Music Discussion: Can a song ever be too long?

[King Caesar]

Well...can they? Or, in your personal tastes, do you have a limit of time where if a song is longer you don't like it? Discuss!

[G-Matt]

It really depends on the song and if it can stay consistent and strong throughout its runtime.

For example, I really enjoy listening to stuff like:
- ELP's "Tarkus" (21 minutes)
- Nightwish's "Ghost Love Score" (10 minutes)
- Jean Sibelius' "Finlandia" (8-9 minutes)
- "Godzilla at the Ocean Floor" from G54 (6 minutes)
- both "Mothra vs. Godzilla" tracks from MvsG (6 and 9 minutes)
- "Countdown" from GvsB (5 minutes)
- "Xilien Conspiracy II" from GFW (11 minutes)
- "Why So Serious" from TDK (9 minutes)
- "Joanna Drives Off" from Love Actually (6 minutes)
- "War" from Rocky IV (5 minutes, or 6, depending on the version)
- all the songs in Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds

And then, some long tracks that I don't care for that much include:
- "Banquet" from Return of Daimajin (4 minutes)
- "Homura Club BGM 3" from H-Man (4 minutes)
- "Women Who Return to the Wolf Guy" from Horror of the Wolf (3 minutes)
- "The Demon of Emotion" tracks from The Human Vapor (10 and 4 minutes)
- "Stealing the Game" from Zathura (6 minutes)
- Edwin Hawkins Singers' "Oh Happy Day" (5 minutes)

[King Caesar]

Yeah, some of them go too long and don't have enough to really be that long. My personal choices for good long songs are:

- Darkfield
- Dialectic (Syzygy)
- Misunderstood
- Pull me Under
- Under a Glass Moon
- A Nightmare to Remember
- The Glass Prison (Dream Theater)

Songs that don't fare so well in my opinion;
- Karn Evil 9 1-3 Impressions (maybe it hasn't grown on me yet...) by ELP
- The Count of Tuscany
- The Shattered Fortress (Dreamt Theater)

[HeiseiGodzilla117]

If a song were to go one for an hour... then yes it would be too long. But for the most part songs aren't too long. I feel like songs that go on for 10 minutes or more, or an album full of those songs, require the listener to set a side some time to sit down and appreciate them.

[spinzilla]

Yes it can. I believe the 4 to 6 minute range is ideal for a song (on record, live is a different story), anything after can start to wear out it's welcome.

[wrongnote85]

ever heard 'at war with satan' by venom?

[Gojisan866]

No comments on the length of Rush, 2112? Eh, in all honesty, I love that song. I have no problem with it's epic epicness.

I've really never had a problem with really long songs, but I guess Dream Theater's stuff does get a bit tiresome knowing that after almost 10 minutes, it's still the SAME song... Especially as that's the case with most of their songs...

[King Caesar]

Usually their longer ones have different segments. Good examples being The Glass Prison and Nightmare to Remember. Every five minutes or so the song switches, pretty drastically in some cases. But I understand what you mean. Finale by Syzgy is a great example of length without enough substance and it's only six minutes long.

[tymon]

Depends on the song, of course. If it's trying to retain some sort of conventional structure and is pushing 10 minutes, something is probably wrong. If it's more progressive/free-flowing, on the other hand, then it can take the listener on a journey that isn't completely repetitive.

[XxComablack1937xX]

Most of ''Tools'' song's to me are to long.... there a talented band sure, but most of there song's are 6/8 to even close to 10 minutes... it's ridiculous...

A song should never surpass 6 minutes, it's very an i do mean very rare when i song that hit's close to 7 minutes an your actually still into it but when it does happen it's usually a masterpiece of a song....

[King Caesar]

Tool's song "Parabola" really stretches the limits of patients....that ending is just...ehh. Not my cup of tea by any means.

[tymon]

A song should never surpass 6 minutes,

it's very an i do mean very rare when i song that hit's close to 7 minutes an your actually still into it but when it does happen it's usually a masterpiece of a song....

Speak for yourself, bud...some of us have attention spans.

[thatsoundman]

being a politically minded musician, i really like "it better end soon" all 5 movements, but at the same time like moonlight sonata. and think the length of both are fine. in all the years of playing multiple instruments i haven't found one too long, but there have been a few close calls ...

[omelettetdq3z]

The Flaming Lips have a 24 hour song, and it didn't really feel that long. At first, I didn't understand how any band could make a song like this... but then I remembered. They're the Flaming Lips.

[Gojisan866]

The Flaming Lips have a 24 hour song, and it didn't really feel that long. At first, I didn't understand how any band could make a song like this... but then I remembered. They're the Flaming Lips.

I don't like the Flaming Lips but I am now tempted to listen to that song all the way through.

[wataru]

All Dragonforce songs.
Tool - Sober
Meatloaf - Bat Out of Hell

[GodzillaXGomoraFight]

Depending on the song, being too long can be bad a thing. Free Bird, by Lynrd Skynrd, manages to work despite being infamously long. For other songs like Rapper's Delight by the Sugarhill Gang, the time length hurts the song by causing boredom. Classic music is a whole different story.

[wrongnote85]

Most of ''Tools'' song's to me are to long.... there a talented band sure, but most of there song's are 6/8 to even close to 10 minutes... it's ridiculous...

A song should never surpass 6 minutes, it's very an i do mean very rare when i song that hit's close to 7 minutes an your actually still into it but when it does happen it's usually a masterpiece of a song....

you must not be a fan of old metallica.

[Reaper Man]

Pink Floyd's "Shine On You Crazy Diamond". Great song, 25 minutes long, with 9 segments.