3 Super-Long One-Hit Wonders That Still Leave You Wanting More

When it comes to pop music, most songs range between three and five minutes. The track begins, then in comes the chorus, a bridge, and it’s over with. Most of the time, you don’t want to give away too much so that the listener ends up wanting to come back, wanting more. You don’t want to tire their ears out. That’s the thinking, at least.

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But sometimes artists don’t care about the rules. Sometimes they flout them, as in the case of these three songs below. Indeed, we wanted to examine three songs that all extend around 15 minutes. A threesome of one-hit wonders that all stretch out and make themselves comfortable. Do they work? Just check the charts! These are three super-long one-hit wonders that still leave you wanting more.

“In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” by Iron Butterfly from ‘In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida’ (1968)

This heavy classic rock song, which hit No. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100, has a strange title and incredible rhythmic pocket. On the original recording, Iron Butterfly extends their popular track to just over 17 minutes, providing mind-bending guitar solos and rhythms that burrow deep into your gut. A track about walking in the Garden of Eden, this 1968 number is buoyed by a catchy keyboard riff and has become timeless thanks to its vocal delivery. But everything about this long track works; it never feels tired, and somehow you never tire of it.

“Autobahn” by Kraftwerk from ‘Autobahn’ (1975)

The German-born electronic group saw Iron Butterfly’s 17-minute song and said, “Hold my beer.” Indeed, the original version of the group’s signature track “Autobahn” extends nearly 23 minutes! That’s the power of groove. Indeed, the tune, which is named after the famed German highway, is as long as a mini road trip. Thanks to this tune, which hit No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100, you could get from your house to your favorite restaurant or the mall and still have a few blessed Kraftwerk minutes to spare.

“Rapper’s Delight” by Sugarhill Gang from ‘Sugarhill Gang’ (1979)

The first-ever hip-hop crossover hit song, this track, which clocks in at just around 15 minutes, hit No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 (and No. 1 in Canada). Credited by many as being the first major commercial breakthrough when it comes to rap music, “Rapper’s Delight” shows that storytelling, wordplay, and funny references were the bones of the genre and something that a larger audience would enjoy. The length of the tune never really bothered people (though like the rest of the songs on this list, radio used shorter versions). Hip-hop fans around the globe can give thanks to this track for helping to promulgate the significant genre.

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