Best Bridge in a Rock/Pop Song

[Bassnkeys]

Where the bridge is often referred to as a "song within a song" — I'm going to share my opinion that the bridge in Fleetwood Mac's, "Gypsy" is the best example of a creative bridge possibly ever written. I like the bridge (1:44 into song) better than the rest of the tune (and love Stevie Nicks' songwriting in general).

Any others that come to mind in the same league? What say you?

 

[ElectroVibe]

Two of Us, the Beatles. Just the first one that came to mind, but I always liked it.

 

[jerry]

Sheryl Crow writes really good bridges, one of my favorites is My Favorite Mistake.

 

[Killing Floor]

Let's Go!

 

[FilterFunk]

Even though James Brown wasn't rock or pop, I believe his music was popular enough to be included in this thread.

James was the king of the funky bridge, but the one that stands out most for me is the bridge in "Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothing" (starts at 2:36). It takes the song to a whole other place.


I've always liked the bridge in "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" (1975 version; bridge starts at 1:23)

 

[Michedelic]

Let's Go!

Really? First, there is that arpeggiated guitar bit that just goes over the same chords as the build-up to the chorus hook. Then the rest of the middle; I thought it was awkward, just grafted on with no continuity from the rest of the song(which was a re-write of the Spencer Davis Group's "Gimme Some Lovin'" in the first place). No flow, no vocals, it's just the Sweet Jane/Baba O'Reilly/You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet riff shoehorned in for the guitar solo(which goes on way too long)to play over.

Lennon was a genius at bridge writing, always coming up with a clever lyrical and musical counterpoint/aside to the Verse-Chorus, but short and sweet, the proverbial "middle eight", like here…

 

[rodl2005]

Under the Milky Way Tonight has a ripper instrumental one. Great song all up

 

[Michedelic]

A great bridge should contain elements of, or continue the vibe, of the V/C, but take the song elsewhere to break up the repetitive nature of the other sections, and also lyrically offer commentary to the main theme of the chorus. But don't drag it out either…a quick turnaround is best. There are so many examples, here are two that come to mind…



Then the world just stops for a moment, total gear(and time signature)shift, before the song's urgency kicks up again…

 

[Michedelic]

This one kills, the most memorable part of the song, next to the ending…

 

[ElectroVibe]

I have no doubt there are plenty of great Beatles songs. I mistakenly was going to add Nowhere Man but I don't think it has one, but it's just so melodically rich.

 

[SteveCS]

Where the bridge is often referred to as a "song within a song"
...
Any others that come to mind in the same league? What say you?

This one from the great Ray Davies - 'I Go To Sleep'. Ray wrote this for Peggy Lee, and has commented that he deliberately wrote the bridge to sound like a 'self-contained' Peggy Lee song within the song:

Peggy Lee


The Kinks


Pretenders

...
take the song elsewhere
...
break up the repetitive nature of the other sections
...
lyrically offer commentary to the main theme of the chorus
...
don't drag it out either…a quick turnaround is best.
...

I give it 4 out of 4!