I have noticed something recently while listening to music.  Some songs, rather than just being “verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge/chorus” will have a little something extra added to it.  That something is sort of a “climax” to the song.  When this climax is written in, it takes the song to a whole new level.

Think about working out.  Towards the end of a good walk or run, you will really push the lat few minutes of it.  That final “push” is what I’m talking about musically.  It’s sort of what the entire song is building towards.

This “climax” can come in many forms in a song, but I think the best way to get my point across is through an actual example.  The band Foo Fighters are notorious for writing climaxes into their music.  They are one of my favorite bands, partly because of their songwriting technique.  For example, let’s take the song “Hey Johnny Park!”.  Here is part of it with my commentary so you can get the picture (click the little “play” button):

Hey Johnny Park

There you have it.  Simply put, it’s the heaviest part of the song.  Most of the time, you won’t find this in a song, but when you do, it really stands out.  Here are some other songs in their entirety.  See if you can find the climax of each one!:

Monkey Wrench

February Stars

But Honestly

Hey Johnny Park (untouched)