Top 10 Rock and Metal Songs with the Best Bridges
Bridge is a music term that describes a song section where music (melody and rhythm) is different from the verse and the chorus (and the pre-chorus if the song has one).Bridge is a unique song section that appears only once in a song - most often in the last third of the song or somewhere in the middle (but not always). Bridges create a contrasting feel and, in my opinion, they make songs more interesting because they break up the repetitive "verse-chorus" song structure. Bridges are also used to prepare the listener for the climax of the song but sometimes the bridges are the culmination.
There are different types of bridges - one of the most common types is the so called "middle eight" (because it's in the middle of the song and the length is generally eight bars).
A bridge may be a "transition", "interlude", etc.
Here I use the term "bridge" as an umbrella term for all bits of music that are unique in a song and appear only once but "bridge" can be used in a narrow sense as well.
Bridges can be instumental or not, long or short, but this is the part of the song that creates a contrast to the previously played and after the bridge the song usually returnes to the chorus (can be the main riff) but not always. Sometimes, the bridge is followed by an instrumental solo (in metal it's usually a guitar solo).
Not to be confused with pre-choruses that happen between the verse and the chorus (pre-choruses appear more than once, before every chorus).
The bridge was the best part of the song. Robert Plant's high-pitched screaming voice, Jimmy Page's multi-tracked guitar with a power chord riffs, Bonham's heavy drumming. Plus the lyrics here twisted the minds of listeners, what verse tried to say.
I am not a big fan of pop rock but I put this song very high for 2 reasons:
1) the bridge is considered one of the best ever and I like it, too (it's the spoken section starting with "Father, forgive me, I tried not to do it..."). It's a very contrasting and emotional bridge - the culmination of the song.
2) it's a softer song so even people who don't like heavy music can check out the bridge (because most of the songs in my top 10 are metal songs, haha)
Incredible metal song and its bridge is so powerful, exploding and emotional. It's a short bridge at 1:40, between the slow first part of the song (intro part) and the 2nd part that is faster and heavier. Music to this short section appears only once in this song. The bridge suddenly changes the music pattern to prepare us for the 2nd part.
The bridge here is like a "transition" and is with these lines:
"The blood is the life, and Christ I defy
My sworn enemy...birth of a new creed."
This really deserves at least in the top 10.
It's at 3:05-3:30, right after the solo and starts with these lines: "We have the power make our lives what they..."
After the bridge, the chorus returns and the song prepares to end. I think that in this song the bridge is the culmination.
Yes, Jon Schaffer obviously loves bridges when writes music and he's definitely good at that.
This bridge is short but efficient - it's at 1:25-1:45 (the section when Halford screams "You don't know what it's like! "). After the bridge, the main riff returns.
