What is the longest song ever recorded? Top 15 contenders
Songs are a source of inspiration and entertainment. Tunes can uplift you spiritually, improve your focus, raise your morale, and generally make you feel happier. Discover the longest song ever recorded and cool facts behind popular tracks with extremely lengthy running times. The length of some of the songs listed below is outright astonishing, brace yourselves.
Source: UGC
The standard length of songs is usually anywhere between three to ten minutes. Pop songs are typically three to four minutes long, while rock songs can be five to seven minutes long. Meanwhile, Jazz songs are around eight minutes long, and classical pieces can be over ten minutes long. Nonetheless, artists and music producers are still allowed to make longer songs. It all depends on someone's preference and their target audience.
What is the longest song ever recorded?
Music helps one escape the reality of life for a moment by relieving them from stress. The tunes from the instruments and the lyrics have a therapeutic effect on the human psyche. They can calm down your nervous system and make you feel excited. Below are the 15 longest tracks ever.
1. Long Player - since 1999 to the year 2999
- Song title: Long Player
- Released: 1999
- Artist: Jem Finer
- Songwriter(s): Jem Finer
- Genre(s): Electronic
Long Player by Jem Finer has been playing without repetition since December 31, 1999. The song began playing in a lighthouse in England and has never stopped. It will stop in 2999 when it completes its cycle — thus covering 1000 years.
Long Player is the outcome of in-depth research into musical systems. It comprises six compositions that follow precise yet simple rules. As a result, this 1000-year-long song does not repeat itself in any way.
2. Like a Wall in Which an Insect Lives and Gnaws - 5 years, 258 days, and 8 hours
- Song title: Like a Wall in Which an Insect Lives and Gnaws
- Released: 2010
- Artist: Bull of Heaven
- Songwriter(s): Bull of Heaven
- Genre(s): Noise, Experimental, Ambient Spoken Word, Drone, Ambient Noise Wall, Glitch, Sound Collage
Bull of Heaven’s Like a Wall in Which an Insect Lives and Gnaws starts a bit slow but gets pretty good around year 2, day 216, hour 14, minute 23. The song was released on July 31, 2010. The Bull of Heaven band is mainly known for its slow, lengthy, unchanging music.
3. Rituals of the Elements and Feasts of the Times - 4 days and 14 hours
- Song title: Rituals of the Elements and Feasts of the Times
- Released: 2009
- Artist: Bull of Heaven
- Songwriter(s): Bull of Heaven
- Genre(s): Drone, Dark, Ambient
The Rituals of the Elements and Feasts of the Times by Bull of Heaven is one of the longest songs ever recorded. It is an incredibly simple track from an American experimental/avant-garde group.
The song was released on October 17, 2009, and is 110 hours long (or about 1 hour if you listen to the excerpt). Although Rituals of the Elements and Feasts of the Times is way longer than it should be, most listeners can't help but love how the track sounds.
4. Symphony of the Crown - 48 hours, 39 minutes, and 35 seconds
- Song title: Symphony of the Crown
- Released: 2021
- Artist: Earthena
- Songwriter(s): Earthena
- Genre(s): Classical
The Symphony of the Crown by Canadian artist Earthena is among the world's longest-recorded songs ever. It was officially released on October 1, 2021, in King City, Ontario, Canada. Earthena took a year to compose this song.
How long is the Symphony of the Crown?
Symphony of the Crown's runtime is 48 hours, 39 minutes, and 35 seconds. You can find the song on Spotify, YouTube, and other music platforms, but it has been split into parts.
5. 7 Skies H3 (Can't Shut Off My Head) - 24 hours
- Song title: 7 Skies H3 (Can't Shut Off My Head)
- Album: 24 Hour Song Skull
- Released: 2011
- Artist: The Flaming Lips
- Songwriter(s): The Flaming Lips
- Genre(s): Alternative/Indie, Metal
7 Skies H3 (Can't Shut Off My Head) by The Flaming Lips is one of the longest songs ever in the world. It was an experimental song for the band's 24 Hour Song Skull EP. The song was released on October 31, 2011.
What is the longest song ever recorded for The Flaming Lips?
The 7 Skies H3 is the band's longest song, lasting 24 hours. The track was compiled as a contiguous song even though the rock band recorded it in separate pieces ranging from 25 minutes to 7 hours.
6. The Ring Cycle - 15 hours
- Song title: The Ring Cycle
- Released: 1876
- Songwriter(s): Richard Wagner
- Genre(s): Music dramas
The Ring Cycle by Richard Wagner is also called Der Ring des Nibelungen. The song is a cycle of four German-language epic music dramas. It took 26 years, from 1848 to 1874, for Wagner to complete this masterpiece, and it was first performed on August 16, 1876, at the Bayreuth Festival Theatre in Bayreuth, Germany.
How long does the Ring Cycle last?
A full live performance of The Ring Cycle takes a total playing time of about 15 hours, depending on the conductor's pacing. It comprises four individual operas – Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, Siegfried, and Götterdämmerung.
7. He is Cruel and Moves with Great Cunning - 13 hours, 37 minutes, and 33 seconds
- Song title: He is Cruel and Moves with Great Cunning
- Album: He is Cruel and Moves with Great Cunning
- Released: 2008
- Artist: Bull of Heaven
- Songwriter(s): Bull of Heaven
- Genre(s): Electronic, Rock
He is Cruel and Moves with Great Cunning by Bull of Heaven takes 13 hours, 37 minutes, and 33 seconds (1 hour, 9 minutes, and 50 seconds if you listen to the excerpt). The band has been churning out lengthy tracks since 2008, He is Cruel and Moves with Great Cunning, being one of them.
8. Rise and Fall of Bossanova - 13 hours, 23 minutes, and 32 seconds
- Song title: The Rise and Fall of Bossanova
- Album: The Rise and Fall of Bossanova
- Released: 2016
- Artist: Pipe Choir Three (P C III)
- Songwriter(s): Michael J. Bostwick
- Genre(s): Onistwave
The Rise and Fall of Bossanova was Michael J. Bostwick's fifth album. He made the album for his musical project Pipe Choir Three (P C III) and released it on November 1, 2016, through the Creative Commons independent label, the Pipe Choir.
How long is The Rise and Fall of Bossanova?
The song is 13 hours, 23 minutes, and 32 seconds long. Despite being broken into five tracks, many still consider The Rise and Fall of Bossanova album a continuous song.
The album held the Guinness World Record from 2016 to 2020 for the longest song officially released before Symphony of the Crown was released.
9. Opus Clavicesmbalisticum - 4 hours and 30 minutes
- Song title: Opus Clavicembalisticum
- Released: 1930
- Artist: Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji
- Songwriter(s): Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji
- Genre(s): Progressive pop and art pop
Opus Clavicembalisticum is one of the longest piano songs ever recorded. It was composed by piano artist Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji. He completed making the track on June 25, 1930. It was a dedication to Christopher Murray Grieve (Scottish poet, journalist, essayist, and political figure).
How long is Sorabji's Opus Clavicesmbalisticum?
The track is 4 hours and 30 minutes long but can take 5 hours, depending on the tempo of your piano performance. Opus Clavicembalisticum is best recognized for its length, complex techniques, and mental strength needed to play.
10. The Whirlwind - 1 hour 17 minutes
The Whirlwind is the third studio album by the Transatlantic progressive rock and metal band. The song was released on October 23, 2009. The Whirlwind is one of the longest-running songs ever.
How long is The Whirlwind by Transatlantic?
The song runs for 77 minutes and is available in three formats, including a standard edition, a double-disc special edition, and a deluxe edition.
11. Apparente Libertà - 1 hour, 16 minutes, and 47 seconds
- Song title: Apparente Libertà
- Album: Apparente Libertà
- Released: 2011
- Artist: Giancarlo Ferrari
- Writer(s): Giancarlo Ferrari
- Genre(s): Dance/Electronic
Apparente Libertà is the longest pop song ever recorded worldwide. It is a synth-pop track with repetitive tones and uses sequencers and trackers. The song is 76 minutes and 47 seconds long. It has over 700 verses covering 150 pages of score. Apparente Libertà was composed in 2005 by the Italian musician Giancarlo Ferrari, a founding member of the Some Sad Clowns gothic rock band.
12. The Devil Glitch - 1 hour and 9 minutes
- Song title: The Devil Glitch
- Album: The Devil Glitch
- Released: 1996
- Artist: Chris Butler
- Writer(s): Chris Butler
- Genre(s): Alternative/Indie, Rock, Folk
Chris Butler holds the 1997 Guinness Book of World Records for the longest pop song recording, a 69-minute song titled The Devil Glitch. It held the title of the longest pop song until it was uncrowned by Apparente Libertà by Giancarlo Ferrari. The actual length of The Devil Glitch is an hour and nine minutes, which still makes it one of the longest songs on Spotify.
13. Organ2/ASLSP (As Slow as Possible) - About an hour
- Song title: As Slow as Possible
- Released: 1987
- Artist: John Cage
- Writer(s): John Cage
- Genre(s): Musical piece
As Slow as Possible by John Cage is one of the longest-lasting musical performances yet undertaken. Cage wrote As Slow as Possible in 1987 for organ as an adaptation of his 1985 composition ASLSP for piano. The score consists of eight pages of music to be played at the piano or organ.
How long is As Slow as Possible by John Cage?
Cage's performance often lasted about an hour, and he didn't suggest a tempo marking in his original score. The performance of the song in the piano version lasts from 20 to 70 minutes, depending on the pianist.
14. Light Of Day, Day Of Darkness - About an hour
- Song title: Light of Day, Day of Darkness
- Album: Light of Day, Day of Darkness
- Released: 2001
- Artist: Green Carnation
- Writer(s): Terje Vik Schei,
- Genre(s): Doom metal, Gothic metal, Art rock
The Light of Day, Day of Darkness by the Green Carnation is a Norwegian progressive metal piece. One of the band's founding members, Terje Vik Schei (alias Tchort), composed it. The Light of Day, Day of Darkness, is one of the longest recorded metal songs. The 60-minute was released in 2001 by a German record label called Prophecy Productions. They combined different instruments not commonly used in metal to create death metal twinges and growls in this song.
15. Fools Gold - 9 minutes and 53 seconds
- Song title: Fool's Gold
- Album: The Stone Roses
- Released: 1989
- Artist: The Stone Roses
- Songwriter(s): Ian Brown and John Squire
- Genre(s): Alternative/Indie, Rock, Folk
Fool's Gold by British rock band The Stone Roses is 9 minutes and 53 seconds long. It was written by Ian Brown and John Squire and produced by John Leckie. Fool's Gold was released on November 13, 1989, and was the band's first single to reach the top ten of the UK Singles Chart.
What is the meaning of Fool's Gold by Stone Roses?
The song was inspired by John Huston's 1948 film, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, which is about three skint men who betray each other after putting their money together to get equipment for mining gold.
What is the longest song ever?
The world has witnessed numerous artists and music producers release exceptionally long songs. Some of the 15 longest ones are:
- Long Player - since 1999 to the year 2999
- Like a Wall in Which an Insect Lives and Gnaws - 5 years, 258 days, and 8 hours
- Rituals of the Elements and Feasts of the Times - 4 days and 14 hours
- Symphony of the Crown - 48 hours, 39 minutes, and 35 seconds
- 7 Skies H3 (Can't Shut Off My Head) - 24 hours
- The Ring Cycle - 15 hours
- He is Cruel and Moves with Great Cunning - 13 hours, 37 minutes, and 33 seconds
- Rise and Fall of Bossanova - 13 hours, 23 minutes, and 32 seconds
- Opus Clavicesmbalisticum - 4 hours and 30 minutes
- The Whirlwind - 1 hour 17 minutes
- Apparente Libertà - 1 hour, 16 minutes, and 47 seconds
- The Devil Glitch - 1 hour and 9 minutes
- Organ2/ASLSP (As Slow as Possible) - About an hour
- Light Of Day, Day Of Darkness - About an hour
- Fool's Gold - 9 minutes and 53 seconds
What is the longest-running song ever?
Long Player by Jem Finer is the longest song ever recorded. It began playing (nonstop and without repetition) in a lighthouse in England on December 31, 1999. The song will complete its cycle and stop in the year 2999.
What's the longest song ever recorded?
Like a Wall in Which an Insect Lives and Gnaws by the Bull of Heaven is one of the longest songs ever recorded. It is 5 years, 258 days, and 8 hours long.
What is the most bizarre longest song ever?
7 Skies H3 (Can't Shut Off My Head) by The Flaming Lips is one of the most bizarre, longest songs ever. It was released in 2011 and runs 24 hours.
What is the longest song ever to Chart on the Billboard Hot 100?
Fear Inoculum by Tool is the longest song ever to enter the Billboard Hot 100. The song was released in August 2019 and runs for 10 minutes and 21 seconds. It sounds relatively minuscule but is still an impressive feat compared to shorter other songs.
What is the longest song ever made?
The Rise and Fall of Bossanova by PC III is among the longest songs ever made. The song is 13 hours, 23 minutes, and 32 seconds long. It was written by Michael J. Bostwick and performed by the Pipe Choir Three (P C III) in 2016.
What is the longest song ever played on the radio?
Thick as a Brick by the Jethro Tull band is among the longest songs ever played on the radio. It played for over 43 minutes in the '70s on the Denver radio station KFML. Technically, the song comes in two 20+ minute parts, but the station played it as a single track.
What is the longest rock song ever recorded?
Thick as a Brick by the Jethro Tull band is among the longest popular rock songs ever recorded. The song is 43 minutes and 46 seconds long.
What is the longest song ever recorded?
According to Guinness World Records, A Quantum Christmas Song by Mark Christopher Lee and The Pocket Gods (UK) is officially the longest-released song. It is 115 hr 45 min long and was recorded in St Albans, Hertfordshire, UK, on December 1, 2021.
What are some of the most popular longest songs ever?
If you want to listen to some popular longest songs ever that are not overwhelmingly long, you can listen to these cool songs:
- The Blue Room by The Orb - 39 minutes and 58 seconds
- Echoes by Pink Floyd - 23 minutes and 35 seconds
- Autobahn by Kraftwerk - 22 minutes and 43 seconds
- Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Iron Maiden - 13 minutes and 39 seconds
- Shine on You Crazy Diamond by Pink Floyd - 26 minutes and 01 second
- Elegia by New Order - 17 minutes and 30 seconds
- Sister Ray by The Velvet Underground - 17 minutes and 28 seconds
- Cop Shoot Cop by Spiritualized - 17 minutes and 14 seconds
- Dogs by Pink Floyd - 17 minutes and 05 seconds
- Mogwai Fear Satan by Mogwai - 16 minutes and 09 seconds
- Weekender by Flowered Up - 12 minutes and 53 seconds
- Chime by Orbital - 12 minutes and 46 seconds
- The End by The Doors - 11 minutes and 43 seconds
- Coma by Guns N’ Roses - 11 minutes and 16 seconds
- In My Time of Dying by Zed Zeppelin - 11 minutes and 06 seconds
- Come Together by Primal Scream - 10 minutes and 21 seconds
- Station To Station by David Bowie - 10 minutes and 14 seconds
You can find sections of the longest song ever recorded on music streaming platforms but not the entire piece. Like other longest songs in the world, the track cannot be assembled in any known operating system. Therefore, they are split into sections people can listen to for a few hours and even play on loop/repeat mode.
Legit.ng listed Naija throwback songs that remind the older generation of the good old days. These songs can instantly remind you of the first time you heard them play.
Naija throwback songs from the '90s and 2000s were a defining point in the West African music scene. The top 50 songs listed in the article are favorites of many.
Source: Legit.ng
Night Mongina (Lifestyle writer) Night Mongina is an article writer with an experience of three years. She has been working as a writer in Legit.ng since August 2021. She won the Writer of the Year Award on Legit in 2023. Night worked with (KNA) Kenya News Agency as a freelance writer (2016-2017). She graduated with a Diploma in Health Records and Information from Kisii University in 2018. In 2023, Night finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. In March 2024, she completed the Google News Initiative course. Email: nightmongina@gmail.com
Peris Walubengo (Lifestyle writer) Peris Walubengo is a content creator with 3 years of experience in writing informational and entertainment articles, researching, editing, and proofreading. She has a Bachelor of Commerce & IT from the University of Nairobi (class of 2019). She joined Legit.ng in April 2022. She covers bios, marketing & finance, tech, fashion & beauty, recipes, movies and video game reviews, culture & traveling. In 2023, Peris finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. Email: perisrodah254@gmail.com.
