November Rain on Top 10 list of "Singles longer than six minutes"

[Spirit]

Here's the list:


1. 'Like a Rolling Stone' by Bob Dylan (6min 13sec, 1965). Nominated by Calum Galleitch.

2. 'MacArthur Park' by Richard Harris (7min 21sec, 1968) and Donna Summer (6min 28sec, 1978). Thanks to Tim Mickleburgh.

3. 'Hey Jude' by The Beatles (7min 11sec, 1968). Suggested by Mitchell Stirling.

4. 'Sympathy for the Devil' by the Rolling Stones, album track 1968 but released as a single in continental Europe (6min 18sec, 1973). Nominated by Ian Moss.

5. 'O Superman' by Laurie Anderson (8min 21sec, 1981). From Chris Gibbon.

6. 'Mama' by Genesis (6min 7sec, 1983).

7. 'I'm Not in Love' by 10CC (6min 10sec, 1975).

8. 'November Rain' by Guns N'Roses (8min 53sec, 1992). From Richard Tolbart and Luke Mussa.

9. 'Hallelujah' Leonard Cohen's 1984 version is 4min 36sec, but Jeff Buckley's (2007) is 6min 53sec. From Moyeen Islam.

10. 'Belfast Child' by Simple Minds (6min 39sec, 1989). Another from Tim Mickleburgh. Nominated by Jon Sopel



http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/the-top-ten-singles-longer-than-six-minutes-10026632.html

[Spirit]

So what do you guys think? Is it possible for a single this long to be placing on the charts nowadays?

[mortismurphy]

I instantly thought reading that list, ''where is Bohemian Rhapsody?' only to discover it is 5 seconds short!

[TheBaconman]

So what do you guys think? Is it possible for a single this long to be placing on the charts nowadays?

Oh Ya.    If it's a good song it's a good song.   Radio play would be tough to get for a song that long though.  So guns would have to have a shorter lengthed song to lead with, that is a hit.   That builds to fans discovering a longer one

This list however is weird.   Some classics but some weird ones.   

[Axl4Prez2004]

Nov Rain definitely worthy...but
No Stairway?
No Freebird?
Tuesday's Gone?
Fade to Black?
Estranged...it's gotta be tough to narrow it down to just 10 songs.

[Spirit]

Nov Rain definitely worthy...but
No Stairway?
No Freebird?
Tuesday's Gone?
Fade to Black?
Estranged...it's gotta be tough to narrow it down to just 10 songs.

Stairway, Tuesday's Gone and Fade To Black were never released as singles.

But I agree, I would have swapped some songs on that list.

[Axl4Prez2004]

Nov Rain definitely worthy...but
No Stairway?
No Freebird?
Tuesday's Gone?
Fade to Black?
Estranged...it's gotta be tough to narrow it down to just 10 songs.

Stairway, Tuesday's Gone and Fade To Black were never released as singles.

But I agree, I would have swapped some songs on that list.

Cool, I definitely learned something new.  Didn't know that!

[Spirit]

Oh Ya.    If it's a good song it's a good song.   Radio play would be tough to get for a song that long though.  So guns would have to have a shorter lengthed song to lead with, that is a hit.   That builds to fans discovering a longer one
 

I was just asking that question with the current state of popular music in mind. It seems like the attention span of the general public is getting shorter and shorter. Long singles have never been a usual thing I guess, GN'R got away with it being the biggest band in the world at the time. Does anyone know of a recent long single being successful? Or any long singles being released without performing on the charts?

Artist may be discouraged to release longer songs because of the one thing you mentioned - radio play. It won't get any (or get very little).

Talking about Guns, I guess there's nothing wrong with them releasing a long single as number 2 or 3 from the album, but in today's environment I think it will probably weaken its chances to place on any chart regardless of the quality of the song. For us, the hardcore fans, it doesn't matter either way, we'll listen.

[D-GenerationX]

I haven't heard it for a few years, but have you guys ever heard the chopped version of this some FM stations play?

It's horrid.  Barely the same song, and the greatest offense of all...it cuts out the ending.  Only the best part of the song, and the best part of most any GNR song.

[JAEBALL]

I haven't heard it for a few years, but have you guys ever heard the chopped version of this some FM stations play?

It's horrid.  Barely the same song, and the greatest offense of all...it cuts out the ending.  Only the best part of the song, and the best part of most any GNR song.

Will always love the video...

[Spirit]

I haven't heard it for a few years, but have you guys ever heard the chopped version of this some FM stations play?

It's horrid.  Barely the same song, and the greatest offense of all...it cuts out the ending.  Only the best part of the song, and the best part of most any GNR song.

Yes I've heard it.

Make time for the full version, or don't play it at all is my stance on that.

[hRob]

Queen's Innuendo would definitely make it in my top 10 list.

[jarmo]

I think if November Rain was released today, the radio would fade it out at some point in the middle of the song.
Gotta have time for advertising.

And it seems like people's attention spans aren't what they used to be.




/jarmo

[TheBaconman]

I haven't heard it for a few years, but have you guys ever heard the chopped version of this some FM stations play?

It's horrid.  Barely the same song, and the greatest offense of all...it cuts out the ending.  Only the best part of the song, and the best part of most any GNR song.

I always just thought the radio djs just stoped the song short.   Then I finally caught on haha   Stupid radio.   The other great offence on the radios is when the djs either talk over the first few seconds of a song of the last few seconds.   Like anyone actually cares what they have to say or didn't know what song they where playing that has been out for 20years!!!

[The Hinge]

I haven't heard it for a few years, but have you guys ever heard the chopped version of this some FM stations play?

It's horrid.  Barely the same song, and the greatest offense of all...it cuts out the ending.  Only the best part of the song, and the best part of most any GNR song.

I have heard the cut version - it should be a crime to play it like that ! Also stations that chop the end of Patience shit me off too !

[14 Yrs Of Silence]

Nov Rain is the longest one on the list

[Spirit]

Nov Rain is the longest one on the list

Yep. Don't know what the longest single ever released is (we know Estranged is longer), but November Rain is to this day the longest song to place in the Top 10 on Billboard Hot 100.

[14 Yrs Of Silence]

Nov Rain is the longest one on the list

Yep. Don't know what the longest single ever released is (we know Estranged is longer), but November Rain is to this day the longest song to place in the Top 10 on Billboard Hot 100.

I imagine that record won't be broken.  Although curious, how does it treat longer songs that get radio edits below 6 minutes? 

[Spirit]

Nov Rain is the longest one on the list

Yep. Don't know what the longest single ever released is (we know Estranged is longer), but November Rain is to this day the longest song to place in the Top 10 on Billboard Hot 100.

I imagine that record won't be broken.  Although curious, how does it treat longer songs that get radio edits below 6 minutes? 

Not sure about that actually.

I guess if the single is released as a radio edit, the edited version would count. November Rain had no radio edit version on the release, it was the LP version only.

[EmilyGNR]

I think if November Rain was released today, the radio would fade it out at some point in the middle of the song.
Gotta have time for advertising.

And it seems like people's attention spans aren't what they used to be.




/jarmo

Good point, the "immediacy factor" figures into this as well, people seem to want instant music, instant food and waiting on something is somehow perceived as a negative thing.

I'm one of those old school audiophiles that still listens to complete albums, it surprised me how most don't these days.