When one comes across a song in music well over the average three-minute length, it’s understandable to be overwhelmed. In fact, it’s understandable if you don’t listen to the song at all. Who has time to sit through a song that’s just as long as the time it would take you to listen to three of your favorite shorter songs? In the world of rock and all of its sub-genres, longer songs are unsurprisingly common.
With talented musicians, some of whom are regarded as the best at what they do, why not give them the extra time to show off their skills? If a song’s extra time is filled with more than just an extended instrumental break, maybe the artist has more to say than the average song length accounts for. Maybe they’re telling a story within the song, and the listener won’t even realize how long they’ve been listening by the time the song ends.
Either way, certain rock songs over five minutes long have held our attention for years. Rather than being an extensive list, the 15 songs below are some of the most impressive uses of the time they’ve decided to give themselves, ranked in order from shortest to longest.
15
Stop Crying Your Heart Out – Oasis
Length: 5:03
While this might not be the most obvious choice for a longer Oasis song, I couldn’t ignore the impact it continues to have on me with each listen. At just over the five-minute mark, “Stop Crying Your Heart Out” is a song that guides the listener through a trying time. With constant reassurance that these troubles are temporary and everything will eventually be okay, the song has the same effect as a pat on the back or a comfortable moment sitting in silence with your best friend.
‘Cause all of the stars are fading away
Just try not to worry, you’ll see them someday
Just take what you need, and be on your way
And stop crying your heart out
14
Peace Of Mind – Boston
Length: 5:04
Running just a second longer than “Stop Crying Your Heart Out,” Boston’s “Peace of Mind” is a classic rock song about something most of us know a little about: the work-life balance. Written in 1974 by the band’s multi-instrumentalist, Tom Scholz, after acquiring Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in mechanical engineering and working for Polaroid Corporation, the song is a clear call for the average worker to rethink their priorities, something that is often easier said than done. The meaning is straightforward, and the song goes by so quickly you won’t even notice its length.
Now you’re climbin’ to the top of the company ladder
Hope it doesn’t take too long
Can’t cha see there’ll come a day when it won’t matter
Come a day when you’ll be gone
Ohh, ohh
I understand about indecision
But I don’t care if I get behind
People livin’ in competition
All I want is to have my peace of mind
13
Magic Man – Heart
Length: 5:28
The guitar that pierces through the opening seconds of “Magic Man” by Heart is instantly recognizable. Ann Wilson’s powerful vocals only add to the song’s allure, pulling the listener in as she recounts the hypnotizing effects of a young girl falling for an older man. The instrumental break in the latter half keeps you zoned in, providing the perfect atmosphere to feel just as mesmerized as the song’s protagonist without waiting for the song to finally come to an end.
Cold, late night so long ago
When I was not so strong you know
A pretty man came to me
I never seen eyes so blue
You know, I could not run away it seemed
We’d seen each other in a dream
Seemed like he knew me, he looked right through me, yeah
12
Edge Of Seventeen – Stevie Nicks
Length: 5:28
Stevie Nicks is a rock legend for many reasons. Her solo work on Bella Donna is nothing short of incredible, featuring memorable duets with both Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Don Henley. Two tracks from this album fall above five minutes, including “Edge of Seventeen,” a song that has grown well beyond its 1981 release. The track is a powerful examination of grief where Nicks reflects on the deaths of both John Lennon and her uncle within one week of December 1980, a universal feeling elevated to such specific levels for the time it was written.
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Well, I went today
Maybe I will go again tomorrow
Yeah-yeah, well, the music there
Well, it was hauntingly familiar
Well, I see you doing what I try to do for me
With the words from a poet and a voice from a choir
And a melody, and nothing else mattered
11
Sign Of The Times – Harry Styles
Length: 5:41
For all intents and purposes, Harry Styles deserves to be on this list. His debut album is an impressive work that separated him and his artistry from the boy band box he’d been stuck in for so long, presenting his voice and Harry’s hidden songwriting talents to a wider audience. “Sign of the Times” is a song that utilizes its length to the fullest. Listeners are brought on a sonic journey that cascades through verses that build up to a crescendo in the last two minutes, leaning on while fully building on the ’70s influences of Bowie and The Rolling Stones.
Just stop your crying
It’s a sign of the times
We gotta get away from here
We gotta get away from here
Stop your crying
Baby, it’ll be alright
They told me that the end is near
We gotta get away from here
10
Wild Horses – The Rolling Stones
Length: 5:42
As far as The Rolling Stones’ catalog goes, “Wild Horses” is a treasure. Mick Jagger’s usually lively voice takes on a melancholic air as he sings about a love that burned out long ago. Originally intended by guitarist Keith Richards to be about missing his newborn son, Jagger took the verses he was assigned to write in a different direction. Either way, the song and its length work together in perfect harmony to craft an unforgettable southern rock anthem that adds another impressive addition to the band’s already diverse discography.
No sweeping exit
Or offstage lines
Could make me feel bitter
Or treat you unkind
Wild horses
Couldn’t drag me away
Wild, wild horses
Couldn’t drag me away
9
Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen
Length: 5:55
What can I possibly say that hasn’t already been said about Queen’s beyond iconic rock anthem? If this list was in any specific order, “Bohemian Rhapsody” would likely claim the top spot every time. Coming in at just under six minutes, this song seamlessly transitions between what could easily be three completely separate songs with its clever guitar progressions and dramatic piano chords. Yet somehow, with distinct tempos and lyrical melodies between them, it works, making it one of the most well-known songs of its kind.
Too late, my time has come
Sends shivers down my spine, body’s aching all the time
Goodbye, everybody, I’ve got to go
Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth
Mama, ooh (any way the wind blows)
I don’t wanna die
I sometimes wish I’d never been born at all
8
Tiny Dancer – Elton John
Length: 6:17
Elton John and Bernie Taupin’s spectacular song is partially an ode to Taupin’s first wife, Maxine Feibelmann, and partially an ode to the dreamy women who lined the streets of California in the 1970s. John’s voice dances over each piano note beautifully, pulling listeners along through stripped-back verses until the pre-chorus picks up the tempo and breaks out into one of the most contagious choruses. Its length allows the song to emphasize the choruses, building them up to their fullest potential.
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But oh how it feels so real
Lying here with no one near
Only you, and you can hear me
When I say softly, slowly
Hold me closer tiny dancer
Count the headlights on the highway
Lay me down in sheets of linen
You had a busy day today
7
Shooting Star – Bad Company
Length: 6:17
Bad Company masterfully tells the story of a young boy who achieves his dreams of becoming a rock star only to succumb to the temptations of alcohol and drugs. This story was all too familiar for the time during the song’s 1975 release on the album Straight Shooter, and feels poignant even today. Its length is barely even a factor to consider when you’re listening to the band’s lead vocalist, Paul Rodgers, talk so passionately about the dangers of getting involved in the career path he chose.
Johnny made a record
Went straight up to number one
Suddenly everyone loved to hear him sing his song
Watching the world go by
Surprising it goes so fast
Johnny looked around him and said
“Well, I made the big time at last”
Don’t you know
Don’t you know
6
Hotel California – Eagles
Length: 6:31
Listening to “Hotel California” is simultaneously haunting and exhilarating. If you’re caught up in each word Glenn Fry sings, odds are you’ve felt exactly like the song’s protagonist at least once, trapped in limbo surrounded by others who seem content despite the shiver that runs down your spine.
The exhilaration comes from the constant reminder that a song as simply awesome as this one exists. The Eagles use the song’s length in similar fashion to Bad Company, to tell a story, and that is the most effective way to get a longer song to work, in my opinion.
Last thing I remember, I was running for the door
I had to find the passage back to the place I was before
‘Relax, ‘ said the night man, ‘We are programmed to receive
You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave’
5
Layla – Derek & The Dominos
Length: 7:04
As soon as that heavy guitar riff hits your ears, you know you’re in for a ride. Eric Clapton’s desperate voice pleads “Layla,” a name used in place of George Harrison’s then-wife Pattie Boyd, whom Clapton longed after while the two were married, then eventually married himself. The song is a combination of a narrative and a love song, pulling its title and lyrics from a Persian epic poem, “Layla and Manjun,” which inspired Clapton enough to write a song over seven minutes long that deserves its runtime.
I tried to give you consolation
When your old man had let you down
Like a fool, I fell in love with you
You turned my whole world upside down
Layla
You’ve got me on my knees
Layla
I’m begging, darling, please
Layla
Darling, won’t you ease my worried mind?
4
War Pigs / Luke’s Wall – Black Sabbath
Length: 7:54
If there was ever a band who deserved to have a song approaching eight minutes with multiple instrumental-only sections, it’s Black Sabbath. Ozzy Osbourne’s commanding performance shines through in just his vocals, lilting up and down through each verse and bringing the attention back to him after every instrumental portion. Comparing military commanders during the Vietnam War with necromancers, “War Pigs” is a necessary track on this list for its subject matter and its unique structure.
Generals gathered in their masses
Just like witches at black masses
Evil minds that plot destruction
Sorcerer of death’s construction
In the fields, the bodies burning
As the war machine keeps turning
Death and hatred to mankind
Poisoning their brainwashed minds
3
Paradise By The Dashboard Light – Meat Loaf
Length: 8:28
Meat Loaf’s “Paradise By the Dashboard Light” doesn’t tell nearly as deep of a narrative as some of the previous entries, but it’s an epic song all the same. In dramatized fashion, listeners are taken through a story that feels fit for a stage production. For that reason, I believe the longer runtime makes it as strong of a song as it is, no matter how many times you play it.
Thought it’s cold and lonely in the deep dark night
I can see paradise by the dashboard light
Ain’t no doubt about it
We were doubly blessed
‘Cause we were barely seventeen
And we were barely dressed
2
Purple Rain – Prince
Length: 8:42
That first strum gets me every time. Combined with Prince’s distorted, echoing vocals, “Purple Rain” is a song in its own category by one of the most talented artists to ever grace the earth. He takes the title from the image of red blood and the blue of the sky at the end of the world, creating a purple that rains down on everyone until you have to let your faith guide you to what’s next. It’s a layered song, both internally and instrumentally, that deserves a place on any list.
Honey, I know, I know, I know times are changin’
It’s time we all reach out for something new, that means you too
You say you want a leader, but you can’t seem to make up your mind
And I think you better close it and let me guide you to the purple rain
1
Free Bird – Lynyrd Skynyrd
Length: 9:07
Free bird! Free bird! Free bird! The chant that follows any set by just about any cover band always makes me shake my head until they actually give in and play it. Yes, it’s over nine minutes long. What song needs to be over nine minutes long? Well, maybe songs as great and memorable as this one! If you’re feeling stuck in a situation, it’s best to blast this from your loudest speakers and take notes.
‘Cause I’m as free as a bird now
And this bird you cannot change
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
And the bird you cannot change
And this bird you cannot change
Lord knows I can’t change
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