Personally, I love very long songs. It’s easier to get lost in their magic. And sometimes, a very good classic rock song will just keep going and going without getting boring. It’s an art form, really. In fact, I can think of more than a few classic rock songs that are over 15 minutes long, and they’re made even better because of their hefty runtimes.
To the surprise of no one, each of the following classic rock songs that are over 15 minutes long is firmly in the progressive rock category. And they’ll leave you wanting more!
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“The Gates Of Delirium” by Yes
“The Gates Of Delirium” by Yes is about 21 minutes and 50 seconds long. This prog-rock tune with a notable jazz fusion edge was released back in 1974, and it’s a standout track on the album Relayer. This fascinating odyssey of a song is based on the novel War And Peace by Leo Tolstoy. It starts with a vocal section, then an instrumental section that is meant to represent the inspiration’s “war.” The closing section is a softer arrangement, almost like a lament of sorts.
Fun fact: Halfway through the song, there is a loud crash. This wasn’t intentional. While recording the song, a pile of car parts was accidentally pushed over. The band decided to keep it in, and I think that’s a pretty cool creative choice.
“2112” by Rush
We couldn’t have a list of classic rock songs that are over 15 minutes long without mentioning this one. “2112” by Rush is an absolute classic song/suite that closes out after a 20-minute and 33-second runtime. It’s the most famous song on their 1976 record of the same name, and might just be the most well-known song of their career.
Another fun fact: In order to promote “2112”, the opening overture and the section “The Temples Of Syrinx” were released as a single, rather than the entire song.
“In Held ‘Twas In I” by Procol Harum
“In Held ‘Twas In I” by Procol Harum makes it to our list of classic rock songs that are over 15 minutes long, clocking in at 17 minutes and 31 seconds, give or take a few seconds, depending on the version you’re listening to.
Some would consider this to be a suite, or a collection of songs. Considering that some issues of the album Shine On Brightly don’t list the various movements in “In Held ‘Twas In I”, I would consider it to be one long song. No matter how you look at it, though, this is an incredible prog-rock feat from a very underrated band.
Photo by Monitor Picture Library/Avalon/Getty Images
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