by Dan Tucker
7/12/2014
Following up our list at the start of the year featuring classic rock’s longest songs , we now bring you a selection of the shortest songs. Why? Because you can’t have one list without the other. Because you gotta show both sides of the spectrum. And because for songs that are 2 minutes or less, these little bad boys pack a serious punch.
It’s not an easy feat to say so much with so little, but would you expect any less from these legends? From The Beatles to The Who , Pink Floyd to Queen , these guys have all mastered the very short song (and by “song” we mean a vocal melody + chord progression, unless it’s a cappella). Here’s a list of 20 short but sweet classic rock songs. The wee little jams that may have initially served as interludes, transitional songs or hidden album tracks, but ended up classics in their own right.
20. Heart “Dreamboat Annie” (2:01)
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VIDEO 19. The Box Tops “The Letter” (1:55)
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VIDEO 18. Elton John “Goodbye” (1:52)
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VIDEO Madman across the Water is nonetheless great. It was one of the first two tracks recorded for the album (along with “Levon”) and in contrast to a majority of the other songs full of other instruments and musicians, it’s just Elton on piano with some minimal strings.
17. David Bowie “Breaking Glass” (1:51)
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VIDEO Low , but then re-released as a live version to promote his second live album, Stage . The song only contains one verse; the line “Don’t look at the carpet, I drew something awful on it” and refers to Bowie’s habit of drawing the Tree of Life on the floor due to his interest in the occult at the time.
16. The Kinks “Gotta Get the First Plane Home” (1:49)
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VIDEO The Kink Kontroversy , was written by lead singer Ray Davies and describes the narrator struggling with being on the road away from his woman, whom he feels lonely and empty without.
15. The Rolling Stones “Not Fade Away” (1:48)
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VIDEO 14. Janis Joplin “Mercedes Benz” (1:47)
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VIDEO Pearl .13. The Jimi Hendrix Experience “Ain’t No Telling” (1:46) Axis: Bold as Love and is actually pretty complex in structure with various different parts, despite being under 2 minutes long.
12. Journey “Good Morning Girl” (1:44)
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VIDEO Departure . Though not very well known, it is a beautiful piece of music, showing off Perry’s impressive range and running through one of the most interesting series of chord changes and arrangements in the band’s catalogue.11. Cat Stevens “The Wind” (1:42)
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VIDEO Teaser and the Firecat is thought to explore Stevens’ spirituality which would eventually lead him to convert to Islam in 1977 (and take the name Yusuf Islam in 1978). The song is featured in the popular films Almost Famous and Rushmore .
10. Cheap Trick “Hello There” (1:40)
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VIDEO In Color , was written by lead guitarist Rick Nielsen and was often used as the set opener for the band’s live shows. Nielsen has said that he wrote the song because the band didn’t always get sound checks in their early days, and he felt that instead of playing a more melodic song to kick off the show, this would be a perfect, raucous opener.9. The Who “Tommy Can You Hear Me?” (1:36)
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VIDEO Tommy , the song describes the protagonist Tommy being captivated by his reflection in a mirror as his parents try to reach him. In 1972, the track became the theme song for The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
8. Neil Young “Cripple Creek Ferry” (1:33)
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VIDEO After the Gold Rush was originally written to be part of a soundtrack Young was creating for the uncompleted film of the same name, and delivers a hopeful respite to an album filled with melancholy songs.
7. Pink Floyd “Pigs on the Wing 1” (1:25)
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VIDEO Animals is a love song written by Roger Waters for his new wife at the time, Lady Carolyne Christie. The song (along with “Pigs on the Wing 2”) is lighter/softer and stands in stark contrast to the other 3 dark songs on the album.
6. Elvis Costello “Welcome to the Working Week” (1:23) My Aim Is True , introduces the world to Costello’s clever lyrical wordplay and bitter tone. The song seems to be a jab at working class conditions and leading a humdrum life, though is also thought by some to be about masturbation.
5. Jethro Tull “Cheap Day Return” (1:23) Aqualung running under 2 minutes (the others being “Wond’ring Aloud” and “Slipstream”), the progressive rock/folk band had its fair share of great, short tracks. This song shows lead singer Ian Anderson reflecting on a time when he visited his ailing father and the nurse who was present seemed more interested in getting the singer’s autograph than looking after his dad.
4. Queen “Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon” (1:07)
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VIDEO A Night at the Opera was written by lead singer Freddie Mercury and describes the narrator’s typical week. The song contains some beautiful vocal harmonies as well as an unexpected key change leading into the guitar solo.3. The Beach Boys “Our Prayer” (1:05)
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VIDEO Smile , which was ultimately shelved. The song was eventually released on their 1969 album 20/20 and is a gorgeous display of their vocal harmonies.
2. Pink Floyd “Stop” (:30)
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VIDEO The Wall , was written by Roger Waters and is the shortest song in the band’s catalogue. It describes the main character Pink calling for a stop to his life as a fascist dictator and to “The Wall” in general. The song is followed by “The Trial” in which Pink puts himself on trial.
1. The Beatles “Her Majesty” (:27)
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VIDEO Abbey Road and is considered one of the first “hidden tracks” in pop-rock history. Appearing 14 seconds after “The End,” the song was not listed on the original album sleeve but has since been included and is the shortest song in the band’s catalogue.
