00:00 [Music]
00:06 Welcome to Ms. Mojo!
00:07 And today, we're counting down our picks for the most emotional, impactful, or memorable choruses and refrains in popular music.
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00:21 Number 10. Hello, Adele
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00:29 For the album 25, Adele reclaimed the charts with songs like "Hello".
00:33 This ballad sounds much more complex than the typical pop single.
00:37 Adele digs into the past, exploring the nature of relationships gone bad.
00:42 She also crafts a chorus that's an emotional attempt to reconnect.
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00:51 Adele's incredible voice anchors the beautiful words, drawing in listeners with her soaring high notes.
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01:04 The haunting refrain ultimately combines all of the performer's greatest vocal and writing abilities together.
01:10 In one of her best works, she focuses on a problem that we can all relate to in some way.
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01:22 Number 9. Lose Yourself, Eminem
01:24 [Music]
01:30 For this Oscar-winning hit, the rapper pulls out all the stops for a generational anthem.
01:36 This brilliant song perfectly fits the movie 8 Mile and speaks to his career as an artist.
01:41 Eminem creates a chorus that's hugely inspirational, bringing together listeners of all backgrounds to enjoy it.
01:48 [Music]
01:53 He teaches a lesson that you can achieve anything if you completely dedicate yourself to a goal.
01:58 [Music]
02:04 Combining rap and rock influences, this engaging single has a burning intensity at its core.
02:09 The performer's positive words still carry power to this day.
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02:19 Number 8. What's Going On, Marvin Gaye
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02:29 In one of his many masterpieces, Marvin Gaye laid out a memorable statement about the world in 1971.
02:36 What's going on is a deeply moving look at problems in society and the hope that humanity can overcome them.
02:43 [Music]
02:46 The chorus funnels all of Gaye's emotions into a profound question.
02:51 Delving into topics such as the Vietnam War, this artist is at the top of his game with these poetic lyrics.
02:57 They also get to the heart of issues that remain timeless to this day.
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03:07 It's all done with musical excellence, including some of the singer's best vocals ever.
03:12 This hook packs so much heart into one line that you couldn't forget it if you tried.
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03:24 Number 7. Born to Run, Bruce Springsteen
03:27 [Music]
03:33 This track is one of Bruce Springsteen's most famous songs for a reason.
03:37 From the album of the same name, Born to Run covers all of the artist's bases in a story about life, ambition, and love.
03:45 [Music]
03:50 The chorus features the singer's trademark vocals in an emotional growl that's unmistakable.
03:56 You'll wish you could run away with Springsteen too after hearing this track.
04:00 Inspiring listeners for decades, the songwriter sets up a nostalgic ride about breaking free.
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04:12 It also helps when you have incredible musicians bursting through the speakers.
04:16 Every aspect of this piece elevates your mood, but the chorus in particular will have you jumping out of your seat.
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04:30 Number 6. Titanium, David Guetta featuring Sia
04:34 [Music]
04:40 While she'd been a musician for many years, Sia became a household name thanks to her work in the 2010s.
04:47 This includes the popular track Titanium with producer David Guetta at the helm.
04:51 [Music]
04:57 Singing about strength in the face of adversity, the vocalist lights up this single with a fantastic performance.
05:04 The words in the chorus cut even deeper with the singer's powerful voice carrying them into the clouds.
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05:17 With Sia's voice, Guetta creates something that's both entertaining and inspirational all at once.
05:23 The lyrics also give strength to anybody struggling to overcome their fears.
05:27 They have a magical quality to them, inevitably giving audiences goosebumps by the end.
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05:39 Number 5. Hurt, Johnny Cash
05:42 [Music]
05:46 Nobody expected Johnny Cash to cover a Nine Inch Nails song,
05:50 and even fewer thought it would be among his most emotional recordings.
05:54 During his final years, the artist took a dark tale from Trent Reznor and turned it into a moving testimony about life.
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06:08 The questions in the chorus manage to encapsulate experience better than any memoir could.
06:13 It's not for the faint of heart either, delving into difficult topics that are especially painful coming from a legend.
06:20 The country star musters up all of his energy to let out grief, sadness, and rage.
06:25 Through it all, it's hard not to tear up during this chorus.
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06:33 Number 4. I Will Always Love You, Whitney Houston
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06:44 Dolly Parton wrote and originally performed this classic track, and then Whitney Houston made it even more iconic.
06:50 This is immediately clear when you hear the latter sing the dramatic chorus.
06:54 [Music]
07:01 Not only does Houston unleash a perfect vocal,
07:04 she even offers up a key change that ranks up there with her finest work.
07:09 Her performance is so amazing here that it's virtually impossible to copy.
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07:21 Using Parton's brilliant lyrics about love, the vocalist really sells the dramatic nature of the composition.
07:28 She completely reinvents this chorus for a new generation with a series of incredible high notes.
07:34 Number 3. Stairway to Heaven, Led Zeppelin
07:38 [Music]
07:44 In a world of classic rock, this opus stands supreme.
07:48 It builds powerfully like other songs on this list, without the use of a singular chorus,
07:54 allowing the four-piece to really show their strengths.
07:57 [Music]
08:04 Robert Plant's mesmerizing poetry has become part of music history.
08:08 It also speaks to the power of the writing that such a heavy band can excel in quiet moments.
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08:18 Plant's vocals hover over the delicate arrangement, reminding all of us that he can sing and scream in equal measure.
08:25 His hypnotic repeated moans and wonders together with Jimmy Page's guitar never fail to make us stop and wonder.
08:32 Even if you think this hit has been overplayed, you can't deny its power.
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08:44 Number 2. Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen
08:47 [Music]
08:54 This iconic track from A Night at the Opera showcases Freddie Mercury's peerless talent as a songwriter.
09:00 While it includes many diverse parts and again, no official chorus as such,
09:05 the heart of the song begins when the singer sits down at the piano.
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09:15 It's here that Mercury lays out a main chorus of sorts, revealing the narrator's crimes and regrets.
09:20 The writer only needs a short time to explore the depths of a broken man.
09:25 This hit eventually affectingly wraps around to that piano part again.
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09:36 There are few lyrics that can build you up and break you down quite like this one can.
09:41 And the refrain about nothing really matters sends the tune out on a powerful note.
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09:49 Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
09:53 Baba O'Reilly, The Who
09:55 An iconic chorus that's become a classic rock staple.
09:59 [Music]
10:05 Somebody That I Used To Know, Goethe featuring Kimbra
10:09 An emotional chorus that lays it all out there.
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10:16 Go Your Own Way, Fleetwood Mac
10:18 This breakup song's blunt chorus doesn't mince words.
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10:28 Lithium, Nirvana
10:30 Kurt Cobain musters up a primal scream in a grunge landmark.
10:34 [Music]
10:41 Iris, Google Dolls
10:43 This nuanced love song finds a way to express difficult feelings.
10:47 [Music]
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11:06 Number 1, Let It Be, The Beatles
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11:17 The title track of this group's final album has of course become legendary.
11:21 As a piano ballad, the song features some of Paul McCartney's best writing.
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11:30 The chorus in particular still stirs up emotions after all these decades.
11:35 Some hear it as a religious anthem, but McCartney's lyrics actually point to a dream where his mother appeared to him.
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11:48 This knowledge makes the hook even more compelling with its personal narrative.
11:52 It's also easy to sing along to, making this pop tune a modern musical standard.
11:57 The emotional center of this piece captures and enraptures listeners, keeping them mesmerized until the end.
12:04 Add in the iconic phrase "Let it be" and you have a refrain that's simply powerful.
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12:14 Did we forget another stirring chorus? Let us know in the comments below.
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12:23 Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo.
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