Is chorus making a comeback?

[newpedals]

Prominent chorus seems to be on some new songs, performed by some bands and artists on youtube.

I always associated chorus with 80's.

Has chorus always been around which I didn't notice or it has been present in the form of modulated delay?

I admit that I don't listen to a lot of new music.

 

[Aelred]

I think it was originally from a Roland amp for keys and the first Boss pedal. Or from a Hammond organ or something before that.

I tend to associate it more with the CE-2 which was about '79 or '80 and the Dimension C.

I really wouldn't know if it's making a comeback. I also have 80's flashbacks when I hear it.

 

[2112]

It's been acceptable in pop and rock music again for a while now - 80's aesthetics and synthwave/dreampop production has generally been in vogue too. Ryan Adams made great use of chorus on a lot of his work in the 2010's.

 

[BahamaDada]

It's been acceptable in pop and rock music again for a while now - 80's aesthetics and synthwave/dreampop production has generally been in vogue too. Ryan Adams made great use of chorus on a lot of his work in the 2010's.

That's right.

My *work* car only has a shitty stereo and no bluetooth. So it's "radio" or "radio silence". Radio artists like The Weeknd do stuff, that would go through as original 80s (with Chorus and stuff) if it weren't for the modern production. History repeats.

Younger Indie artists have no fear in using heavy effects, too, for their base sound.

Chorus <3

 

[Fishbulb]

The outsized 80s influence on pop and indie that's been going on for a while has definitely brought chorus back into the fold, I even hear some of the Lukather/Landau-esque modulated and compressed mega-clean guitar in the midst of these synth-heavy pop tracks again. On the indie side I remember hearing Mac Demarco using the seasick chorus sound and digging it. I grew up and was getting serious about guitar in the time of nu metal/buttrock and the last vestiges of radio rock bands, which didn't have a lot of what I was looking for as far as guitar playing, so I went backwards and checked out a lot of 80s stuff which left a pretty big influence on me. I remember joining a screamo band shortly after that and catching a lot of flak for using chorus (I had to completely abandon my beloved wah at this point!), so I for one am happy it's back.

 

[JiveTurkey]

They never left in my mind

 

[slip]

I hope not.

 

[GuitarBilly74]

They never left in my mind

Yeah I can think of songs with chorus from all decades tbh. I don't think it ever really left.

 

[2112]

Music trends oscillate between "chorus with a low rate is cool but it's corny when it's too wobbly" to "wobbly chorus rules, why bother with anything else?!"

 

[Eagle]

It never went away.

 

[LeftyLoungeLizard]

Chorus never left.

And dual Eventide H910s never left, for those who think chorus is too "wobbly" but like the general stereo effect.

I'll tell you what actually left:

Music that makes you want to party.

Everybody's too busy feeling like shit about themselves to write anything fun.

 

[Desertdweller]

It never went away.

Right? I hear it all the time. Petrucci went through a phase a few years ago where he chorused everything too and I thought his tone suffered for it. For me, I like a slightly modulated delay, but for the most part I don’t really like thicker chorus or flanger effects. If I use any at all it’s usually at something like a 5% mix or so.

 

[FuzzyAce]

I prefer using a flanger for chorus effect, but yeah it seems to still be popular.

 

[Orvillain]

Chorus sounds like how I imagine it would feel to have chin balls.


I don't think I've ever written such a stupid sentence before.

 

[Frodebro]

I don't think I've ever written such a stupid sentence before.

Never rest on your laurels.

 

[Orvillain]

Never rest on your laurels.

Or your chin apparently.

 

[Frodebro]

Or your chin apparently.

I’m somewhat particular about whose chin I place my balls against, but my own chin has a very strict ‘No Balls’ policy.

 

[ragingplatypi]

What I think of as 80’s Boss/Roland chorus absolutely went away and only came back recently (that Ryan Adams album being a rare exception). Personally I think a little goes a long way with that sound.

 

[EOengineer]

Chorus sounds like how I imagine it would feel to have chin balls.

 

[EOengineer]

Huge fan of the early Roland chorus sounds, particularly the Metallica, Police, new wave stuff. Once I snagged a PastFX CE-1 clone I stopped looking at chorus. It nails all of that stuff and feels awesome to play.

As far as whether chorus is still in - I’d say so. I actually don’t use it at all for my own stuff though. It’s more of a nostalgia thing.