Examples of AABA vs Other Song Structures: 3 Standout Examples

Let’s skip the dry definitions and go straight to the songs. When we talk about examples of AABA vs other song structures: 3 examples, we’re really asking: How does a song feel and flow when it’s built around a repeating section (A) and a contrasting bridge (B), compared to a hooky chorus-based layout?

To keep things practical, we’ll walk through three anchor songs:

• A classic AABA standard
• A modern pop song that secretly leans AABA
• A big chorus-driven hit to compare against

Along the way, we’ll bring in more examples so you can hear how writers across decades play with the same basic building blocks.

Example 1: Classic AABA – “Over the Rainbow” (Judy Garland)

If you want the best examples of AABA, you go back to the Great American Songbook. One of the clearest is "Over the Rainbow", written by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg for The Wizard of Oz.

Structure-wise, it lays out like this:

• A1: “Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high…”
• A2: Repeats the same melody with new lyrics
• B: “Someday I’ll wish upon a star…” (new melody, new mood)
• A3: Return to the original melody and feeling

So AABA here literally means: verse (A) – verse (A) – bridge (B) – verse (A).

Why this is such a clean example of AABA:

• There’s no big, separate chorus. The “hook” is baked into the A section itself.
• The B section isn’t a chorus; it’s a bridge that briefly changes the emotional color.
• When the A section comes back at the end, it feels like coming home.

If you listen closely, you’ll hear how the A section is where the main melodic idea lives. That’s a common pattern in many examples of AABA vs other song structures: 3 examples we’ll look at: the A section carries the identity of the song.

Other classic AABA examples include:

• "Yesterday” – The Beatles
  Structure: A ("Yesterday…") – A – B ("Why she had to go…") – A.
  Again, no separate chorus; the title line sits inside the A.

• "Blue Moon” – Rodgers & Hart
  Same deal: the main tune returns three times, with a contrasting middle.

These songs come from an era when AABA was the default pop form. If you want to go deeper into how standards were built, the Library of Congress has excellent material on the American popular song tradition and Tin Pan Alley writing traditions: https://www.loc.gov/collections/tin-pan-alley-sheet-music/about/

Example 2: AABA flavor in a modern world – “Someone Like You” (Adele)

Now let’s jump forward. Modern pop is usually verse–pre-chorus–chorus, but you can still find examples of AABA vs other song structures where AABA is hiding in plain sight.

Take "Someone Like You” by Adele (2011). On the surface, it feels like a standard verse–chorus ballad. But listen to how the sections behave:

• A1: First verse + early hook ("Never mind, I’ll find someone like you…")
• A2: Second verse, similar melodic space and pacing
• B: Bridge ("Nothing compares, no worries or cares…") – new chords, new melody
• A3: Final return to the main idea and hook

You can map it as A (verse area) – A – B (bridge) – A (final verse/hook area) even though it’s dressed up in modern production. The emotional arc feels very AABA: the story builds in the A sections, then the bridge opens a window into a different perspective before we come back.

This is where examples of AABA vs other song structures: 3 examples get interesting. You can:

• Use AABA as the emotional blueprint,
• While still borrowing surface tricks from verse–chorus pop (like repeating a hook line).

Other semi-modern AABA-flavored examples include:

• "Bridge Over Troubled Water” – Simon & Garfunkel
  Not a strict AABA, but the early sections behave like repeated A’s with a later contrasting section.

• "She’s Always a Woman” – Billy Joel
  Mostly built around repeated verse-like A sections, with a contrasting middle that functions like a B.

Songwriters still lean on this shape because it’s perfect for storytelling ballads. AABA lets you:

• Stay inside one main musical idea (A) long enough to really develop lyrics
• Use the B section as a short emotional detour
• Then land back on the original idea with more weight

In 2024–2025, you’ll hear this kind of structure in a lot of singer-songwriter and indie-pop tracks, especially songs that prioritize narrative over a massive, shout-along chorus.

Example 3: Verse–Chorus contrast – “Bad Guy” (Billie Eilish)

To really understand examples of AABA vs other song structures, you need a clear contrast. Billie Eilish’s "Bad Guy" is a textbook verse–chorus song with a twist.

Here’s the rough layout:

• Verse (V): “White shirt now red, my bloody nose…”
• Pre-chorus: “So you’re a tough guy…”
• Chorus (C): “I’m the bad guy…”
• Repeat V – Pre – C
• Then a long, contrasting outro section ("I like when you get mad…")

This is not AABA. It’s more like V–Pre–C / V–Pre–C / Outro.

Key differences from our AABA examples of AABA vs other song structures: 3 examples:

• The chorus is the main identity of the song, not the verse-like A section.
• The song keeps circling back to that same chorus hook instead of returning to a third A in the classic sense.
• The final section is more of an extended outro than a short B bridge.

Other strong verse–chorus examples include:

• "Shape of You” – Ed Sheeran (V–Pre–C–V–Pre–C–Bridge–C)
• "Blinding Lights” – The Weeknd (V–Pre–C repeating, with a short bridge)

These modern hits lean on repetition of the chorus as the main hook. That’s the big contrast when you compare examples of AABA vs other song structures:

• In AABA, the A section is the star.
• In verse–chorus, the chorus is the star, and verses mostly set it up.

How AABA feels different from verse–chorus songs

Let’s zoom out from specific songs and talk about the listening experience. When you line up examples of AABA vs other song structures: 3 examples side by side, some patterns jump out.

1. Where the hook lives

In AABA songs like “Over the Rainbow” or “Yesterday":

• The hook is usually inside the A section.
• The title line often sits in the first or last bar of A.

In verse–chorus songs like “Bad Guy” or “Shape of You":

• The hook is almost always in the chorus.
• Verses are more conversational, with less repetition.

2. Emotional pacing

AABA tends to feel like:

• A story that builds steadily,
• Then takes a short emotional detour in B,
• Then comes back to the original mood with new meaning.

Verse–chorus tends to feel like:

• Tension in the verse,
• Release in the chorus,
• And a repeating cycle of that tension–release.

If you’re writing something intimate and story-driven, AABA can feel more natural. For big, festival-ready hooks, verse–chorus usually wins.

3. Length and streaming trends in 2024–2025

Modern streaming culture favors:

• Short intros
• Early hooks
• Clear, repeatable choruses

That’s one reason classic AABA songs are less common on today’s charts. But you still hear AABA influence in:

• Short pop tracks that skip long intros and get to the main idea fast
• Songs with a strong, repeated main section and a single contrasting middle

Organizations like Berklee College of Music have pointed out how pop structures evolve with listening habits and technology, and they often analyze verse–chorus vs older forms in their songwriting resources: https://online.berklee.edu/takenote/songwriting-101-lyric-writing-tips/

More modern examples of AABA vs other song structures

To give you more to listen to, here are additional real examples you can study and compare.

Strong AABA or AABA-like examples

• "Make You Feel My Love” – Bob Dylan / Adele cover
  Built around a repeating main section with a contrasting bridge.

• "The Long and Winding Road” – The Beatles
  Another A-centered structure with a B section that briefly steps away.

• "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” – The Shirelles / Carole King
  Often analyzed as AABA in its original form.

Clear verse–chorus examples for contrast

• "Levitating” – Dua Lipa
  Classic modern pop layout with a very hooky chorus returning multiple times.

• "Drivers License” – Olivia Rodrigo
  Verse–pre–chorus–chorus with a big emotional lift each time the chorus hits.

When you listen to these side by side with older AABA standards, you’ll start hearing structure almost instantly, the way a chef can taste ingredients.

If you’re interested in how the brain processes repetition and structure in music, the National Institutes of Health has research on music and cognition that’s worth exploring: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5618809/

How to steal the best parts of AABA for your own songs

You don’t have to choose only AABA or only verse–chorus. Many of the smartest modern writers mix the two. When you study examples of AABA vs other song structures: 3 examples, you can borrow specific tricks:

• Turn your verse into an A section that’s strong enough to be the main hook.
  Think “Yesterday” – the verse itself is unforgettable.

• Use a short B section instead of a long bridge.
  Two lines, new chords, new angle, then right back to A.

• Let the title appear in A and in a chorus-like refrain.
  This hybrid approach shows up in plenty of singer-songwriter tracks in the 2020s.

A simple writing exercise:

• Write an A section that feels like it could stand alone as a full song idea.
• Repeat it with new lyrics (A2).
• Write a contrasting B section that changes the harmony and lyrical perspective.
• Return to A (A3), maybe with a twist in the last line.

Then, if you miss having a chorus, you can always turn the last line of A into a repeated refrain that functions like a chorus inside the A.

For more structured learning, many university music programs share open materials on song form and analysis. MIT’s OpenCourseWare, for instance, includes music and composition content that can help you think more analytically about structure: https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/music-and-theater-arts/

FAQ: examples, structures, and picking the right form

What are some famous examples of AABA songs I should study?

Some of the best examples of AABA are “Over the Rainbow,” “Yesterday,” “Blue Moon,” “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow,” and “Make You Feel My Love.” These real examples show how the A section carries the main melodic idea, while the B section offers a short contrast.

Can you give an example of a modern song that feels AABA but isn’t labeled that way?

“Someone Like You” by Adele is a strong example of a modern track with AABA flavor. The repeated verse-like sections act as A, the bridge functions as B, and the final return to the main idea brings back the emotional core, even though it’s often described as verse–chorus.

Why are there more verse–chorus songs on today’s charts than AABA songs?

Streaming, short attention spans, and playlist culture favor songs that get to a big, repeatable chorus fast. That’s why many examples of AABA vs other song structures come from older eras or from modern ballads and singer-songwriter genres rather than mainstream dance-pop.

Should beginners start with AABA or verse–chorus?

If you’re a beginner, verse–chorus might feel more straightforward because you’ve heard it everywhere. But AABA is a fantastic training ground for melody and lyric craft. Studying examples of AABA vs other song structures: 3 examples will give you a sense of how to build tension and release without relying only on a big chorus.

Can I mix AABA with a chorus in one song?

Absolutely. Many writers use an AABA backbone but add a short refrain or mini-chorus at the end of each A section. That hybrid approach lets you keep the storytelling power of AABA while still giving listeners a clear, repeatable hook.

When you listen with structure in mind—using these examples of AABA vs other song structures: 3 examples as a guide—you start hearing songs differently. You’ll notice where the writer chose to repeat, where they chose to contrast, and where they chose to surprise you. That awareness is your first real step from casual listener to deliberate songwriter.