Longest song ever: Top 11 lengthiest musical tracks of all time

Longest song ever: Top 11 lengthiest musical tracks of all time

Songs can move people's emotions, improve focus, uplift their spirituality, and make them happier. Whether it is the shortest or longest song of all time, you cannot deny the unique ability of songs to touch souls and motivate people in ways that other things could not. Discover the longest song ever.

Jem Finer (L), Neil Keener (C) and Steven Drozd (R)
Jem Finer (L), Neil Keener (C) and Steven Drozd (R). They are behind some of the longest songs ever. Photo: @Christie Goodwin (modified by author)
Source: UGC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Different genres of songs have standard lengths, which range from three to ten minutes. However, some go beyond these standards, lasting for much longer.

What is the longest song ever recorded?

Creating a one-minute song takes effort; thus, making the longest song in history is no mean feat, as it requires years of experience, hard work, creativity, and much editing. Crank up the volume and take a dive into a list of the longest songs in the world.

SongArtistLength
LongplayerJem Finer From 1999 to the year 2999
Like a Wall in Which an Insect Lives and GnawsBull of Heaven 5 years, 258 days, and 8 hours
Rituals of the Elements and Feasts of the TimesBull of Heaven4 days and 14 hours
Symphony of the CrownEarthena 48 hours, 39 minutes, and 35 seconds
7 Skies H3 (Can't Shut Off My Head)The Flaming Lips,24 hours
The Ring CycleRichard Wagner 15 hours
He is Cruel and Moves with Great CunningBull of Heaven13 hours, 37 minutes, and 33 seconds
Rise and Fall of BossanovaMichael J. Bostwick13 hours, 23 minutes, and 32 seconds
Opus ClavicesmbalisticumKaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji 4 hours and 30 minutes
The WhirlwindTransatlantic1 hour 17 minutes
Apparente LibertàGiancarlo Ferrari1 hour, 16 minutes, and 47 seconds

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1. Longplayer - since 1999 to the year 2999

  • Title: Longplayer
  • Released: 1999
  • Artist: Jem Finer
  • Genre: Electronic

Longplayer is a long-duration piece of music by Jem Finer, a British composer and a famous musician. As per The Guardian, the song was composed between October 1995 and December 1999 and started to play at midnight on January 1, 2000. It is formed to loop every 1000 years; therefore, it is expected to continue without repetition until December 31, 2999.

2. Like a Wall in Which an Insect Lives and Gnaws - 5 years, 258 days, and 8 hours

  • Title: Like a Wall in Which an Insect Lives and Gnaws
  • Released: 2010
  • Artist: Bull of Heaven
  • Genre(s): Noise, Experimental, Ambient Spoken Word, Drone, Ambient Noise Wall, Glitch, Sound Collage

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Like a Wall in Which an Insect Lives and Gnaws is a song by Bull of Heaven, released on July 31, 2010. The American experimental group initially consisted of Clayton Counts and Neil Keener, with the help of various contributors. Since Clayton died in 2016, Neil has been the only member.

3. Rituals of the Elements and Feasts of the Times - 4 days and 14 hours

  • Title: Rituals of the Elements and Feasts of the Times
  • Released: 2009
  • Artist: Bull of Heaven
  • Genre: Drone, Dark, Ambient

The Rituals of the Elements and Feasts of the Times was released on October 17, 2009, and is one of the longest songs ever recorded. It is by the American experimental/avant-garde group Bull of Heaven, which is famous for their long songs.

4. Symphony of the Crown - 48 hours, 39 minutes, and 35 seconds

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  • Title: Symphony of the Crown
  • Released: 2021
  • Artist: Earthena
  • Genre: Classical

Symphony of the Crown was composed by Canadian artist Earthena and released on October 1, 2021. The song took a year to write and is 48 hours, 39 minutes, and 35 seconds long.

5. 7 Skies H3 (Can't Shut Off My Head) - 24 hours

  • Title: 7 Skies H3 (Can't Shut Off My Head)
  • Released: 2011
  • Artist: The Flaming Lips
  • Genre: Alternative/Indie, Metal

7 Skies H3 is a single, 24-hour-long song in an EP, 24 Hour Song Skull. It was recorded in 2011 at Tarbox Road Studios and was released on October 31, 2011.

It was composed by The Flaming Lips, a famous rock band formed in Oklahoma in 1983. The band comprises Steven Drozd, Wayne Coyne, Derek Brown, Tommy McKenzie, and Matt Duckworth Kirksey.

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6. The Ring Cycle - 15 hours

  • Title: The Ring Cycle
  • Released: 1876
  • Artist: Richard Wagner
  • Genre: Music dramas

The Ring Cycle, also called Der Ring des Nibelungen, was written and composed by Richard Wagner, a German composer, theatre director and singer. Wagner wrote the libretto and music for about twenty-six years, from 1848 to 1874.

As per Wagner Opera, the 15-hour song, The Ring Cycle was first performed on August 16, 1876, at the Bayreuth Festival Theatre in Bayreuth, Germany.

7. He is Cruel and Moves with Great Cunning - 13 hours, 37 minutes, and 33 seconds

  • Title: He is Cruel and Moves with Great Cunning
  • Released: 2008
  • Artist: Bull of Heaven
  • Genre: Electronic, Rock

He is Cruel and Moves with Great Cunning was composed by the famous rockstars Bull of Heaven and was released on August 24, 2008. The song takes 13 hours, 37 minutes, and 33 seconds, but its excerpt takes 1 hour, 9 minutes, and 50 seconds.

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8. Rise and Fall of Bossanova - 13 hours, 23 minutes, and 32 seconds

  • Title: The Rise and Fall of Bossanova
  • Released: 2016
  • Artist: Michael J. Bostwick
  • Genre: Onistwave

The Rise and Fall of Bossanova is the fifth album by Michael J Bostwick for his musical project Pipe Choir Three (abbreviated P C III). The album was released on November 1, 2016, through the Creative Commons independent label Pipe Choir. The song is 13 hours, 23 minutes, and 32 seconds long.

9. Opus Clavicesmbalisticum - 4 hours and 30 minutes

  • Title: Opus Clavicembalisticum
  • Released: 1930
  • Artist: Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji
  • Genre: Progressive pop and art pop

Opus Clavicembalisticum is notable for its length (4 hours and 30 minutes) and difficulty. It was composed by Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabi. It was the longest piano piece on its completion, June 25, 1930.

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10. The Whirlwind - 1 hour 17 minutes

  • Title: The Whirlwind
  • Released: October 23, 2009
  • Recorded: April 2009
  • Artist: Transatlantic
  • Genre: Progressive rock, neo-prog

The Whirlwind is the third studio album by the supergroup Transatlantic, released on October 23, 2009. The song runs for 1 hour and 17 minutes and is available in three formats: a standard edition, a double-disc special edition, and a deluxe edition with a 105-minute making-of DVD.

11. Apparente Libertà - 1 hour, 16 minutes, and 47 seconds

  • Title: Apparente Libertà
  • Released: 2011
  • Artist: Giancarlo Ferrari
  • Genre: Dance/Electronic

Apparente Libertà was composed in 2005 by the Italian musician Giancarlo Ferrari, a founding member of the gothic band Some Sad Clowns. The song is 76 minutes and 47 seconds long, making it the longest globally recorded pop song. It has over 700 verses covering 150 pages of score.

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What is the longest top 10 song?

According to Pitchfork, Don McLean's American Pie, which runs for 8 minutes and 37 seconds, has been the longest song to top the Hot 100 for over 50 years. But in 2021, Taylor Swift's song All Too Well (10 minutes and 13 seconds) scored the new longest when it reached No.1.

Which is the longest song ever played on the radio?

Thick as a Brick by the Jethro Tull band is considered among the longest songs ever played on radio. It played for over 43 minutes in the late 70s on the Denver radio station KFML. Iron Butterfly's psychedelic symphony In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida is considered the longest ever played on either American or British radio.

Is Bohemian Rhapsody the longest song?

Bohemian Rhapsody, by the British rock band Queen, was released as the lead single from their fourth studio album, A Night at the Opera. Notable for its lack of a refraining chorus, it is one of the few progressive rock songs of the 1970s to have proved accessible to a mainstream audience. But despite being 6 minutes long, it is not even close to being the longest song.

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What song is 12 minutes long?

Several songs last 12 minutes, but a notable one is Chime by British electronic group Orbital. The 12-minute track was initially recorded on cassette tape and was released in December 1989.

Above is all you would love to know about the longest song ever. Music is essential as it helps one escape the reality of life for a moment, among other benefits it comes with. Make it a habit to listen to your favourite songs and get lost in the melodies.

READ ALSO: The most famous South African musicians: top greatest artists

Briefly.co.za published an article about the most famous South African musicians. Making it in the music industry requires talent, hard work, patience, and sound production. Thus, most famous South African singers and rappers are passionate about music.

These artists invest time, money, and labour into their craft. Discover the most famous South African musicians today.

Source: Briefly News

Authors:
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Bennett Yates (Lifestyle writer) Bennett Yates is a content creator with over five years of working experience in journalism and copywriting. He graduated from the University of Nairobi (2017) with a Bachelor's in Information Technology. In 2023, Bennett finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. He started working for Briefly in 2019. You can reach him via email at bennetyates@gmail.com.

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