The art of the epic.
Sick of your favorite song only lasting three minutes? Here are ten modern classics that run for over eight.
artwork by Arjun Bhakoo.
A movie gets two hours to tell you a story, a book gets two hundred pages, but a song won't even last as long as your shower?! Music has trended towards four-minute songs with simple, predictable structures camouflaged by quick injections of dopamine. This isn’t necessarily to say that short songs are bad, but rather intended to address a modern musical convention that’s too often ignored and taken for granted. Songs that surpass this time convention become, then, what I like to call “epics”. No longer limited narratively or sonically by time constraints, songs with long runtimes unlock entirely new musical horizons; they may be able to tell you a story with intense depth and character or fully explore powerful musical themes. Either way, a song that runs for a longer time—and one that does so with intention—has the ability to transcend the limits of modern music and achieve something truly special.
What defines an “epic” song, however, has no set bounds. There are short tracks that are undoubtedly epics and long ones that are unbearably boring. So the eight-minute cutoff here is entirely arbitrary but serves as an apt threshold between songs that overstay their welcome and those that may intentionally take the time to try and achieve epic greatness.
So, without any further ado, here are ten modern musical “epics” to last you your entire next shower, even if you take long enough to use all the hot water.
Rush, “2112”
Rush’s “2112” is, for all intents and purposes, the epitome of an epic song. Telling the story of a young man in a dystopian future who discovers the now-outlawed concept of music, Rush takes their listeners on a journey through space, time, and symphony with hard-hitting riffs, meaningful lyrics, and incredible dynamism. “2112” is as much a piece of narrative science fiction as it is a song, and, like any good sci-fi, it reflects on the human condition—in this case, advocating for the power of music while touching on themes of repression and self-expression. Beautiful, moving, intriguing, and entertaining, “2112” is everything that a song that runs over twenty—yes, TWENTY—minutes should be.
Don Mclean, “American Pie”
“American Pie” is to America as The Odyssey is to Ancient Greece: the great epic of the nation. Yes, I did just compare Don McLean to Homer. Reflecting on “The Day the Music Died” (February 3, 1959 and the deaths of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valen, and J.P. Richardson), McLean sings of mourning his childhood music idols, grappling with a dark cultural mood, and the disillusionment of his generation. McLean said himself that his lyrics are “poetry,” and I’m inclined to agree; in “American Pie”, McLean masterfully blends general feelings of American nostalgia with deep (and widely interpreted) analogies and references, crafting an intriguing piece of American music canon.
Led Zeppelin, “Stairway to Heaven”
Out of all of classic rock’s brilliant epics, “Stairway to Heaven” is undoubtedly the most popular with a runtime of over 8 minutes; sorry, “Bohemian Rhapsody,” you didn’t qualify for this category. With its gradual progression from acoustic, to soft rock, to hard rock, “Stairway to Heaven” keeps you engaged in its sonic evolution and invested in its climax. Now, I’m not convinced that there’s any reputable interpretation of the song’s lyrics that somehow fortifies its identity as an “epic,” but there’s absolutely no denying that Led Zeppelin made a bold mark on rock history with this sprawling 8-minute track.
Guns N’ Roses, “November Rain”
In their two-part 1993 album Use Your Illusion, Guns N’ Roses proved that they are the masters of the rock epic, asserting themselves with tracks such as “Civil War,” “Estranged,” “Locomotive (Complicity),” and “Coma.” However, one song in particular marks GNR’s true skill in the epic power ballad: “November Rain”. With its soft piano opening, raw vocals, wailing solos, and epic 2+ minute outro, “November Rain” keeps you entertained for nearly nine minutes while managing to stir up some serious emotions along the way. And, as the first part of an unofficial trilogy followed by “Don’t Cry” and “Estranged,” both “November Rain” and its music video pack a serious narrative punch, cementing it as one of the greatest rock epics of all time.
Stevie Wonder, “Another Star”
It’s no small feat that one of Stevie Wonder’s most brilliant and captivating songs runs for over eight minutes. Coming from Wonder’s magnum opus, Songs in the Key of Life, “Another Star” manages to stand out even when surrounded by some of soul’s greatest tunes. With its pervasive Latin groove, soulful horns, and flute solo (WHAT?!), “Another Star” may not be a lyrical epic, but it certainly is an instrumental one. Unlike some other songs on this list, “Another Star” isn’t characterized by a multi-part structure or some great feat of storytelling, but rather by the full exploration of an enchanting musical theme.
Kendrick Lamar, “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst”
Kendrick Lamar’s twelve-minute epic from good kid, m.A.A.d city is a masterclass in complex musical storytelling. The song’s first two verses tie thematic strands between good kid, m.A.A.d city and Section.80 with Kendrick addressing himself through the perspectives of two fictional characters. Kendrick then adopts his own perspective to reflect on his fear of death and questions regarding his legacy. And all that’s just in the first half. After a brief sketch, the second half of the track sees Kendrick switch his cadence completely to comment on the fatigue stemming from a life filled with violence and sin. “Sing Amount Me, I’m Dying of Thirst” addresses the more difficult themes that have been present throughout Kendrick's career—gang violence, death, legacy, and pain—with incredible poise, depth, and vulnerability. And, in classic Kendrick Lamar fashion, he strikes powerful emotional cords with his raw lyrics while maintaining his melodic stride.
Dave, “Lesley”
Dave has proven that he’s not your average British rapper with his numerous long and emotional songs, whether it be “My 19th Birthday”, “Heart Attack”, or “Both Sides of a Smile”. But the one that stands out above all and perfectly displays Dave’s raw storytelling ability is “Lesley.” Over the course of 11 minutes, Dave tells a gut-wrenching story of hardship, abuse, and betrayal. And while I’d love to delve into the full narrative here, I couldn’t bear ruining the song’s plot twist for you. How often do you get to hear a song with a plot twist?! For many Dave fans (myself included), the darkness of “Lesley” makes the song feel physically painful to revisit, but if anything, that should serve as a testament to the fact that “Lesley” is truly special in its grit and is worthy of your time.
Frank Ocean, “Pyramids”
By far the longest song on Frank Ocean’s channel ORANGE, “Pyramids” is a genre-bending tale of love and luxury. The first half of the track presents a unique combination of Ocean’s classic alternative R&B style with the kind of heavy, electrifying synths you might hear in a big room banger. The song then transitions in its second half into something that Frank Ocean fans might be more familiar with: a sultry R&B groove with some remaining electronic elements. And Ocean uses these sonic themes as the basis for poetic lyrics which explore themes of love, power, and eroticism by drawing parallels between Cleopatra and a modern exotic dancer. With its immersive production and underlying enigmatic feel, “Pyramids” uses its ten-minute runtime to tell a mysterious story through rich sounds.
Kanye West, “Runaway”
There’s no rap epic as iconic as “Runaway”—a song so immersed in the cultural canon that any rap aficionado will know it from the very first note. A heartfelt piano beat provides the foundation for Kanye to reflect on a strained relationship and, in a now-too-rare moment of self-reflection, some of his own shortcomings. The majority of “Runaway” is nothing too fancy, and in a way, the song serves as an ode to the beauty of simplicity in arousing emotions. There’s also no talking about “Runaway” without addressing its legendary three-minute outro which uses some combination of autotune, a talkbox (potentially), and other strange effects to turn a voice into a synth-like sound that allows the track’s emotionality to seep through to its very end. Kanye—at least with his earlier projects—has been known for his storytelling abilities, and “Runaway” demonstrates how breaking the eight-minute mark allowed the rapper to achieve one of his greatest storytelling feats to date.
RÜFÜS DU SOL, “Innerbloom”
While not necessarily epic in its lyrics or thematic explorations, “Innerbloom” is undoubtedly epic in its sound, a song that reaches sublime heights through its mastery of electronic manipulation. While the buildup of “Innerbloom” may seem painfully long to the impatient, RÜFÜS DU SOL doesn’t waste a single second while crafting the sonic environment of the song. This track, unlike all the others on this list, uses its extended runtime to accentuate its atmosphere—it’s as much a soundscape as it is a song. With its slow layering of wide synths and lounge-y percussion, “Innerbloom” invokes a spatial listening experience that leads into a stirring climax—an eruption of that space—after nearly six minutes. The final two minutes of the song become, then, a sort of catharsis as the pressure which was slowly and covertly building is finally released in an awe-inspiring array of electronic sound.
edited by Madison Esrey.
artwork by Arjun Bhakoo.