3 Classic Rock Bridges You Should Hear Now

Many songwriters will tell you that a good bridge is hard to write. Think of the bridge as the connective tissue between a song’s major parts, the verse and chorus. It can either be instrumental or contain vocals. Bridges often feature key changes, which give additional lift to the song’s middle section. A writer may want the drama of a hard scene change, but doing so without losing the track’s momentum.

In the 1960s, rock musicians expanded the length of songs, hoping to move beyond the limits of radio singles. This led to giving more attention to albums over singles, as rock music veered into more ambitious territory. In the spirit of expanding the geography of songs, here are three of the finest classic rock bridges that may inspire you to construct your own.

“Baba O’Riley” by The Who

Few bridges in rock history are the thing you look forward to the most in a song. But here, Pete Townshend’s empowering anthem reaches its emotional peak when the guitarist sings, “Don’t cry, don’t raise your eye. It’s only teenage wasteland.” It’s so powerful that many listeners mistakenly think the song is called “Teenage Wasteland”, which, admittedly, is an amazing title.

“A Day In The Life” by The Beatles

It’s no surprise that one of the greatest songs ever composed also features one of rock’s great bridges. Paul McCartney interrupts John Lennon’s gloomy verses with an optimistic break leading to a dream. A climbing and dissonant orchestra connects McCartney’s bridge to Lennon’s verse. Meanwhile, in McCartney’s dream, Lennon’s voice appears as if it’s beaming in from another dimension. On one track, we hear a distillation of both writers’ contrasting styles.

“Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys

This pocket symphony was Brian Wilson’s attempt to match the emotional heights of Phil Spector’s productions, specifically “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” by The Righteous Brothers. With “Good Vibrations”, Wilson had transformed the pop song into art. He also bent the recording studio to his will and set new standards for recorded music. The arrangement is beautifully stitched together, which gives the bridge added drama against the high voices and echoes of Mozart’s sonatas.

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