At exactly 43 minutes and 50 seconds, it’s quite a commitment.
According to a list compiled by Largest.org, the longest rock song of all time is Jethro Tull’s ‘Thick As A Brick’ (1972). A song lengthy, it’s the only track on the entire album, split over two sides of the LP.
“There is also a radio edit version of the song that’s shortened dramatically in order to provide a nice sampling of the music that would fit within the constraints of a radio song,” they reported, adding that the song is also said to be the “first of Jethro Tull’s albums that consisted entirely of progressive rock.”
In a 2022 interview, lead singer Ian Anderson described the song as an “absurdity” with a touch of real-life elements from his childhood.
“Some of the elements in the lyrics are quite serious,” he told Louder Sound. “Where I drew upon my own childhood and my own early experiences for ideas for sections within the overall work, I was also drawing very much on the world of the eight-year-old Gerald Bostock. It was part of the absurdity.”
Rounding out the Top 5 list of Longest Songs Ever Recorded:
- 1970: ‘Mountain Jam’ by The Allman Brothers Band (33:41)
- 2015: ‘Karn Evil 9’ by Emerson, Lake, & Palmer (29:36)
- 1975: ‘Shine on You Crazy Diamond,’ by Pink Floyd (26:01)
- 1972: ‘Supper’s Ready’ by Genesis (22:58)
Full list HERE
UPDATE:
It’s come to our attention that Largest.org has made two glaring oversights in their list of marathon rock.
Running at over 63 minutes, Sleep’s Dopesmoker deserves a slow, reverent nod, and it’s history is almost as epic as its runtime. Initially rejected by their label for being “too unmarketable,” it was shelved for years before it was officially released in 2003. The song captures Sleep’s signature heavy, hypnotic Black Sabbath-style, drawing on their love of slow, repetitive riffs.
We would also be remiss if we didn’t also acknowledge the long-form rock opus that is Christian Vander’s 1991 release, Les Cycles De Thanatos. Spanning a massive 114 minutes, it’s less a song than a full-scale journey of life, death, and cosmic cycles, blending operatic vocals, percussion, and orchestral elements in a way that isn’t easy to classify. Though its experimental style isn’t for everyone, its sheer ambition and scale secure its place as one of the longest – and unique – pieces of music ever created.
So, yes, we might’ve missed a beat – or an hour. Respect where respect is due.
Meanwhile, here’s Jethro Tull’s 43-minute masterpiece in its entirety…
