Two-Minute Songs

Cornfed Hick

Cornfed Hick

Ancient Mariner
It’s safe to say that most people on this forum like epics. Heck, we all bought an album by the site's eponymous band, which contains a track about 20 minutes long. I personally would rate Rime of the Ancient Mariner in my top 3 Maiden songs (and perhaps even #1). The most talked-about album on this forum this weekend will probably be Metallica's new one, which contains a lot of 6+ minute songs.

But a good songwriter can do a lot with just two minutes. I can't think of a single song that has as much emotional depth as the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby," and Paul McCartney managed to pack all that into a brisk 2:07. So, here's a thread to post (and, if you like, discuss) the best 2-minute songs. Maybe this turns into a poll/survivor, who knows. If a song is a few seconds longer than 2 minutes, that's fine. Here is a preliminary, non-exhaustive list to get you all started…


Don’t Be Cruel (Elvis Presley)

Heartbreak Hotel (Elvis Presley)

Wonderful World (Sam Cooke)

Can’t Buy Me Love (Beatles)

All My Loving (Beatles)

You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away (Beatles)

Yesterday (Beatles)

Eleanor Rigby (Beatles)

For No One (Beatles)

Norwegian Wood (Beatles)

You Really Got Me (Kinks)

I Can’t Explain (The Who)

Mercedes Benz (Janis Joplin)

Bookends (Simon & Garfunkel)

The Wind (Cat Stevens)

The Needle and the Damage Done (Neil Young)

Wond’ring Aloud (Jethro Tull)

We Will Rock You (Queen)

Stone Cold Crazy (Queen)

Tush (ZZ Top)

Janie Jones (The Clash)

White Riot (The Clash)

Blitzkrieg Bop (Ramones)

Teenage Lobotomy (Ramones)

Eruption (Van Halen)

Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out (Replacements)

Girlfriend in a Coma (Smiths)

Last Caress (Misfits)

Wave of Mutilation (Pixies)

Burnout (Green Day)

Fell In Love With a Girl (White Stripes)
 
Queen - Lazing On a Sunday Afternoon
Foo Fighters - Doll
Pink Floyd - Pigs On the Wing
Moon Safari - Constant Bloom
Frank Zappa - Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance
Queen - Lily Of the Valley
Zappa - Oh No
Iron Maiden - Ides of March
Beatles - I'm Happy Just To Dance With You
Beatles - For No One
Elvis - All Shook Up
Zappa - Lets Make the Water Turn Black
Cheap Trick - Come On, Come On
Beatles - And Your Bird Can Sing
Foo Fighters Up In Arms

Just some that stood out to me after a quick skim of my spotify starred playlist.
 
Good idea man, some of my favorites:

Castle in the Wind (Paradox)

I Don't Need Society (D. R. I.)

Blood Visions (Jay Reatard)

North (Vader)

Mad Man (D. R. I.)

The Ides of March (Iron Maiden)

Nazi Punks Fuck Off (Dead Kennedys)

Dear Slum Landlord... (Napalm Death)

Procession to Golgatha (Sodom)

Sex & Death (Motörhead)

Too Young to Die (Agent Orange)

Metaphorically Screw You (Napalm Death)

Death is Forming (Jay Reatard)

Rock Out (Motörhead)

Taste the Floor (Razor)

Eternal War (Bolt Thrower)

A Cry For Help in a World Gone Mad (Agent Orange)

Losing You (Super Unison)

Behind Bars (Razor)

War (Bathory)
 
All but two songs on Slayer's Reign in Blood album clock in at under 3 minutes, and they arguably compose one of the best thrash albums ever.
 
Perun said:
All but two songs on Slayer's Reign in Blood album clock in at under 3 minutes, and they arguably compose one of the best thrash albums ever.
Click to expand...

Best songs on the album by a wide margin are both 4+ minutes long though. :D

Some off the top of my head:

The Alan Parsons Project - Sirius
Aphex Twin - Avril 14th
Sonic Youth - Mildred Pierce, My Friend Goo
Rush - Malignant Narcissism
Dead Kennedys - Police Truck
Jimi Hendrix - Little Wing
 
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Inspired by this topic I made a playlist of Buckethead Pikes tracks that are both:
under two-and-half minutes (a two minute threshold ruled out a few favourites)
and that I rate as 4 or 5 star (using Flashgrading).
The Flash said:
In my /5 rating system (Great, Good-Very Good, Decent, Weak, Bad-Awful)
Click to expand...

It seems to run to 132 tracks...
 
Hm, I noticed that nowadays I'm less of a long tracks fan than I used to be. When I see a 10 minute song I hadn't heard before, I'm concerned it has redundant stuff in it. Some time ago I would think: Hm, it must be epic and ambitious. Not saying I'm not able to enjoy long tracks anymore, not at all. It's just that my perspective changed a little bit.

Rather than just short songs, I definitely appreciate short albums. When you keep it concise and use only the best ideas when writing, there's no room to make the listener bored. I bet all of us could name many 50+ minute albums with that 2 or 3 tracks we always skip...
 
Srogyy said:
Rather than just short songs, I definitely appreciate short albums. When you keep it concise and use only the best ideas when writing, there's no room to make the listener bored.
Click to expand...

:ok:

Yeah overall I agree with this. Don't mind longer albums but for me there's more replay value in an album full of short to the point songs that are well written.

Metal epics used to be way more special. You had that 1 big epic on an album where you knew the band pulled out all the stops...:D
 
I can't mention many short good albums made recently. I have trouble with getting to a couple even.
 
This might be a surprise coming from me, but I think a lot of artists abuse the 80 minute format of CDs. I can only think of a handful of recent albums that felt like their length was justified. It has almost taken away the incentive to really critically edit the music.

It's also worth mentioning the frequency that bands release new music now. For example, in the 70s Rush were releasing ~40 minute albums every 6-7 months. Today Dream Theater makes a ~70 minute album every other year. So it's not necessarily that the quantity of music has changed, but I think the break in between albums is taken for granted. When Caress of Steel didn't work out, Rush had time to tour and get their creative flow going before making the most important album of their career. It was a quick comeback. With Dream Theater we have an album that wasn't received very well and now it's going to be awhile before they are able to come back from that.
 
It depends on what we call recent. But yeah, he would be an exception.
Yes, artists abuse CD length, but strong short albums made in the last five years can be counted on one hand.
Srogyy said:
I bet all of us could name many 50+ minute albums with that 2 or 3 tracks we always skip...
Click to expand...
Excluding Cried, I bet none of us can mention more than 2 or 3 50- minute albums that are very strong.
 
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