My Favorite Long Songs

While being able to pack a full song into under two minutes is an impressive feat, being able to stretch a song out past ten minutes without boring the listener to death is arguably even more impressive. All of these songs are over ten minutes long (the longest being about 65 minutes), but they all manage to stay captivating and interesting throughout. Brevity is certainly an admirable quality, but there's something to be said for what these songs exhibit--anti-brevity, if you will. Anyhow, here are my 90 favorite songs over ten minutes long. Enjoy. (Times according to my iTunes.) Oh, and no classical pieces are included. Oh #2: the picture is of Can, the masters of the long song.

90. Kraftwerk--Stratovarius (12:08)

89. Earth--Teeth Of Lions Rule The Divine (27:05)

88. Basic Channel--Octagon (12:58)

87. Cannonball Adderley--Autumn Leaves (11:00)

86. Charles Mingus--Trio And Group Dancers (18:38)

85. Herbie Hancock--Sleeping Giants (24:38)

84. Ekkehard Ehlers--Albert Ayler 1 (10:01)

83. Miles Davis--Miles Runs The Voodoo Down (14:04)

82. Fela Kuti--Expensive Shit (13:12)

81. Tyondai Braxton--Platinum Rows (10:25)

80. The Orb--Black Side Of The Moon (14:15)

79. Boredoms--Super Shine (12:45)

78. B.B. King--Lucille (10:16)

77. Of Montreal--The Past Is A Grotesque Animal (11:53)

76. Sunn 0)))--Alice (16:20)

75. Jimmy Smith--The Sermon (20:12)

74. Miles Davis--In A Silent Way/It's About That Time (19:53)

73. Kraftwerk--Geigerzahler (38:01)

72. Luomo--Tessio (12:08)

71. Funkadelic--(Not Just) Knee Deep (15:22)

70. Can--Soup (10:32)

69. Boredoms--(Circle) (13:42)

68. Godspeed You! Black Emperor--Storm (22:32)

67. Charles Mingus--Cumbia & Jazz Fusion (28:06)

66. LCD Soundsystem--Freak Out/Starry Eyes (12:22)

65. Sly & The Family Stone--Sex Machine (13:48)

64. Ricardo Villalobos--Enfants (Chants) (17:08)

63. Primal Scream--Come Together (10:22)

62. The Residents--Swastikas On Parade (17:52)

61. Miles Davis--Solea (12:23)

60. Kraftwerk--Kling Klang (17:25)

59. Black Dice--Endless Happiness (15:26)

58. Glenn Branca--The Ascension (13:10)

57. Robert Fripp & Brian Eno--Swastika Girls (18:38)

56. Black Leotard Front--Casual Friday (15:07)

55. Miles Davis--Right Off (26:54)

54. Fuck Buttons--Surf Solar (10:33)

53. James Brown--Papa Don't Take No Mess (13:52)

52. Isaac Hayes--By The Time I Get To Phoenix (18:42)

51. Panda Bear--Good Girl/Carrots (12:42)

50. Jim O'Rourke--The Visitor (38:03)

49. Miles Davis--Bitches Brew (27:00)

48. Boris--Absolutego (1:05:35)

47. The Fiery Furnaces--Quay Cur (10:25)

46. Funkadelic--Free Your Mind And Your Ass Will Follow (10:06)

45. The Knife--Colouring Of Pigeons (11:01)

44. Joanna Newsom--Emily (12:08)

43. Donna Summer--Love To Love You Baby (16:49)

42. Lindstrom--Where You Go I Go Too (28:58)

41. Godspeed You! Black Emperor--The Dead Flag Blues (16:28)

40. Sigur Ros--Svefn-g-englar (10:04)

39. John Coltrane--My Favorite Things (13:44)

38. Rhys Chatham--Guitar Trio (time varies)

37. Wipers--Youth Of America (10:27)

36. Oval--Do While (24:05)

35. Isaac Hayes--Walk On By (12:03)

34. Miles Davis--Shhh/Peaceful (18:17)

33. Modest Mouse--Truckers Atlas (10:58)

32. The Juan Maclean--Happy House (12:38)

31. Parliament--Flash Light (10:44)

30. Beastie Boys--B-Boy Bouillabaise (12:34)

29. Brian Eno--1/1 (17:21)

28. Miles Davis--Pharaoh's Dance (20:06)

27. Terry Riley--A Rainbow In Curved Air (18:46) (I don't consider this classical really, hence its inclusion)

26. Dinosaur--Kiss Me Again (13:04)

25. Dan Deacon--Wham City (11:45)

24. Fela Kuti--Water Get No Enemy (10:59)

23. Faust--Krautrock (11:49)

22. Public Image Ltd.--Albatross (10:39)

21. Tortoise--DJed (20:57)

20. Herbie Hancock--Chameleon (15:45)

19. Rhys Chatham--Die Donnergotter (21:48)

18. John Coltrane--Ascension - Edition II (40:57)

17. Panda Bear--Bros (12:30)

16. Can--Bel Air (19:53)

15. Miles Davis--He Loved Him Madly (32:17)

14. David Bowie--Station To Station (10:14)

13. Pharoah Sanders--The Creator Has A Master Plan (32:52)

12. Neu!--Hallogallo (10:07)

11. Suicide--Frankie Teardrop (10:26)

10. Sly & Robbie--Taxi X-Mas (22:59) (A total nostalgic guilty pleasure)

9. Marvin Gaye--Got To Give It Up (11:54)

8. Lou Reed--Street Hassle (11:01)

7. Jimi Hendrix--Machine Gun (12:41)

6. The Velvet Underground--Sister Ray (17:27)

5. Television--Marquee Moon (10:38)

4. Can--Yoo Doo Right (20:28)

3. Kraftwerk--Autobahn (22:43)

2. Can--Halleluhwah (18:30)

1. Funkadelic--Maggot Brain (10:21)

That's what I think. There's one word to describe each song on this list: epic.