The overall structural form of the song – how sections are arranged and repeated.
Two section patterns dominate the catalogue: AABABA (26 songs) and ABABAB (16 songs).
| # | Value | Songs | % of total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Verse-chorus The most common pop/rock form. Alternating verses (with changing lyrics) and a recurring chorus (with fixed lyrics and melody). | 170 | 30.4% |
| 2 | AABA form The 32-bar AABA song form: two matching A sections, a contrasting B (bridge), then a final A. | 64 | 11.4% |
| 3 | No verse-chorus The song avoids the conventional verse-chorus organization entirely | 50 | 8.9% |
| 4 | 12-bar blues The foundational blues structure: 12 bars following a I-I-I-I-IV-IV-I-I-V-IV-I-V pattern. Basis for rock'n'roll. | 32 | 5.7% |
| 5 | AABABA | 26 | 4.6% |
| 6 | ABABAB | 16 | 2.9% |
| 7 | Strophic Same music repeated with different lyrics each time. No chorus – just verses. Common in folk songs and ballads. | 16 | 2.9% |
| 8 | AABAABA | 12 | 2.1% |
| 9 | Medley Part of a continuous medley in which several short songs run together without breaks. | 11 | 2.0% |
| 10 | Through-composed No section repeats – each part has different music. Every section is new material. The opposite of strophic form. | 10 | 1.8% |
| 11 | AABAB | 10 | 1.8% |
| 12 | AA | 7 | 1.3% |
| 13 | AABAA | 6 | 1.1% |
| 14 | Rondo A recurring main section alternating with contrasting episodes (ABACA). The main theme keeps returning between new material. | 5 | 0.9% |
| 15 | ABABCABCAB | 5 | 0.9% |
| 16 | BABABAB | 5 | 0.9% |
| 17 | ABABCAB | 5 | 0.9% |
| 18 | ABABA | 5 | 0.9% |
| 19 | ABABABAB | 4 | 0.7% |
| 20 | AABBA | 4 | 0.7% |
| 21 | AAA | 4 | 0.7% |
| 22 | ABABCABC | 2 | 0.4% |
| 23 | BABABCB | 2 | 0.4% |
| 24 | ABAABA | 2 | 0.4% |
| 25 | ABABABA | 2 | 0.4% |
| 26 | AABAAB | 2 | 0.4% |
| 27 | AABACBA | 2 | 0.4% |
| 28 | ABABB | 2 | 0.4% |
| 29 | AAAAA | 2 | 0.4% |
| 30 | A | 2 | 0.4% |
| 31 | ABABBAB | 2 | 0.4% |
| 32 | ABABABB | 2 | 0.4% |
| 33 | BABAB | 2 | 0.4% |
| 34 | AABABCAB | 2 | 0.4% |
| 35 | ABABCBAB | 2 | 0.4% |
| 36 | AABAABAB | 2 | 0.4% |
| 37 | BAAB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 38 | BAABABA | 1 | 0.2% |
| 39 | BABCABCAB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 40 | AABACAB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 41 | ABAAB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 42 | ABAABBCAABBCCAABB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 43 | ABABCBABB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 44 | AABABBAB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 45 | ABA | 1 | 0.2% |
| 46 | ABABBBABBB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 47 | ABABABC | 1 | 0.2% |
| 48 | AABABB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 49 | BABCBAB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 50 | AABAABABA | 1 | 0.2% |
| 51 | AABCBAB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 52 | ABACAB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 53 | AACBABCB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 54 | BABABABB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 55 | AB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 56 | AAAA | 1 | 0.2% |
| 57 | BABABCABB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 58 | AAABCAA | 1 | 0.2% |
| 59 | BCBCB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 60 | AABBAAB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 61 | AABAABAAB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 62 | ABBA | 1 | 0.2% |
| 63 | AABCA | 1 | 0.2% |
| 64 | ACACBACB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 65 | AABABAA | 1 | 0.2% |
| 66 | AABAABCBAAB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 67 | AABABABA | 1 | 0.2% |
| 68 | BCCB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 69 | ABABC | 1 | 0.2% |
| 70 | AAABAAAA | 1 | 0.2% |
| 71 | AABAAABA | 1 | 0.2% |
| 72 | AAAAAAA | 1 | 0.2% |
| 73 | AAB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 74 | AABAAA | 1 | 0.2% |
| 75 | BABABCABCAB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 76 | ABAB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 77 | BABABABAB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 78 | BAABA | 1 | 0.2% |
| 79 | ABACABCAB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 80 | ABCA | 1 | 0.2% |
| 81 | ABABABCAB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 82 | AABABC | 1 | 0.2% |
| 83 | AABABAB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 84 | AABABAABB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 85 | BABABAC | 1 | 0.2% |
| 86 | ABABCABAB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 87 | ABBABB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 88 | AAAAABB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 89 | ABABCABCABA | 1 | 0.2% |
| 90 | ABABCABB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 91 | BABABCAB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 92 | AABB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 93 | ABABABCABAB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 94 | BAABCABC | 1 | 0.2% |
| 95 | BABACBBCBAB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 96 | ABABABABAB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 97 | ABABABABABAB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 98 | BABABCCBCAB | 1 | 0.2% |
| 99 | ABCABC | 1 | 0.2% |
Book
The Beatles: Complete Scores
Hal Leonard
Sheet music
Musicnotes – Beatles Piano/Vocal/Guitar
Musicnotes
Book
All the Songs
Margotin & Guesdon
affiliate link – supports this wiki