Song length preference

[PartySick 144,830]

My favorite song of all time is nearly 8 minutes long

 

And yeah, the single/radio version cuts it down to ~3:30 but it loses so much.

The Cleveland Orchestra's rendition of a bit of Beethoven's ninth symphony in the beginning, the angelic choir lead in, and the heartbreakingly bittersweet poem at the end that comes straight from the soul of a man who frequently described himself as "the loneliest person in the world". All those pieces comprise a song that I treasure and have held dearly for my entire life.

So when I hear songs that are only a couple minutes long, they feel unfinished. Especially when they come from artists like Gaga who have shown they can fill a longer song in meaningful ways. It just feels like they gave up, either on finishing the song or on ideas that could have been used  That's one of my biggest gripes with Chromatica. Between the snippet styled songs and Bloodpop's lackluster, uninspired, and unoriginal production, the album often rings hollow for me even though it's about serious subject matter.

[tomsches 17,315]

I really don’t care as long as it’s a good song and as long as its length makes sense for the song. Some songs need to be short, others need to be long to unfold their true potential. I love songs that are 15 minutes long Just as much as 2 minute songs as long as they’re good. Similarly, I don’t think a song should be made purposefully short to cater to the streaming audience or purposefully long to make it seem artsy. 

Edited December 12, 2023 by tomsches

[HausOfHarlow 378]

My vote was 4-5 minutes. I love how Born This Way had a majority of 4:00+ long songs but it still sounded fresh and catchy and very few to none of the songs sound too long. 

I don't mind if an album of 12+ songs has 1, maybe 2 max songs that are between 2:30-2:59. Any song below 2:29 is generally not very exciting to me as it most likely lacks full production or a bridge or a final chorus. 

I LOVE a 5:00+ minute song and even a 6:00+ minute song. Even songs like Ethel Cain's music that are 6-8+ mins are still very listenable. 

My ideal 12+ track album would may have 1 song that's 2:59 or less, 3-5 songs that are 3:00-3:59, 5+ songs that are 4:00-4:30, 2 songs 4:30-4:59 and 2 songs that are 5:00-6:59. 

I also love the juxtaposition of super short and super long songs being back to back. It happens very rarely, if ever, but I love seeing an album that has a 5:00-6:00+ song immediately after or before a song under 2:59 (interludes/intros excluded). 

 

 

[alsemanche 91,819]

10 hours ago, Poltergeist said:

Usually 3-4 minutes, but if everything's executed well, the longer the better, songs can feel like stories, I love those two and I never feel like they're too long! And theyre 10:07 and 8:03 long.

 

Susanne Sundfør

[alsemanche 91,819]

A good song is a good song regardless of length tbh. I dont think the issue with current short length track is the length itself but rather what they're doing with that length. 

[River 104,869]

8 hours ago, KubaM316 said:

Anything longer than 3 minutes (with some exceptions) (and as long as it's done properly and doesn't get boring too quickly)

this post looks like a title from a TV album

[River 104,869]

27 minutes ago, alsemanche said:

A good song is a good song regardless of length tbh. I dont think the issue with current short length track is the length itself but rather what they're doing with that length. 

THIS.

Some songs of The Beatles are under 3 minutes and most of the Punk songs are under 2 minutes.

Blur's Song 2 is 2:02

[Auralegends 4,715]

I voted 3-4 minutes but it depends on the song.

Enchanted by TS is almost 6 minutes and I think it's fine. All To Well (10 min version) (Taylor's Version) (From the Vault) is fine up until the last 1.5 minutes which are the same.

 

Judas is 4min+ and it's fine, Sine From Above, bloody Mary as well

[SimonBaetens 6,745]

3-4 minutes is great for most pop songs. Few artists can pull off tracks that are (much) longer, but when it works, longer songs can be great.

[StrawberryBlond 14,015]

3-4 minutes has always been what I thought was how long a song should be, it was only when I was in my 20's that the trends started changing and they'd be the length of songs in the 60's and artists like xxxtentacion would really break boundaries by making songs around 1:24 and thereabouts and having whole albums that lasted about 22 minutes (I still don't understand why they weren't classed as EPs) and I've been wondering what's been going on ever since. I've got used to it but it annoys me how just as I'm getting into a song, it ends just as it's getting good. There have been so many songs I've heard in the last few years that had crazy potential but never truly reached it because it ended too soon, not utilising a guitar solo, a rap feature or, you know, a second verse. With the amount of songwriters that we have access to now to make fully fleshed-out songs, there's no excuse. 

On 12/12/2023 at 9:26 AM, alsemanche said:

A good song is a good song regardless of length tbh. I dont think the issue with current short length track is the length itself but rather what they're doing with that length. 

You knew what you were doing with this phrasing!  That's why I was so careful when I phrased mine! 

[Oriane 19,776]

It's not about the length, it's about the song. I appreciate when the artist knows how long the song should be and isn't trying to shorten or extend it just for the sake of it. I think it's harder to have interesting long songs, because they tend to have long repeating instrumental sections that don't bring anything more. If the song is going to be long, I want the music to have some kind of progression throughout the song. And when the song is short, it should feel complete and not frustrating when the end comes. The chorus has to be in continuation of short and concise verses.

[InsomniaMonster69 3,064]

Everything over 6'' is too much 

[CheapGin 558]

3:33 ofc

[TheBadRomancer 949]

i think the 2-3 minute song is strategically smart but i prefer a 3-4 minute so i can get closure lmao