Most songs are around the 3 minute mark. Other's push around 5. Many find songs over 7 minutes long too daunting and time consuming to enjoy, but here are 7 great songs that are over 7 minutes long. I excluded instrumentals from this list.
1. ...All the Go In Betweens
Artist: Silversun Pickups.
Silversun Pickups is a Shoegaze/Dream Pop outfit that's famous for the song Lazy Eye, but any SSP fan knows they have more than one great song. Lying in their debut EP, Pikul, the music is a bit repetitive, but it seems that the band knows how to write a great riff that doesn't get old no matter how many times you repeat. Don't get me wrong, singer/guitarist Brian Auburt adds more melody and extra textures over the repetitive riff so at times you may not notice it. Like Lazy Eye, it starts off mellow, and then after the fuzz guitars kick in, Auburt starts off with his shreaking voice. A great ending to a great EP (excluding the hidden track)
2. Three Days
Artist: Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction released the landmark album, Ritual de lo Habitual, in 1990 and is cited for kick starting the Alternative Nation that changed rock music in the 90's. Within that album lies the 10 minute epic: Three Days. It is a three part song that revolves around the themes of life and death and is based on the three days singer Perry Farrell spent with two women on a drug and sex binge. This features crafty musicianship from all of the band members, with the hypnotic opening bassline, to the soaring guitar solo (one of Dave Navarro's finest) and Stephen Perkins' drums burst throughout the entire song. This song sets the theme that continues throughout the second half of the entire album.
3. Drown
Artist: Smashing Pumpkins
Released in 1992 on the Singles movie soundtrack, the Smashing Pumpkins released this dream pop gem. To many, this was their first experience of the Pumpkins. This was before they dressed Gothic and Billy Corgan had long hair (well hair in general). This song features their sound that fits well being an inbetween of their album Gish and the soon to be released Siamese Dream. With the Gishesque psychedelic influence fused with the soon to be dream pop sound of Siamese Dream, it seems like a great middle ground. If you own their Greatest Hits album, you would argue over this song not being 7 minutes long, but a real SP fan would own the 8 minute version with the extended feedback and e-bow solo.
4. Like Suicide
Artist: Soundgarden
With an album of epic proportions like Superunknown, you had to end it with a bang, so Soundgarden ended it with a 7 minute epic. It starts off with a slow droning guitar riff, but then after the midway point, they turn up the guitars to 11 and after a few moments of air drumming, one of Kim Thayil's finest guitar solos rip the song to shreds. Though the song is more psychedelic than Black Sabbath material, it's still a fantastic Soundgarden song.
5. Only in Dreams
Artist: Weezer
Known simply as Weezer at the time, the now affectionately called The Blue Album was an album of Power Pop perfection and simply needed a great way to end it. Weezer figured an apathetic song with a melancholic bassline and apathetic guitar riff would be a great fit, and they did it right. As the song draws to an end, they decide to throw in probably one of the longest instrumental moments in Weezer end it with a screetching guitar solo.
6. Lateralus
Artist: Tool
Tool is probably one of the poster childs of pretentious artsy music, and the title track to the album Lateralus fits the bill quite well. With the syllables of the verses based on the Fibonacci sequence and much of the song in obnoxious time signatures, many can smell the pretentious juices flowing from this. The slight Tool bashing aside, this is still a great song. What starts off with a haunting melody that soon builds up and blasts into some loud distorted guitars, this song has some very great dynamic changes, and is fun as hell to play on guitar.
7. The Sprawl
Artist: Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth's alleged masterpiece Daydream Nation has a handful of songs over 7 minutes long, but excluding the Trilogy, which some could argue as just being 3 separate songs (depending on which version of the album you have), I settled on The Sprawl. This song is a great piece within the album that fits well with an upbeat rhythm and feedback that doesn't hurt your ears.
inb4 people whine about me not picking their favorite songs
1. ...All the Go In Betweens
Artist: Silversun Pickups.
Silversun Pickups is a Shoegaze/Dream Pop outfit that's famous for the song Lazy Eye, but any SSP fan knows they have more than one great song. Lying in their debut EP, Pikul, the music is a bit repetitive, but it seems that the band knows how to write a great riff that doesn't get old no matter how many times you repeat. Don't get me wrong, singer/guitarist Brian Auburt adds more melody and extra textures over the repetitive riff so at times you may not notice it. Like Lazy Eye, it starts off mellow, and then after the fuzz guitars kick in, Auburt starts off with his shreaking voice. A great ending to a great EP (excluding the hidden track)
2. Three Days
Artist: Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction released the landmark album, Ritual de lo Habitual, in 1990 and is cited for kick starting the Alternative Nation that changed rock music in the 90's. Within that album lies the 10 minute epic: Three Days. It is a three part song that revolves around the themes of life and death and is based on the three days singer Perry Farrell spent with two women on a drug and sex binge. This features crafty musicianship from all of the band members, with the hypnotic opening bassline, to the soaring guitar solo (one of Dave Navarro's finest) and Stephen Perkins' drums burst throughout the entire song. This song sets the theme that continues throughout the second half of the entire album.
3. Drown
Artist: Smashing Pumpkins
Released in 1992 on the Singles movie soundtrack, the Smashing Pumpkins released this dream pop gem. To many, this was their first experience of the Pumpkins. This was before they dressed Gothic and Billy Corgan had long hair (well hair in general). This song features their sound that fits well being an inbetween of their album Gish and the soon to be released Siamese Dream. With the Gishesque psychedelic influence fused with the soon to be dream pop sound of Siamese Dream, it seems like a great middle ground. If you own their Greatest Hits album, you would argue over this song not being 7 minutes long, but a real SP fan would own the 8 minute version with the extended feedback and e-bow solo.
4. Like Suicide
Artist: Soundgarden
With an album of epic proportions like Superunknown, you had to end it with a bang, so Soundgarden ended it with a 7 minute epic. It starts off with a slow droning guitar riff, but then after the midway point, they turn up the guitars to 11 and after a few moments of air drumming, one of Kim Thayil's finest guitar solos rip the song to shreds. Though the song is more psychedelic than Black Sabbath material, it's still a fantastic Soundgarden song.
5. Only in Dreams
Artist: Weezer
Known simply as Weezer at the time, the now affectionately called The Blue Album was an album of Power Pop perfection and simply needed a great way to end it. Weezer figured an apathetic song with a melancholic bassline and apathetic guitar riff would be a great fit, and they did it right. As the song draws to an end, they decide to throw in probably one of the longest instrumental moments in Weezer end it with a screetching guitar solo.
6. Lateralus
Artist: Tool
Tool is probably one of the poster childs of pretentious artsy music, and the title track to the album Lateralus fits the bill quite well. With the syllables of the verses based on the Fibonacci sequence and much of the song in obnoxious time signatures, many can smell the pretentious juices flowing from this. The slight Tool bashing aside, this is still a great song. What starts off with a haunting melody that soon builds up and blasts into some loud distorted guitars, this song has some very great dynamic changes, and is fun as hell to play on guitar.
7. The Sprawl
Artist: Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth's alleged masterpiece Daydream Nation has a handful of songs over 7 minutes long, but excluding the Trilogy, which some could argue as just being 3 separate songs (depending on which version of the album you have), I settled on The Sprawl. This song is a great piece within the album that fits well with an upbeat rhythm and feedback that doesn't hurt your ears.
inb4 people whine about me not picking their favorite songs