As an avid music listener, I’ve built a repertoire of songs from a diverse group of artists, much like anyone else with a digital streaming account. Only recently, however, did I notice that many of the songs frequenting my playlists live on the extreme end of the song length spectrum. Most of my favourite songs in the past year are longer than five minutes, which pushed me to question why the standard track is three to four minutes in length when in reality, song length has no connection to song quality.

In the 1950’s, when the vinyl record was the primary way of listening to albums and singles, a seven-inch 45 RPM disk held about three minutes of music; if you or your band wanted your songs on the radio, then they had to fit on a 45. This three minute standard has stuck as the norm; radio stations will still edit down longer songs to three minutes before they play them.

It’s quite interesting to see how something like song length can become standardised due to the technology that was around over fifty years ago, but even when we eliminate the constraints of technology, we still stick to the same old formats. I hope that with the continued evolution of the music industry, this standard dissolves to allow artists a broader range for creativity. Below, you will find some of my favourite songs that break these moulds and that stand out as amazing listening experiences.

I actually used to shy away from longer songs and just assumed that they’d be boring, but once you dive in, there’s no going back. The aspect I love most about these records is their drawn-out instrumentals. Whether it's found before the first verse or at the end of the track, you always wind up hypnotised to a point of delusion. Here are my favourite lengthier songs that I think everyone should give a shot.

Weight of Love – The Black Keys

Turn Blue by The Black Keys came out in 2014, a very memorable year for many people, as many of the trends and music of the early-mid 2010s have had such a strong impact on music culture they continue to be discussed today. The soft grunge and Arctic Monkeys of it all came at a time in my life when I was looking for music beyond what was being played on Much Music every night. It helped that my mom was on top of what was popular in the indie and alternative scenes at the time, and we would listen to the newest albums on CDs in the car every day constantly rotating between AM, Melophobia and of course, Turn Blue. The first time I listened to Turn Blue, I didn't even have to finish the album before I knew that Weight of Love was my favourite song by The Black Keys. This song is six and a half minutes long, with two full minutes of instrumental before the first verse kicks in. Even after it subsides, I find the rest of the song to be heavy on the instrumentals. with the guitar taking centre stage. This song should be played loud and the guitar solo in the latter half of the song must be dramatically acted out for full effect

Me and Your Mama – Childish Gambino

Childish Gambino has never been afraid to throw a few longer tracks onto his albums and they’ve become more frequent in his recent releases. Personally, I find the hardest hitting track to be Me and Your Mama, which kicks off his album “Awaken, My Love!” with just over six minutes of pure perfection. This song was almost a turning point for me, pulling me deep into the world of R&B that I hadn’t taken the chance to explore previously. I was immediately obsessed with the album and as a result, listened to Me and Your Mama exclusively and on repeat for days. The initial build up to the first verse is so entrancing, and you’re then hit with raw emotion that keeps you hooked until the very end. Give this a listen with good headphones for the complete experience.

Diving Woman – Japanese Breakfast

This is another song I can genuinely listen to on repeat for hours without getting sick of. The song Diving Woman sets the tone well for the remainder of the album, Soft Sounds from Another Planet, and in my opinion the rest of the band's music as well. I discovered Japanese Breakfast’s music around the same time that I came to Queen’s. Many of their more recent songs give off the perfect autumn energy, which is why I attribute my survival of exam season last year to this specific song; the instrumental lulls you into a meditative state with its six and half minute runtime. The song’s simple yet interesting layered guitar and siren-like backtracking contrast well with Michelle Zauner’s soft vocals. This is definitely on the list of tracks I need to see performed live. 

Broadening your horizons and checking out less conventional tracks is a good way to not only find new music, but also helps to break the musical norms that have stuck around for a long time. Hopefully, I was able to provide you with some exposure to the world of lengthier songs (if you’ve avoided them in the past), and give you some adequate song recommendations to add to your playlists!  

Header by: Katelyn Zeng