My Favorite "Longest Playing" Songs- Part 1

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My Favorite "Longest Playing" Songs- Part 1 Sometimes artists break the common format of a successful pop tune and experiment with the length of their songs, defying the typical 3–4-minute standard preference to produce a "hit." This deviation from the norm has allowed artists to explore complex themes, develop interesting musical structures, and create an emotional connection that resonate deeply with listeners. Below is the first group I've selected of my favorite musical songs spanning beyond the usual 4 minutes. Are any of these tunes a favorite of yours, or do you have another suggestion. Maybe it will turn up on my Part 2... 5. ROSALITA- This tune by BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND was recorded for Bruce's 2nd LP in 1973. Springsteen considers this the best love song he ever wrote, interesting because the tune was a toe-tapper, not the usual slow ballad you would expect. Never released as a single, it became one of the band's most popular live songs. 4. CLOSER TO HOME- Written by GRAND FUNK'S guitarist Mark Farner this song is about the captain of a ship who is sick and fears he is going to lose his vessel. This is a cool tune, a good one to put on a playlist of sea songs, along with LOOKING GLASS'S "BRANDY (You're a Fine Girl)" and THE BEACH BOYS "SLOOP JOHN B." 3. IN-A-GADDA-DA-VIDA- This mysterious song title by the band IRON BUTTERFLY was supposed to be called "In the Garden of Eden" but the drummer couldn't understand what vocalist Doug Ingle was singing and wrote this down instead. This 17-minute song took up a whole album side. There was no single release of this tune from this One-Hit Wonder group, so you had to buy the whole LP to hear the song which I did. I wasn't alone, over 4 million copies of the album were sold. 2. STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN- This song by LED ZEPPELIN is the most-played song in the history of American FM radio. Apparently the 8-minute tune did not turn off listeners. Hard to believe this song was not a chart hit, but the reason why is that "Stairway" was never released as a "single." TRIVIA CHALLENGE- NAME THAT TUNE! ***Can you figure out which song title it is from the clues provided... Words with quote marks provide valuable hints! 1. This "rock opera" song catapulted this band into stardom. The tune was used in the movie "Wayne's World," where Wayne and Garth do some head banging while listening to this classic on the car radio. This band has had some other notable tunes like the great rock anthems "We Are the Champions" and "We Will Rock You," but this mystery song is considered their "signature track." The band's name is the opposite of "King." ***Can you name this long playing 6-minute song? Hope getting the correct answer is not a "long shot!" Till the next one... Source- Wikipedia and songfacts.com