4 Epic Songs That Sound Like They Are Composed of Different Songs

In its infancy, rock and roll was primal. It was Little Richard’s high energy and risqué R&B. It was Elvis Presley’s hips forcing the TV cameras to point elsewhere. But soon enough, rock artists began tinkering with more sophisticated arrangements. Bob Dylan, with “Like A Rolling Stone”, had already stretched radio’s tolerance for longer epic songs, with The Beach Boys and The Beatles soon following with timeless epics of their own. The tradition continues as you’ll hear in these four majestic tunes.

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“Paranoid Android” by Radiohead

Thom Yorke described “Paranoid Android” as half “Bohemian Rhapsody” and half “Happiness Is A Warm Gun”. While Ed O’Brien said, to him, it sounds like “Queen meets the Pixies”. Composed of multiple parts from separate takes, producer Nigel Godrich stitched it all together with difficult tape edits. Before the final version arrived, the band experimented with an even longer arrangement, which included an organ solo by Jonny Greenwood. Eventually, Radiohead abandoned the Deep Purple vibes and landed on the proggy epic you hear on OK Computer.

“One” by Metallica

When Metallica released the music video for “One”, it challenged conventional wisdom around what is and isn’t commercially viable music. The band proved there was an audience for dark, complex music. “One” is built on quiet verses and loud choruses as James Hetfield sings about the plight of a wounded soldier. At around four and a half minutes, the thrash ballad transitions into a new movement. Driven by the double-bass drumming of Lars Ulrich, the band barrels through a riff like the staccato sound of a machine gun. It all peaks with a speedy guitar solo by Kirk Hammett. “One” not only brought Metallica to mainstream audiences, but it also raised thrash metal from the underground.

“All Around The World” by Oasis

Noel Gallagher wrote “All Around The World” years before it landed on the third Oasis album. Gallagher didn’t want to record the song until the band had a budget for the orchestrated version he envisioned. Think of it as Britpop’s “Hey Jude”. The track is nearly 10 minutes long with an additional reprise culled from the original arrangement. You can also hear the psychedelic turns of “A Day In The Life” as Oasis moves from one key to the next. Within the walls of guitars, you’ll notice a tour of British guitar history: Peter Green, George Harrison, Johnny Marr, and John Squire. There are so many hooks here, you could have broken this into multiple tunes and ended up with a handful of new singles.

“Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen

Since Thom Yorke mentioned “Bohemian Rhapsody”, it’s a fitting song to end with. Queen’s defining suite fuses a rock ballad with a rock opera. But the most striking part is how the band avoids a returning chorus. “Bohemian Rhapsody” continues to unfold into new sections that culminate in Freddie Mercury’s track-busting chorale. Meanwhile, Brian May recorded multiple tracks of guitar, creating a distorted pocket symphony of shredding. Queen’s classic follows “A Day In The Life” and “Good Vibrations” as the ultimate blueprint for a song composed of drastic scene changes.

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