3 Long Songs From 1984 That Are So Good, They Could Have Been Longer

You can define the 1980s by many things, but restraint isn’t one of them. And in 1984, there were plenty of long songs to match culture’s commercial appetite. Pop music then felt more earnest, as sky-high choruses aimed for equally sky-high hair. Artists pushed the boundaries of albums as well as radio singles, with MTV as another outlet for maximum expression. And I think you’ll agree that these lengthy classics from 1984 are so good, they could have been longer.

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“Purple Rain” by Prince

I’m not sure there’s a ballad I’d rather listen to than “Purple Rain”. First, it’s the evolution of gospel, soul, and rock music condensed into a single, nearly nine-minute cathartic jam. In another universe, Stevie Nicks records an Americana version. However, once Revolution guitarist Wendy Melvoin began playing the iconic guitar chords, something changed. The band recorded the song live at First Avenue in Minneapolis. Then Prince took the track to a studio in Los Angeles for overdubs. He whittled down the arrangement from its initial 13 minutes. But few would have minded if he’d left it longer.

“Creeping Death” by Metallica

Metallica’s “Creeping Death”, inspired by the biblical plagues, borrowed one of its riffs from Kirk Hammett’s former band, Exodus. Following Hammett’s frantic guitar solo, the track breaks down into a chant: “Die by my hand!” You can find the Exodus demo of “Die By His Hand” online to hear Hammett interpolate a riff he had written as a teen. Returning to the plagues, Metallica’s dark epic and complex arrangement foreshadows songs like “Master Of Puppets” and “One”, both of which helped lift heavy metal from the underground and into the mainstream. They also proved, against conventional wisdom, that audiences longed for something more daring than brief radio singles.

“Radio Ga Ga” by Queen

It’s fitting for Queen’s synth classic to have inspired Lady Gaga’s stage name. Gaga has herself recorded many dramatic hits expertly veneered in glossy 80s production. “Radio Ga Ga” was written by drummer Roger Taylor, who layered electronic and acoustic drums to create what became a stadium anthem. Taylor’s young son inspired the gibberish title after hearing a song on the radio that he didn’t like. “Radio caca,” said the kid. In Freddie Mercury’s voice, the hook feels like a plea for worthwhile communication. Occasionally, a child’s unfiltered bursts reveal a kind of wisdom. I’m a grown man, and yet I still yell “caca” at my phone. But this track is the opposite of the kid’s thumbs-down, and it could have kept going.

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