluebirds fly…”

The last A brings us home:

“If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow, why, oh why can’t I?”

We’re back to the original musical idea, but now it carries the emotional weight of everything that came before it. That’s the power of AABA: three returns to the same musical idea, each time with more context.

If you want to go deeper into this era of songwriting, Berklee College of Music has a helpful overview of song forms and standard structures in their online resources: https://online.berklee.edu/takenote/songwriting-101-lyric-and-song-structure-basics/

Example of AABA format #2: “Yesterday” – The Beatles

The Beatles gave us several examples of AABA format breakdown, and “Yesterday” is one of the clearest and best examples. Even though many listeners think of it as a ballad with a chorus, it’s actually AABA.

Try mapping it out like this:

• A1: “Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away…”
• A2: “Suddenly, I’m not half the man I used to be…”
• B: “Why she had to go, I don’t know, she wouldn’t say…”
• A3: “Yesterday, love was such an easy game to play…”

A sections – variations on the same idea

The A sections share the same melodic contour and chord movement, but Paul McCartney varies the lyrics and phrasing just enough to keep it interesting. This is a pattern you’ll see repeated in many examples of AABA format breakdown: the A sections are siblings, not clones.

In “Yesterday,” the A sections are reflective, gentle, and tightly focused on the theme of loss and regret. You can almost think of each A as another angle on the same memory.

B section – the emotional pivot

The B section starts with:

“Why she had to go, I don’t know, she wouldn’t say…”

Here, the harmony shifts and the melody climbs a bit more, creating a sense of tension and questioning. This is the emotional pivot point of the song—the moment of confusion and pain. Then, returning to the final A section feels like sinking back into the memory.

If you’re studying examples of AABA format breakdown: 3 examples for your own writing, pay attention to how “Yesterday” uses the B section as a spotlight on the emotional problem, then returns to the familiar A as a kind of resigned acceptance.

Example of AABA format #3: “Something” – The Beatles

Let’s stay with The Beatles for one more example of AABA format that’s a bit sneaky: “Something” by George Harrison.

On first listen, you might think this is verse–chorus because it has a big, singable hook. But structurally, the core of the song is AABA.

Try hearing it like this:

• A1: “Something in the way she moves…”
• A2: “Somewhere in her smile she knows…”
• B: “You’re asking me will my love grow…”
• A3: “Something in the way she knows…”

A sections – the central love theme

The A sections all center around the “something in the way…” idea. They share the same harmonic foundation and melodic shape, but the lyrics evolve the story of the relationship.

These A sections are a great example of how you can keep an AABA song from feeling repetitive: change the lyrical details and emotional angle each time you return to A.

B section – questioning and uncertainty

The B section begins with:

“You’re asking me will my love grow, I don’t know, I don’t know…”

Harmonically, it moves away from the home base, and lyrically it shifts from confident admiration to uncertainty. This contrast is exactly what makes the B section so valuable in AABA songs.

When you’re collecting examples of AABA format breakdown: 3 examples for your songwriting toolbox, “Something” teaches you that the structure doesn’t have to sound old-fashioned. You can wrap AABA in lush production and modern arrangements, and it still works.

More real examples: AABA songs across genres

Three songs are a great start, but if you want to internalize the sound of AABA, you’ll want more real examples. Here are several widely studied songs that examples include when people talk about AABA in music education:

• “Blue Moon” – Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart
• “I Got Rhythm” – George Gershwin
• “Body and Soul” – Johnny Green
• “All of Me” – Gerald Marks & Seymour Simons
• “Make You Feel My Love” – Bob Dylan (and later Adele’s version)
• “Someone to Watch Over Me” – George and Ira Gershwin

Jazz educators and music schools often use these as the best examples of AABA form because the 32-bar AABA pattern is so clear. If you’re curious, many university music departments (for instance, the University of Indiana’s Jacobs School of Music) provide public-facing materials explaining AABA and other standard song forms in jazz and popular music.

Modern pop doesn’t use pure AABA as often as the 1940s–1960s did, but you still see AABA-inspired structures show up in:

• Singer-songwriter ballads that feel like one long verse with a bridge
• Musical theater songs (especially in shows that nod to classic Broadway)
• Jazz-influenced pop and R&B

Even when writers don’t stick to a strict 32-bar layout, they borrow the AABA logic: repeat a central idea, step away with a contrasting bridge, then return.

How to hear the A and B sections in these examples

When you’re working through examples of AABA format breakdown: 3 examples or more, here’s a simple listening routine you can use:

Listen to the song and ask yourself:

• Where does the main musical idea first appear? That’s usually your first A.
• When does that idea come back with mostly the same melody and chords, but maybe new lyrics? That’s another A.
• Where does the song suddenly feel different—new chords, new melodic shape, a change in energy? That’s probably the B.
• After that contrast, does the song return to the original idea? That’s your final A.

If you map out “Over the Rainbow,” “Yesterday,” and “Something” this way, you’ll start to recognize the shape almost instantly in other tracks.

This kind of structural listening is very similar to how music theory and ear-training classes teach form. Many college-level music theory resources (such as open course materials from MIT or Harvard) emphasize form analysis as a way to understand why certain songs feel so satisfying.

Why writers still use AABA in 2024–2025

Even though the modern charts are dominated by verse–pre-chorus–chorus, AABA hasn’t disappeared. It’s just wearing different clothing.

In 2024 and 2025, you’ll still see AABA patterns or near-AABA hybrids in:

• Intimate, acoustic pop songs that avoid a big, shouty chorus
• Jazz and neo-soul projects that reference classic standards
• Film and TV music that wants a timeless, “old Hollywood” or Broadway flavor
• Musical theater songs that need a clear emotional arc

Streaming-era songwriters also like AABA because it can keep a song under three minutes while still feeling complete. You get repetition (good for memorability and streams) without a chorus that has to land over and over.

If you’re looking for real examples of how AABA logic shows up in newer music, listen for songs that:

• Have one strong, repeating section that keeps coming back
• Use a single contrasting “bridge” section only once
• End by returning to the original idea instead of a giant final chorus

You might find that some of your favorite ballads are secretly AABA-based, even if they’ve been tweaked to fit modern production trends.

Using these examples of AABA format breakdown in your own writing

Studying examples of AABA format breakdown: 3 examples is great, but the real payoff comes when you start writing with the form yourself. Here’s a step-by-step way to try it, inspired by the songs we’ve covered.

Step 1: Write your A section first

Think of the A section as your song’s “home base.” It should:

• Contain your main melodic hook
• Establish the core emotion or situation
• Be short enough to repeat (often 8 bars, but you can adapt)

Use “Yesterday” and “Over the Rainbow” as guides. Their A sections are strong enough that you don’t miss a traditional chorus.

Step 2: Create a second A that evolves the story

Your second A should feel familiar but not copy-pasted. Change the lyrics to move the story forward, like “Suddenly…” in “Yesterday” or “Someday I’ll wish upon a star…” in “Over the Rainbow.”

This is where many of the best examples of AABA shine: each A reveals a new emotional angle.

Step 3: Build a contrasting B section

The B section is your chance to:

• Change the harmony
• Shift the melodic range
• Ask a question or introduce conflict

Think of the B in “Something” (“You’re asking me will my love grow…”) or “Yesterday” (“Why she had to go, I don’t know…”). Both B sections raise questions that the final A has to live with.

Step 4: Return to A with more meaning

The final A should feel like coming home after a long conversation. The music is the same, but the listener hears it differently because of the B section.

If you want to write in a style closer to jazz standards, you can even model your bar counts on classic 32-bar forms, like those taught in jazz theory courses at schools such as Berklee or Juilliard.

FAQ: common questions about AABA with real examples

What are some famous examples of AABA songs?

Famous examples of AABA songs include “Over the Rainbow,” “Yesterday,” “Something,” “Blue Moon,” “I Got Rhythm,” and “All of Me.” These are often cited in music education because their A and B sections are clearly defined and easy to hear.

How is AABA different from verse–chorus form?

In AABA, the A section carries the main hook and keeps returning, while the B section appears once as a contrast. There usually isn’t a separate, repeating chorus. In verse–chorus songs, the chorus is the main hook and comes back after each verse.

Can I mix AABA with modern pop structures?

Absolutely. Many songwriters write something that’s mostly AABA, then add a short hook or “refrain” at the end of each A. Others add a final, extended tag after the last A. These hybrids still feel like AABA at their core, but they sit comfortably next to current pop productions.

Are there any resources that analyze more examples of AABA format?

Yes. Music schools and theory programs often publish open materials on song form. You can find helpful explanations and historical context from institutions like Berklee College of Music or open course materials from universities such as MIT and Harvard. These often break down standards and show why AABA became so common in early 20th-century American music.

If you work through these examples of AABA format breakdown: 3 examples—“Over the Rainbow,” “Yesterday,” and “Something”—and then explore the additional songs listed, you’ll start to hear AABA everywhere. Once that happens, using the form in your own writing stops being mysterious and starts feeling like another reliable tool in your songwriting kit.