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Short Songs (~3 minutes unedited)

kfbkfb

kfbkfb

Decades ago, I saw a headline in Billboard mag about songs edited for length for AM radio play (down to about 3 minutes).

My new Lizzo SPECIAL album has songs ranging in length from 2:01 to 3:35.

Is this a new trend of having very short songs (short attention span songs?) in their unedited versions for radio play?


Kirk Bayne
 

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kfbkfb said:
Decades ago, I saw a headline in Billboard mag about songs edited for length for AM radio play (down to about 3 minutes).

My new Lizzo SPECIAL album has songs ranging in length from 2:01 to 3:35.

Is this a new trend of having very short songs (short attention span songs?) in their unedited versions for radio play?
Click to expand...

You give one example, and then ask if it's a trend. The simple answer is if there's only one example, it's not a trend.

It depends on the format, but for the most part, artists and labels don't create music for the benefit of radio. They do it to reach fans and hopefully make money. The artists receive the same royalty payment regardless of the song length. So they get paid the same whether a song is 1:55 or 7:35. Same money.
 
Earlier this year, I bought 2 songs by Lil Nas X in Sony 360 RA surround sound (stereo mp3s from Amazon), they are 2:17 and 2:23 (unedited).

KQCR FM used to claim "more music", maybe with very short songs, radio stations can claim more music (same number/total time ads/hour).


Kirk Bayne
 
kfbkfb said:
Earlier this year, I bought 2 songs by Lil Nas X in Sony 360 RA surround sound (stereo mp3s from Amazon), they are 2:17 and 2:23 (unedited).

KQCR FM used to claim "more music", maybe with very short songs, radio stations can claim more music (same number/total time ads/hour).
Click to expand...

They can claim more music by talking less too. The most recent #1 by Luke Combs clocked in at 4:14.

Is this a new trend?
 
Roll to Me by Del Amitri is famously just over two minutes long and frequently heard right at the tail end of hours on radio stations where the presenter has messed up their back timing and needs to hit the TOTH. Blur's Song 2 is exactly two minutes long and occasionally gets an airing for the same purpose, but isn't as format-friendly for most stations as the ubiquitous Roll to Me.
 
It's not just your imagination. Songs have been getting shorter in recent years:

www.hypebot.com

Why songs today are shorter - Hypebot

While plus or minus three minutes was once the standard for recorded music, (owing in large part to radio play) the songs being released nowadays are much briefer, with many. Continue reading
www.hypebot.com

Harry Styles' "As It Was" is only 2:47, and that's still far too long for me to stand.
 
The shortest pop song I've ever heard and never played on the radio is Cat Stevens' "Tea For The Tillerman". 59 secs.
 
Christmas song, but Nat King Cole's 'Deck the Halls' is common on those that flip to Xmas in Nov/Dec and only runs 1:08. My guess is the songs are shorter now because 1. attention spans getting shorter, and 2. business decisions...more time to play commercials!
 
I don't know how much this means but the YouTube video of "Great Balls of Fire" by Jerry Lee Lewis is 1:47. For "Wake Up Little Susie" by The Everly Brothers, 2:05. "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley and the Comets, 2:10. "That'll Be the Day" by Buddy Holly, 2:19. Songs certainly were short in the 50s.
 
All you folks are talking about 50-60 year old music. The OP is talking about current "trends."

Eric Church had a big hit earlier this year with a song that clocked in at 4:18.

If there is a trend today, it's to give more music to the customer. That may mean longer songs, or more songs on an album. But none of this have anything to do with radio. It's either for physical copies or streaming. The recording industry (RIAA) is at war with radio because they don't pay labels for music. (although they do when they stream their signal)
 
TheBigA said:
If there is a trend today, it's to give more music to the customer. That may mean longer songs, or more songs on an album.
Click to expand...
That trend was 20 years ago, when many CD albums were 17-18 tracks and 60+ minutes long. Now I'm seeing more new albums that are back to the vinyl-era norm of around 12 songs and 35-40 minutes long.
 
kevtronics said:
That trend was 20 years ago, when many CD albums were 17-18 tracks and 60+ minutes long. Now I'm seeing more new albums that are back to the vinyl-era norm of around 12 songs and 35-40 minutes long.
Click to expand...

Because some are being released on vinyl as well. But it really depends on the genre. Those who are able to sell physical product today are releasing "deluxe" editions with 20-25 songs.

Back to the OP, just because a song is short doesn't mean radio will play it. A dog song that doesn't test well won't make it very far no matter how short it is.
 
Most new songs being targeted to radio are in the 2½ to 4 minute range. The shortest one clocks in at 1:58, and the longest one that isn't an extended dance remix or '80s bonus track is 6:03:

Top Hits U.S.A.

tophitsusa.com tophitsusa.com
 
I felt like most pop songs have been getting shorter in the last 10 years. I haven't done any research on it but one can just compare the top songs on the charts now compared to maybe 2012-2015. Even if not completely true,my perception is that they have. Also, TikTok clips of songs that go viral help feed into that thought. Lots of songs that I get introduced to only because of TikTok.
 
OriginalSample said:
Also, TikTok clips of songs that go viral help feed into that thought. Lots of songs that I get introduced to only because of TikTok.
Click to expand...

TikTok began as a platform for short videos. Short as in :15. Now it's longer, but people like short videos on TikTok.

The OP asked if the shorter songs were for radio. But I think it's more likely for TikTok.
 
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