# Best under 2 minute and over 8 minute pop songs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 5, 2006, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525 "2006-05-05T13:21:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525/1 "2006-05-05T13:21:03Z")
My vote: Under 2 minutes: The Slits- Shoplifting (10 quid for the lot? We pay fuckall!!) Over 8 minutes: Desolation Row- Bob Dylan, only b/c I don’t know how long the live version of “Maggot Brain” on the “One Nation” lp is. To hijack my own OP- speaking of “Shoplifitng”, does anyone know why there appear to be two versions of this? The version I have is of unknown origin and contains the line “Babylon Ren(?) won’t miss it much”, while all the lyric sites I have checked substitute “Mr. Paki” for Babylon Ren? Was one for the US, one for UK, if so which is which and why? Was “Mr. Paki” considered offensive in 1980? And besides a mondegreen, what is a babylon ren anyway? ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525/2 "2006-05-05T13:41:18Z")
For longer one: Jungleland by Bruce Springsteen at 9:35. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525/3 "2006-05-05T13:47:18Z")
Hmm… just looked at my music library here at work to see if I had anything worth mentioning that fit either. Nothing in the over 8 category. For under 2: - Not really a full song, but the a capella snippet of ‘whiskey and wine’ from Lisa Brokop’s “undeniable” album is great. Much better, actually, than the full studio version of the song. 51 seconds long - TMBG Particle man comes in just under the wire at 1 minute, 59 secs - “Where do we go from here” off the Buffy musical soundtrack. 1 minute 52. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525/4 "2006-05-05T14:40:56Z")
Under Two Minutes: Elvis Presley - That’s All Right Mama (1:58) Fats Domino - Whole Lotta Loving (1:40) Eddie Cochran - Twenty Flight Rock (1:40) Eddie Cochran - Summertime Blues (1:55) The Swinging Blue Jeans - The Hippy Hippy Shake (1:40) Richie Valens - Ooh My Head (1:47) Little Richard - Ooh! My Soul (1:48) The Clovers - Love Potion #9 (1:52) Elvis Presley - (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear (1:45) Elvis Presley - All Shook Up (1:56) Fats Domino - I’m In Love Again (1:55) Jerry Lee Lewis - Great Balls Of Fire (1:57) The Everly Brothers - Wake Up Little Susie (1:57) Elvis Presley - Don’t Be Cruel (1:59) Elvis Presley - Blue Suede Shoes (1:58) The Diamonds - Ka Ding Dong (1:58) Fats Domino - Walking To New Orleans (1:55) Jimmy Jones - Handy Man (1:38) Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs - Stay (1:36) Chuck Berry - I’m Talking About You (1:46) Ray Charles - Hit The Road, Jack (1:56) Joey Dee & The Starliters - Peppermint Twist (1:56) Chris Kenner - I Like It Like That (1:55) The Beach Boys - 409 (1:58) Freddy Cannon - Palisades Park (1:50) Frank Ifield - I Remember You (1:56) Clyde McPhatter - Lover Please (1:52) Tommy Roe - Sheila (1:59) The Beach Boys - Little Deuce Coupe (1:46) The Beatles - From Me To You (1:54) The Chiffons - He’s So Fine (1:51) Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs - Sugar Shack (1:59) Cliff Richard & The Shadows - Bachelor Boy (1:58) The Beach Boys - When I Grow Up (To Be A Man) (1:58) The Dave Clark Five - Bits And Pieces (1:57) Roger Miller - Dang Me (1:48) James Brown - Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag (1:59) Herman’s Hermits - I’m Henry VIII, I Am (1:49) Herman’s Hermits - A Must To Avoid (1:54) (Jimmy Page, guitar) Tom Jones - It’s Not Unusual (1:58) The Box Tops - The Letter (1:58) ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525/5 "2006-05-05T14:51:44Z")
Over 8 minutes: When come back, bring [American Pie](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_398b.html) ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525/6 "2006-05-05T15:15:13Z")
My personal votes 🙂 Short: White Stripes, Fell in Love with a Girl, 1:50 Long: Arlo Guthrie, Alice’s Restaraunt Massacree, 18:36 ---
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525/7 "2006-05-05T15:17:45Z")
I don’t remember the exact time of **Television** ’s Marquee Moon, but it’s pretty darn worth listening to in any case. ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525/8 "2006-05-05T15:27:07Z")
I have a soft spot for the 17-minute [In A Gadda Da Vida](http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/22/messages/898.html) by the one-hit-wonder Iron Butterfly. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525/9 "2006-05-05T15:33:50Z")
Pikers! For long songs: **Pink Floyd** : Atom Heart Mother (23:44), Echoes (23:27), Shine On You Crazy Diamond (total of 26+ minutes), plus Astronomy Domine; Careful with that Axe, Eugene; Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun; A Saucerful of Secrets, High Hopes and many other greater than 8 minutes. **Jethro Tull** : Thick as a Brick (43 minutes) **Soft Machine** : Facelift, Slightly All the Time, Moon In June, and Out-Bloody-Rageous (all clock in at over 18 minutes) **Jaime Brockett** : Legend of the USS Titanic (13:32) **Procul Harum** : In Held 'Twas I (17:34) Short Songs: **The Beatles** : Her Majesty (32 seconds), Mean Mr. Mustard (1:06), Polythene Pam (1:12). **Traffic** : We’re a Fade, You Missed This (52 seconds) (actually, it’s an extra code to “Paper Sun,” but was released as a separate track on the US version of “Mr. Fantasy.”) **Cream** : Mother’s Lament (1:47) **Procul Harum** : Good Captain Clack (1:31) If I picked one of each, I’d go with “Shine on You Crazy Diamond” for long song, and “Her Majesty” as short. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525/10 "2006-05-05T15:58:10Z")
**Blur** - Song 2 ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525/11 "2006-05-05T16:01:57Z")
I Would Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That) ---
**Author:** ![wheelie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b4bc9f/32.png) [@wheelie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wheelie)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525/12 "2006-05-05T17:41:17Z")
Shortest song I’ve got : “Short Songs” by Dead Kennedys, 27 seconds. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525/13 "2006-05-05T17:52:05Z")
“Terminal Preppie” is one of the Kennedys’ funnier songs, I think, and it’s only 1:30. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525/14 "2006-05-05T18:22:31Z")
“In the Light of Day” by Steven Winwood is great, and it’s about 8 1/2 minutes, I think. And is “Hotel California” by the Eagles over 8 minutes? Maybe not. Both rock. ---
**Author:** ![some\_white\_dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b487fb/32.png) [@some\_white\_dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/some_white_dude)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525/15 "2006-05-05T19:17:47Z")
Short: “The Way I Feel Inside” by **The Zombies**. A beautiful vocal melody, sung a capella for half of the song. “#1 Hit Song” by **The Minutemen**. A lot of their songs qualify, but this is one of my favorites from _Double Nickels on the Dime_. “I Will” by **Radiohead**. One of the best tracks on _Hail to the Thief_. Long: “Sister Ray” by **The Velvet Underground**. I LOVE this song. “The Mariner’s Revenge Song” by **The Decemberists**. A dark, Poe-like revenge tale. “Spiders (Kidsmoke)” by **Wilco**. Some find this too long and boring, but I think it’s worth it for those little rock-outs that are placed in the middle of the song. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525/16 "2006-05-05T20:40:39Z")
A great long song is “Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys” by Traffic, at around 11:30, I think. I’ll have some more for you this evening when I can spend some time with the collection. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525/17 "2006-05-05T21:01:56Z")
> [@Jackknifed Juggernaut](#): > > **Blur** - Song 2 The Wikipedia entry for the single lists it at 2 minutes even, while the entry for the album it is drawn from lists it at 2:01. Then again, Wikipedia has burned me before. ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525/18 "2006-05-05T21:43:25Z")
No **Stairway to Heaven**? I knew my Itunes sorting capabilities would come in handy in some emergency. Here’s a couple over 8 minutes: **November Rain** by Guns & Roses maybe **Money for Nothing** by Dire Straits second the Meatloaf A number of Rush songs are relevant. Also I don’t know if it’s really pop or a song, but I like **Sing Sing Sing (with a Swing)** which is a Jazz tune. 12 minutes performed by Benny Goodman at Carnegie Hall. Better than Where Do We Go from Buffy is **Under Your Spell/Standing Reprise** which is short. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525/19 "2006-05-05T23:14:56Z")
Over Eight Minutes: George Benson - This Masquerade (8:02) Electric Light Orchestra - Roll Over Beethoven (8:08) Foghat - Slow Ride (8:13) Billy Idol - White Wedding (Parts 1 & 2) (12" single mix) (8:22) Bloodrock - D.O.A. (8:25) Ramsey Lewis - Sun Goddess (8:28) Yes - Roundabout (8:30) The Rolling Stones - Miss You (12" single version) (8:45) Tears For Fears - Mothers Talk (Beat Of The Drum mix) (8:50) Jackson Browne - The Load Out / Stay (9:00) Neil Young - Down By The River (9:16) Kraftwerk - Autobahn (22:43) Grand Funk Railroad - I’m Your Captain (10:08) Deep Purple - River Deep, Mountain High (10:09) The Chambers Brothers - Time Has Come Today (11:02) Chuck Berry - My Ding-A-Ling (live) (11:34) The Temptations - Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone (11:44) Peter Frampton - Do You Feel Like We Do (live) (14:15) Stars On 45 - Beatles Medley (15:32) The James Gang - Stop (11:42) ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525/20 "2006-05-06T00:15:07Z")
I’m not sure what counts as “pop” any more, so here are just some good under-two-minute songs in my collection Throwing Toasters “[She’s Like](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005AUC7/qid=1146874108/sr=8-5/ref=sr_1_5/104-5843616-4986321?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=468646)” 1:39 Cursive “Some Red Handed Slide of Hand” 1:45 Visqueen “[My House](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00008OEJJ/qid=1146874153/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/104-5843616-4986321?v=glance&n=468646)” 1:58 The Flesh “The Lack” 1:55 The Offspring “Bloodstains” 1:53 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525.md?page=2)