Embracing Ambiguity in the Analysis of Form in Pop/Rock Music, 1982–1991

Abstract

A central concern for theories of form in pop/rock music is the division of a song into sections and, consequently, the categorization of these sections according to a standard set of section labels. Psychological research on categorization shows that it is inherently a perceptual process, one that involves graded membership and fuzzy boundaries. Thus in contrast to prior theorists, who often attempt to minimize ambiguity in the analysis of form in pop/rock music, I confront ambiguity directly, organizing and describing many of the common types encountered. I focus exclusively on the time period 1982–1991, when verse-chorus form can be considered to have achieved widespread currency. After providing an illustrative exemplar, I discuss three types of ambiguity common to this decade, each based on the main section role involved: 1) verse ambiguity, which typically derives from weak section differentiation; 2) chorus ambiguity, which usually involves a blend of more than one section role; and 3) bridge ambiguity, which often results from different hierarchical meanings of the bridge label.