what is the shortest song ever (in seconds)?

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

― buya, Sunday, 12 February 2006 13:21 (nineteen years ago)

there are some good grindcore and hardcore songs that are under 5 seconds. some band, i can't remember who, actually made a video for a 3 second song.

― scott seward (scott seward), Sunday, 12 February 2006 13:33 (nineteen years ago)

'you suffer' napalm death

― rizzx (Rizz), Sunday, 12 February 2006 13:35 (nineteen years ago)

what makes "good" for an under 5 seconds song?
the lyrics?
the chorus?
the production?
the gentle texture of sound?

― joshua, Sunday, 12 February 2006 13:37 (nineteen years ago)

i think energy would make for "good"

shock effect WRAA

― rizzx (Rizz), Sunday, 12 February 2006 13:38 (nineteen years ago)

good execution makes for good. everyone starting at the same time!

― scott seward (scott seward), Sunday, 12 February 2006 13:39 (nineteen years ago)

some band, i can't remember who, actually made a video for a 3 second song.
That was Brutal Truth's "Collateral Damage". As I recall it, the video consists of lots of still-images run through really quickly (some gory stuff and some politicians), ending in a mushroom cloud.

Anyways:
http://www.sethputnam.com/images/tumb-porncover.jpg

― Øystein (Øystein), Sunday, 12 February 2006 13:43 (nineteen years ago)

brutal truth! right. i like the way some hardcore/grindcore albums fuck with your preconceived notions about songcraft. all of a sudden, 30 second songs sound endless and epic.

― scott seward (scott seward), Sunday, 12 February 2006 13:46 (nineteen years ago)

"the video consists of lots of still-images run through really quickly (some gory stuff and some politicians), ending in a mushroom cloud."

so banal, isnt it?
and the mushroom cloud..stanly kubrik probably didnt imagine such an intensive use from he's image (dr. strangelove).

― yeltsin, Sunday, 12 February 2006 13:47 (nineteen years ago)

My favorite short short is Bikini Kill's "In Accordance to Natural Law." Although, it is an epic 28 seconds long.

― Brian Jones (Brian Jones), Sunday, 12 February 2006 14:46 (nineteen years ago)

The Descendents' "All" is one second long.

― Mike Dixn (Mike Dixon), Sunday, 12 February 2006 16:32 (nineteen years ago)

Negative Approach's "Pressure," at I think eight seconds, is the shortest song I can think of that actually has an intro, verse and (three reps of its) chorus.

― Douglas (Douglas), Sunday, 12 February 2006 17:02 (nineteen years ago)

The Gerogerigegege released a 7" w/ 118 songs (A side = 39, B side = 79). And they all start with G.

― TRG (TRG), Sunday, 12 February 2006 17:04 (nineteen years ago)

Er, make that 79 songs, not 118. Still!

― TRG (TRG), Sunday, 12 February 2006 17:08 (nineteen years ago)

"The Gerogerigegege released a 7" w/ 118 songs (A side = 39, B side = 79). And they all start with G."

nice gimmick

― fot, Sunday, 12 February 2006 17:09 (nineteen years ago)

S.O.D.:

"NOT!"

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Sunday, 12 February 2006 18:45 (nineteen years ago)

and it's midly longer sequel

"MOMO!"

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Sunday, 12 February 2006 18:46 (nineteen years ago)

Maybe something from the Bllleeeeaaauuurrrrgghhh! series on Slap-A-Ham Records:

http://www1.tip.nl/~t089148/slapaham/7.htm
http://www1.tip.nl/~t089148/slapaham/12.htm
http://www1.tip.nl/~t089148/slapaham/42.htm

― Matt LC (flightsatdusk), Sunday, 12 February 2006 18:48 (nineteen years ago)

"Thank You," the b-side to the Beach Boys' "Heroes and Villains" single, is 60 seconds long. Shortest single ever?

― James, Sunday, 12 February 2006 18:57 (nineteen years ago)

Oops, the song title is "You're Welcome" and it's actually 1 minute, ten seconds. Still, the shortest b-side I know of.

― James, Sunday, 12 February 2006 19:00 (nineteen years ago)

I recall a song in the Brass Eye Drugs special from years ago that clocked in at less than a second...unless of course you'd ingested cake.

― stu (stu), Sunday, 12 February 2006 19:04 (nineteen years ago)

by no means the shortest, but the bestest is sparks' propaganda, at a cumbersome 22seconds

― powpowpow, Sunday, 12 February 2006 19:07 (nineteen years ago)

"No Song 2" by Youth Brigade OWNS this thread! Good vocals too.

― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Sunday, 12 February 2006 19:41 (nineteen years ago)

Shortest Hit Single
'Some Kinda Earthquake' an instrumental single by Duane Eddy clocked in at just 1 minute 17 seconds in 1959.

The shortest duration of a hit containing vocals is 1 minute 15 seconds. This record is held by Nukleuz DJs. The title/lead track of their 2003 'DJ Nation - Bootleg Edition' EP was a mix of each of the other six tracks on the EP (available on three separate CD/12" singles) clocking in at just 75 seconds.

In terms of a complete song (ie. not a medley) the shortest duration is 1 minute 27 seconds. In fact, this applies to two tracks; Elvis Presley's 'Party' (1957) and Liam Lynch's 2002 offering 'United States of Whatever' (though the sleeve of this states 1 minute 26 seconds; there was also a longer mix, 2 minutes 3 seconds on the CD.)

The shortest chart-topper is Adam Faith's 'What Do You Want' from 1959 at 1 minute, 38 seconds. Click to jump to reference website

The next-shortest number one would have to be the one I was looking for - 'Stay' by Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs from 1960, at 1 minute, 39 seconds.

― scott seward (scott seward), Sunday, 12 February 2006 19:46 (nineteen years ago)

The marvellous Brakes released the 23-second single 'Pick up the Phone' last year. You can watch the vid here: http://www.brakesbrakesbrakes.com/media.php

NB For live performances they've changed 'Yasser' to 'Abbas' since the song was recorded. I imagine they'll have to change 'Ariel' soon.

― daniel kevin, Sunday, 12 February 2006 21:23 (nineteen years ago)

Sore Throat had a 101-track LP 'A disgrace to the corpse of Sid', some of those must have been pretty short... I saw them live in Leeds around that time, and some of their 'songs' were shorter than The Descendents 'All', ie sub-1 second.

They were threatening to make a 1000 track CD IIRC. Hope they never did. They were shite.

― Niall, Sunday, 12 February 2006 21:44 (nineteen years ago)

There's a Riot Goin' On

― ajlee, Sunday, 12 February 2006 22:39 (nineteen years ago)

The marvellous Brakes released the 23-second single 'Pick up the Phone' last year.

the b-side "cheney" is even shorter, no? 6 seconds or thereabouts?

― electric sound of jim (and why not) (electricsound), Sunday, 12 February 2006 22:46 (nineteen years ago)

Someone else released a song called "Pick Up the Phone"?!?!

― Tape Store (Tape Store), Sunday, 12 February 2006 22:47 (nineteen years ago)

Define "song".

(Regardless of definition, "Her Majesty" is clearly one)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 12 February 2006 23:54 (nineteen years ago)

All I can think of is that album Ryoji Ikeda made of 12 second long songs consisting of beeps. I;'ve heard two that were pretty good.

― Tokyo Ghost Stories (Tokyo Ghost Stories), Monday, 13 February 2006 01:25 (nineteen years ago)

Oops, the song title is "You're Welcome" and it's actually 1 minute, ten seconds. Still, the shortest b-side I know of.

I'm fairly sure that Elastica's "Vaseline" (b-side of "Line Up") is about ten seconds shorter than this. Bonus credit for being one of the few Elastica songs that doesn't suck.

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Monday, 13 February 2006 01:35 (nineteen years ago)

There's a Riot Goin' On

the clear winner here, at 0:00.

inexplicably, it's been left off the cd reissue.

― Lawrence the Looter (Lawrence the Looter), Monday, 13 February 2006 15:14 (nineteen years ago)

doesn't UNTITLED off green by REM have the same 0:00 time duration on the actual cd? i think it does.

― piscesboy, Monday, 13 February 2006 15:32 (nineteen years ago)

The shortest hit track was "Theme from Space Invaders" by Yellow Magic Orchestra. The 12" version had it as 20 seconds, the 7" had it as 5 seconds.

It segued into "Firecracker" but there you go.

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 13 February 2006 15:53 (nineteen years ago)

"Untitled" on R.E.M.'s -Green- album is several minutes long, on both the CD and the cassette.

― James, Monday, 13 February 2006 16:11 (nineteen years ago)

two months pass...

As someone has already said it is "You Suffer" by Napalm death. It is 1.3 seconds long and it has the lyrics "You suffer but why?". They play it at all of their concerts.

― Devin McNeil, Sunday, 30 April 2006 00:24 (nineteen years ago)

I think my penis is the shortest.

― Penis Meister, Sunday, 30 April 2006 01:27 (nineteen years ago)

at least it's musical

― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Sunday, 30 April 2006 02:56 (nineteen years ago)

two years pass...

So is it possible to hate Napalm Death's "You Suffer" or any 2-second song? Say you played "You Suffer" at a comfortable volume for your Kay Kyser-lovin' great-grandmother or, I don't know, Kitaro. Could they really hate something that took up so little of their time?

― Kevin John Bozelka, Tuesday, 14 April 2009 04:55 (sixteen years ago)

I see joshua approached this question from another angle already three years ago:

what makes "good" for an under 5 seconds song?
the lyrics?
the chorus?
the production?
the gentle texture of sound?

And here's none other than The Hongro:

Define "song".

(Regardless of definition, "Her Majesty" is clearly one)

So is "You Suffer" a song or a sound? Or...?

― Kevin John Bozelka, Tuesday, 14 April 2009 05:02 (sixteen years ago)

yes

― hope this helps (Granny Dainger), Tuesday, 14 April 2009 05:06 (sixteen years ago)

Nope that didn't help.

― Kevin John Bozelka, Tuesday, 14 April 2009 05:07 (sixteen years ago)

no?

― hope this helps (Granny Dainger), Tuesday, 14 April 2009 05:13 (sixteen years ago)

There's a Riot Goin' On

the clear winner here, at 0:00.

inexplicably, it's been left off the cd reissue.

I've never heard it but I don't see how a 0 second song is possible. Is it less than 1 second? (I've only heard the songs from this album that appear on the 2-disc greatest hits set which includes all but 1 song from this record if I'm not mistaken, so I figured I'm not missing much..)

― billstevejim, Tuesday, 14 April 2009 05:58 (sixteen years ago)

It doesn't exist. Or rather, it exists only as text (on the lyric sheet as a title only and on the record itself as track #6 0:00). Any CD reissue should at least list it (although it would mess up the track listing).

So the idea is that there was no riot goin' on.

― Kevin John Bozelka, Tuesday, 14 April 2009 07:25 (sixteen years ago)

How about the 0 second edit of "4.33"?

― Geir Hongro, Tuesday, 14 April 2009 19:01 (sixteen years ago)

not sure about the shortest, but the longest song ever (in minutes) is Michael Jatas - Love is Hurting me (15:12 minutes)

― rio (r1o natsume), Tuesday, 14 April 2009 19:25 (sixteen years ago)

I'm missing something here. What does "in minutes" mean exactly?

― Kevin John Bozelka, Tuesday, 14 April 2009 20:45 (sixteen years ago)

I think about 463 songs on my iTunes want to disagree with that 15 minute song being the longest.

― display names have been changed to protect the innocent (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Tuesday, 14 April 2009 20:46 (sixteen years ago)

he might be saying it's 15 hrs 12 minutes

― congratulations (n/a), Tuesday, 14 April 2009 20:52 (sixteen years ago)

which is still not the longest song but whatevs

― congratulations (n/a), Tuesday, 14 April 2009 20:53 (sixteen years ago)

Hello I am Michael Jatas new to this board. I spin, produce and promote hardcore music. Industrial, darkcore, gabber and speedcore. Listen to my tracks and mixes and have fun at my site. Also sign up for my new forum and talk about speedcore and all other forms of hardcore music.

www.michaeljatas.ca

I don't think a 15 hour mix would count.

― display names have been changed to protect the innocent (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Tuesday, 14 April 2009 20:53 (sixteen years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.