3 Iconic Songs With a Runtime Over 7 Minutes

The standard rule for any genre of music is that a song typically goes no longer than roughly three to four minutes. More often than not, that rule is followed and is appropriate. However, every so often, there comes a song that takes that rule and completely undermines it. Do these types of songs receive scrutiny? Yes. However, what they also receive from time to time is an iconic status.

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Songs with runtimes over seven minutes are often some of the most memorable, given that they are longer than the typical song. Although what also makes them memorable is their extended development and epicness, things that are far harder, and arguably impossible to achieve in the standard length of a song. With all that in mind, here are three tracks that became iconic by breaking the rules with a runtime over seven minutes.

“Hurricane” by Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan has never been one to follow any rules. Hence, it is no surprise that he created several songs with a runtime of over seven minutes. One of the more notable and lengthy Dylan songs is his 1976 epic ballad, “Hurricane”.

The song clocks in at 8:34 seconds, and every second of it is needed and used. Dylan uses the eight minutes to tell the tale of  Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, a boxer who received a wrongful murder conviction and served a two-decade prison sentence. It’s a nuanced story, to say the least, thus Dylan needed to capture every detail, and he did so by creating a song over seven minutes.

“Hey Jude” by The Beatles

For the majority of their careers, The Beatles could do and did do just about anything they wanted musically. So, when they were toward the end of their career in 1968, they saw nothing wrong with creating a song over seven minutes. They did just that with one of their most popular songs of all time, “Hey Jude”.

Released in 1968, “Hey Jude” became one of The Beatles’ 20 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Though more importantly, it subverted rules and showed that even if the last five minutes of the song are the same, it can still be catchy and impactful. Runtime for certain renditions differs, but the general runtime of the song is just north of seven minutes.

“Layla” by Derek and The Dominos

“Layla” is arguably the most recognizable Eric Clapton song of all time. It’s over seven minutes long, but every lick, note, and lyric keeps the momentum rolling throughout the whole tune. In other words, every second of the single is entirely captivating and to extent, unpredictable. Like a great novel, it unfolds.

Prior to the release of the single we all know and love today, the original rendition of “Layla” was significantly shortened. However, contrary to business belief, the longer version of “Layla” was more successful. Specifically, the longer version released in 1972 peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, whereas the original version only peaked at No. 51.

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