Top Longest Songs, Sorted in Order of Excellence

In the era of TikTok-optimized tracks, it's refreshing to find solace in the antidote of long songs. With a minimum length of eight minutes, these extended musical journeys offer a captivating experience that's hard to find in tracks less than two minutes long. Today, we're delving into the world of the best long songs, presenting a ranked list that's sure to keep you engrossed.

First up, we have "Runaway" by Kanye West, a standout track from his album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Clocking in at 9 minutes and 7 seconds, "Runaway" is considered the centrepiece of the album. Its lyrics revolve around acknowledging douchebaggery and toasting to it, making for an intriguing listen.

Another noteworthy long song is Lana Del Rey's "Venice Bitch", with a duration of 9 minutes and 37 seconds. This song features an extended vocoder section, adding a unique twist to its melody. Despite its length, "Venice Bitch" didn't make it to our ranked list, but it's definitely worth a spin.

The list of the best long songs disregards a lot of jazz and electronic music due to extended solos and repetition. Instead, it focuses on songs that are truly great all the way through, whether they're constructed of different sections or the same section extended to a heroic length.

Interestingly, the average song intro length decreased from 20 seconds in the 1980s to five seconds in the 2010s, a stark contrast to these lengthy tracks. Instrumental sections tacked onto songs, such as "Free Bird", "Marquee Moon", and "I Am the Resurrection", are not included in our list either.

We advise readers not to skip through the list of long songs. While it might be tempting to move on to the next track, these songs offer a rich, immersive experience that's worth the time investment.

The search results do not provide information about other artists listed in the top 10 best long songs besides Kanye West and Lana Del Rey. However, rest assured that each song on the list is a testament to the power of long-form music.

So, the next time you're in the mood for something more than a two-minute track, give our list of the best long songs a try. You might just find your new favourite song!