# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525/21 "2006-05-06T00:37:27Z")
For short, my definite fave is “The Wrong Company,” by Flogging Molly. Honorable mentions to “Anarchy for Sale,” by the Dead Kennedys, “Ringo no Uta,” as interpreted by Voltaire, “We are 138” and “Who Killed Marilyn?” by the Misfits, and “Why Don’t We Do It In the Road?,” by the Beatles. I could add a few more, I’m sure. For the long ones, we’ve first got a couple of things you probably can call neither ‘pop’ nor ‘songs,’ Green Carnation’s “Light of Day, Day of Darkness” (at 60:00) and Edge of Sanity’s “Crimson” (at 40:00). For something that’s genuinely ‘pop,’ we’ve got the extended version of Falco’s “Rock Me, Amadeus,” Meat Loaf’s “Bat Out of Hell” and “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” (a personal favourite of mine, heh. :D). ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525/22 "2006-05-06T01:01:26Z")
[QUOTE=fishbicycle] Over Eight Minutes: Chuck Berry - My Ding-A-Ling (live) (11:34) [/QUOTE] Oh, hell no. The fact that this is Chuck Berry’s only #1 song is proof that there is no God. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525/23 "2006-05-06T01:13:26Z")
I agree. The man who singlehandedly invented his own kind of rock and roll is immortalized on the charts by a double-entendre song. There is no justice. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525/24 "2006-05-06T01:23:43Z")
I was rereading my list, and I thought it would be interesting to note that all of those songs were released in severely edited versions on singles, except “Down By The River” and “Stop.” ---
**Author:** ![awldune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@awldune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/awldune)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525/25 "2006-05-06T01:57:21Z")
The Smiths’ _Please Please Please Let Me Get what I Want_: 1:52 ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525/26 "2006-05-06T04:38:43Z")
[QUOTE=riker1384] No **Stairway to Heaven**? [/QUOTE] Nobody’s mentioned that other song everybody yells at concerts either. I think it’s because the thread title includes the word “best.” ---
**Author:** ![Monkey\_Chews](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/65b543/32.png) [@Monkey\_Chews](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monkey_Chews)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525/27 "2006-05-06T06:03:10Z")
Short: “Enough” by [Faker](http://www.faker.com.au/) (at 1:43) Long: “He’s Simple, He’s Dumb, He’s the Pilot” by **Grandaddy** (at 8:52) “Fool’s Gold” by the **Stone Roses** (at 9:54) ---
**Author:** ![Gail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Gail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gail)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525/28 "2006-05-06T12:22:41Z")
Under 2 minutes: _The Wind_ by Cat Stevens ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525/29 "2006-05-06T12:34:11Z")
Has anyone ever heard of a band called **The Ramones**? Judy is a Punk - 1:25 Blitzkrieg Bop - 1:58 I don’t wanna walk around with you 1:32 Cretin hop 1:52 ---
**Author:** ![DfrntBreign](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@DfrntBreign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DfrntBreign)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525/30 "2006-05-06T16:23:36Z")
[QUOTE=Marley23] Nobody’s mentioned that other song everybody yells at concerts either. I think it’s because the thread title includes the word “best.” [/QUOTE] What, you don’t like “Whipping Post”? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525/31 "2006-05-06T18:22:06Z")
I was going to mention that **“Stay” by Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs** is also the shortest song to hit #1 on the charts. Interesting that this song (Maurice Williams’ and Jackson Browne’s version) is probably the only one that qualifies for _both_ lists. ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525/32 "2006-05-06T19:43:48Z")
[QUOTE=cactus waltz] I don’t remember the exact time of **Television** ’s Marquee Moon, but it’s pretty darn worth listening to in any case. [/QUOTE] Heh, I just happen to be listening to it at this moment. It’s 10 minutes 47 seconds. ---
**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 6, 2006, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525/33 "2006-05-06T21:12:53Z")
There seems to be some debate whether “Stairway to Heaven” is over 8 minutes long or not. I have seenit listed as 8:03 in some places, but I am almost positive on Zep IV it is listed as 7:55. Maybe a timed playing is in order. ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525/34 "2006-05-07T02:24:56Z")
How long is “Hey Jude”? On what album does it appear? Also, what about “Rock Show” by Paul McCartney & Wings…how long is that one? ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525/35 "2006-05-07T04:43:10Z")
“Hey Jude” is 7:11, and found on “Past Masters 2” , “1967-1970” and “1”. “Venus And Mars / Rock Show” runs 6:50. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525/36 "2006-05-07T04:46:42Z")
[QUOTE=Wee Bairn] There seems to be some debate whether “Stairway to Heaven” is over 8 minutes long or not. I have seenit listed as 8:03 in some places, but I am almost positive on Zep IV it is listed as 7:55. Maybe a timed playing is in order. [/QUOTE] The All Music Guide says 8:03 and Wikipedia says 8:02. Just to throw some inconclusive information out there. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525/37 "2006-05-07T04:56:40Z")
“Stairway To Heaven” on _The Complete Studio Recordings_ has an actual running length of 7:59, but the silence after the track brings it to 8:03. ---
**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 7, 2006, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525/38 "2006-05-07T07:20:33Z")
[QUOTE=bup] Has anyone ever heard of a band called **The Ramones**? Judy is a Punk - 1:25 Blitzkrieg Bop - 1:58 I don’t wanna walk around with you 1:32 Cretin hop 1:52 [/QUOTE] The Ra-who? …totally forgot about them. ---
**Author:** ![mamboman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecb155/32.png) [@mamboman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mamboman)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525/39 "2006-05-07T09:01:29Z")
“Meant for You” by The Beach Boys, the greatest 41 second song in the history of rawk! And for the long ones, how about “Machine Gun” by Jimi Hendirx at what? 12:44? That’s some rockin’ out there! mm ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525/40 "2006-05-07T09:22:53Z")
Hi **fishbicycle**. I came into this thread specifically to mention _The Letter_ by **The Boxtops** (16yo Alex Chilton on vocals) and you already said it. Geez. And, your list was soooooooo extensive. I think I’m in love. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-under-2-minute-and-over-8-minute-pop-songs/355525.md?page=3)