# Longest note held on a pop song. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 17, 2008, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-note-held-on-a-pop-song/477596 "2008-12-17T17:31:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-note-held-on-a-pop-song/477596/21 "2008-12-17T22:52:30Z")
> **[Circular breathing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circular_breathing)** > > Circular breathing is a technique used by players of some wind instruments to produce a continuous tone without interruption. It is accomplished by breathing in through the nose while simultaneously pushing air out through the mouth using air stored in the cheeks. > The technique was developed independently by several cultures and is used for many traditional wind instruments. > In the 13th century, Mongolian metalsmiths who specialized in gold and silver used circular breathing techniques for craf... \* Saxophonist Kenny G is perhaps the world’s most famous circular breather, setting a world record for holding a single note for more than 45 minutes.[1]\* ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-note-held-on-a-pop-song/477596/22 "2008-12-17T23:01:16Z")
I just timed Sinead Conner’s Troy. Several 8-9 second long notes there. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-note-held-on-a-pop-song/477596/23 "2008-12-17T23:10:54Z")
Whitney Houston, “IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Will Always Love Youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu” ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-note-held-on-a-pop-song/477596/24 "2008-12-17T23:14:25Z")
The final repetition of “Pooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooor Min’” in “Minnie the Moocher.” **Sometimes,** but not often, I can do it without pausing for breath (in karaoke). ---
**Author:** ![GraceTX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c4cdca/32.png) [@GraceTX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GraceTX)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-note-held-on-a-pop-song/477596/25 "2008-12-17T23:18:30Z")
Don’t know how long he held the note, but I saw Tom Jones on a tv show (Graham Norton? The Kumars?) talking about “Thunderball” and said he held the last note so long that he almost passed out. ---
**Author:** ![rivulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rivulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rivulus)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-note-held-on-a-pop-song/477596/26 "2008-12-18T02:38:51Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > And near the end of All Through the Night Lauper holds a high note for (and I did time it) 14 seconds. > > If you think 14 seconds doesn’t seem that long, try it with a high note and sing it as loud as you can without it turning into a scream. Actually, as a singer, I can testify that, in general, holding a long high note is a heck of a lot easier than holding a really long low note. With decent technique it takes a lot less air flow to produce a high note than a low one. (Someone else who knows physics can probably explain it.) ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-note-held-on-a-pop-song/477596/27 "2008-12-18T05:12:44Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Vivian Stanshall in “My Pink Half of the Drainpipe” (though it does sound like there was some trickery involved, like a second person picking up the note midway). 10 cc pulled a similar stunt in the song “Baron Samedi”: \*Take a sip from dripping red Make it with the living deaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad \* (note builds, reaches an inhuman pitch and cuts off abruptly) ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-note-held-on-a-pop-song/477596/28 "2008-12-18T05:23:25Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > Whitney Houston, “IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Will Always Love Youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu” That only _feels_ like an eternity. ---
**Author:** ![Freejooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ba8739/32.png) [@Freejooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freejooky)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-note-held-on-a-pop-song/477596/29 "2008-12-18T05:30:58Z")
I’ll put Dudley Klute’s vocal on the Magnetic Fields’ “Luckiest guy on the lower east side” up against anything. The final “riiiiiiiiiiide,” heard [here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhO1XlDFqxE) starting at 3:06 goes a full 15 seconds. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ea5d25/32.png) [@Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Scrappy_Hero_Pup)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-note-held-on-a-pop-song/477596/30 "2008-12-18T05:32:27Z")
Am I the first to mention “When I’m With You” by Sheriff? [Boo-Yah!](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_I%27m_with_You) What do I win? GUINNESS, bitches! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-note-held-on-a-pop-song/477596/31 "2008-12-18T09:29:43Z")
I submit [Jeff Buckely - Hallelulah](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AratTMGrHaQ) 5:57-6:13 - **16 seconds**. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-note-held-on-a-pop-song/477596/32 "2008-12-18T12:55:49Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > That only _feels_ like an eternity. _applause_ ---
**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:** [December 18, 2008, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-note-held-on-a-pop-song/477596/33 "2008-12-18T13:30:43Z")
It’s up to you New York, Neeeeewwww Yoooooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrk ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-note-held-on-a-pop-song/477596/34 "2008-12-18T19:52:29Z")
> [@Cyberhwk](#): > > I submit [Jeff Buckely - Hallelulah](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AratTMGrHaQ) > > 5:57-6:13 - **16 seconds**. As I mentioned in post 14, I timed the note at 24 seconds in his rendition from the Grace album (although I could have been off a couple of seconds). FWIW, I notice the album version of the song is 18 seconds longer than the YouTube version. ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-note-held-on-a-pop-song/477596/35 "2008-12-18T20:04:34Z")
Missed the edit window: I timed it again. It’s 22 seconds (6:10 - 6:32) instead of 24 seconds. Still. . . ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-note-held-on-a-pop-song/477596/36 "2008-12-18T20:35:33Z")
> [@Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](#): > > Am I the first to mention “When I’m With You” by Sheriff? > > [Boo-Yah!](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_I%27m_with_You) > > What do I win? > > GUINNESS, bitches! > > 😃 :smack: yes, you are. I was trying to think of this one - I could HEAR it, but couldn’t remember what song it was. In [this video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ls7cH3elBc), the final note runs 19 seconds. The final word “you”, which is not all one note, runs from 3:20-3:45, 25 seconds. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-note-held-on-a-pop-song/477596/37 "2008-12-20T19:44:59Z")
Another long note held is in the British production (and maybe American, I don’t know) of _Beauty and the Beast_, in the ballad _If I Can’t Love Her_, sung by John Barrowman, which I timed on YouTube at 17 seconds. It’s a lovely song, as is all the music in BatB. For fans of Doctor Who, [two great tastes that go great together](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeVHM1IoNyQ&feature=related). 😉 ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-note-held-on-a-pop-song/477596/38 "2008-12-20T20:32:35Z")
Amateurs, all. I have a CD called [On The Mountain 8](http://www.1037themountain.com/pages/785585.php), which is a collection of recordings that were performed live on the Seattle Radio Station [KMTT The Mountain](http://www.1037themountain.com/). The last track on the album is “Amazing Grace” by the gospel group [Blind Boys of Alabama](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_Boys_Of_Alabama). The group’s vocalist, Jimmy Carter, holds a note for **42 seconds** (at the age of 70, when this was recorded). ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-note-held-on-a-pop-song/477596/39 "2008-12-20T20:39:43Z")
> [@Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](#): > > Am I the first to mention “When I’m With You” by Sheriff? > > [Boo-Yah!](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_I%27m_with_You) > > What do I win? > > GUINNESS, bitches! > > 😃 I know - I thought this was going to be a one post thread; I guess everyone doesn’t know about this record. ---
**Author:** ![Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dread_pirate_jimbo/32/3897_2.png) [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dread_Pirate_Jimbo)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-note-held-on-a-pop-song/477596/40 "2008-12-20T20:41:55Z")
> [@Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](#): > > Am I the first to mention “When I’m With You” by Sheriff? > > [Boo-Yah!](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_I%27m_with_You) > > What do I win? > > GUINNESS, bitches! > > 😃 That was the one I thought of when I saw this OP. I had heard anecdotally that it’s generally recognized as the longest held note ever in recording history. I’ve also got it clocked in at around 25, 26 seconds. Canada represent! 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-note-held-on-a-pop-song/477596.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-note-held-on-a-pop-song/477596.md?page=3)