Epic Songs...

[NiTRO]

I view an epic song as not only being brilliant musicially and/or lyrically but also a song that takes the listener on a journey. These are typically songs that are multi-faceted, significantly longer than the average 3 1/2 minute radio hit and can be represented by multiple tracks on an album that seemlessly flow together as one. All too often songs that run longer than 5 minutes are long, drawn out train wrecks that are nothing more than a waste of time and space but when done wright, these songs can make an album! Pink Floyd was the king of epic songs but we all know that. Other than songs by Pink Floyd, what are your favorite epic songs?

These are some of my favorites:

Three Days - Jane's Addiction (10:48)
The End - The Doors (11:42)
Breaking into Heaven - Stone Roses (11:21)
Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding - Elton John (11:08)
Paranoid Android - Radiohead (6:23)
Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns - MotherLoveBone (8:19)
Hand of Doom - Black Sabboth (7:09)
2112: Overture/The Temples of Syrinx - Rush (6:47)

[stasyna]

Kashmir and Stairway to Heaven are really mindblowing, since they introduce so many ideas - by Led Zeppelin.

Another AMAZING song is philadelphia by Bruce Springsteen, sad but written superbly.

George Thorogood - One bourbon, one scotch, one beer. That's a journey if i have ever heard one. About no money, lost love and boozin' up :) The chorus is one of the best, i love it.


Seems to be it, all i can think of, just browsing my music. cant see any right now.

Great thread ;D

[Hephador]

Take your pick of some old Metallica tunes...Creeping Death, Fade to Black, Master of Puppets, Thing that Should Not Be, ...And Justice for All, One....just to name a few

[BigIzz]

Television - Marquee Moon, Velevt Underground - Sister Ray, Patti Smith - Land: Horses/Land of a Thousand Dances/La Mer (De), Stone Roses - I Am the Reserection

[reorx24]

Most Opeth songs, but specifically Black Rose Immortal (20:14), Drapery Falls (10:53) and A Fair Judgment (10:23). If you haven't heard Opeth, do yourself a favor and check them out. And dont let their "Death Metal / Prog Rock" description dissuade you. This is the next evolutionary step in Metal and Rock, and what they do is mind blowing.

I'd also say Tubular Bells (the first) by MIke Oldfield, A Day in a Life by the Beatles, and perhaps the grandaddy of all epic songs, Ina Gadda Davida (is that how you spell it??) by Iron Butterfly

Of course, two of my alltime fave epics are those Led Zep immortals mentioned, with the addition of When the Levee Breaks and perhaps No Quarter.

I just have to second ...and Justice for All by Metallica, truly epic songs superbly written and technically perfect, done at the peak of Metallica's powers. Sadly, it was all downhill from there...

[zerock]

smashing pumpkins - thru the eyes of ruby , its about like 7 minutes.

[PugPod]

Bela Lugosi's Dead-Bauhaus 9:36

[NiTRO]

Brilliant song! Gotta love some Peter Murphy & Co. in the house!

[Jackonicko]

If you like Stairway to Heaven, try 'Tears' by the Stone Roses.

But the ultimate 'Roses epic is 'Breaking into Heaven' though it has to be the version on 'Second Coming' not the cropped version on 'Very Best of the Stone Roses'.

[kailes]

terrapin station by the grateful dead. love that thing

[dcbell]

History by The Verve.
Only clocks in at a paltry 5'26", but the soaring strings and arrangemnent, to me at least, make this an epic.

[Henrik]

Anything by Devil Doll, such as "The Girl Who Was... Death". 66 minutes. ;)

The music seems clich? gothic at first, but it really grows on you.

"Static" by Godspeed You Black Emperor" is 22 amazing minutes. Its even more magical when you're tired. :>

[Kirk]

Thick as a Brick by Jethro Tull
Alice's Restaurant Massacree by Arlo Guthrie
The Wall by Pink Floyd
In-a-Gadda-da-Vida by Iron Butterfly
Ashokan Farewell
One Night in Bangkok by Murray Head
The Lumberjack Song by Monty Python :D

[wolfpacker]

Rush : La Villa Stangiato, Xanadu, Natural Science, By-Tor and the Snow Dog
Yes: Yours is No Disgrace
Zeppelin: Kashmir
Genesis : In the Cage
Bob Dylan : The Hurricane
Ryan Adams : Nobody Girl
The Who : Won't Get Fooled Again
Lynyrd Skynyrd : Freebird
Derek & Dominoes : Layla
Ted Nugent : Stranglehold
Neil Young : Like a Hurricane, Cortez the Killer, etc.
Depeche Mode : Behind the Wheel
The Cure : A Forest, From The Edge of the Deep Green Sea

tons more come to mind

[loki102]

Echoes - Pink Floyd
Shine On You Crazy Diamond - Pink Floyd

[Henrik]

Originally posted by loki102
Shine On You Crazy Diamond - Pink Floyd

I love how you always find yourself guessing (and guessing wrong) when the singing will start.. :p

[wolfpacker]

Originally posted by loki102
Echoes - Pink Floyd
Shine On You Crazy Diamond - Pink Floyd

Umm, from the OP:
"Pink Floyd was the king of epic songs but we all know that. Other than songs by Pink Floyd, what are your favorite epic songs? "

[NiTRO]

Yep. The reason I posted it this way is because there could literally be an entire thread devoted to epic Pink Floyd tunes.

Shine on you Crazy Diamond
Echoes
Time
Us and Them

...and don't even get me started on The Wall. :)

[iMan]

Metropolis PT2 - "Scenes From A Memory" ( Dream Theater ) :)

[loki102]

Originally posted by NiTRO
Yep. The reason I posted it this way is because there could literally be an entire thread devoted to epic Pink Floyd tunes.

Shine on you Crazy Diamond
Echoes
Time
Us and Them

...and don't even get me started on The Wall. :)

oops... didn't read the first part of the post
sorry

[NiTRO]

no problemo.

[Presto]

Yes-Close to the Edge
Black Sabbath-War Pigs
Led Zeppelin-Achilles Last Stand

[Ed1bleTal2get]

muhaha

Ill just name Pink Floyd, so i wont name any =P

i have 2 albums left to complete my floyd collection...I have 14 (I think) right now

[John_K]

Radio Baghdad from the new Patti Smith CD Trampin'

[Podkayne]

Supper's Ready by Genesis

[Adam]

How could anybody not mention Bohemian Rapsody??

Second from that is Push-it from Tool's Salival 13 minutes and 56 seconds of pure brilliance.

Coming right after that is Third Eye from the same album. That 14 minutes of music changes you, its that simple.

[footballminor]

American Pie- Don McLean
Scenes from an italian resteraunt- Billy Joel
The Prophet's song - Queen

[Texipod]

Rage Against the Machine; Freedom
P.O.D.; Youth of the Nation
Temple of the Dog; Hunger Strike

[rjtedge]

Holy Grail by Hunters and Collectors.

No Aus guys look at this by the looks of it.

And no one will know this if not from Aus. But if you can get your hands on this song you will love it.

[ShanD]

Let me second the Opeth and Devil Doll reccomendations (although I prefer Dias Irae to The Girl Who Was ... Death), as well as the Dream Theater reccomedation and Genesis - Supper's Ready, and add

Dream Theater - A Change of Seasons
Symphony X - The Odyssey, The Divine Wings of Tragedy
Anything off of Yes's Close to the Edge or Tales from Topographic Oceans
Dream Theater - Voices
Iced Earth - Dante's Inferno
Rhapsody - Symphony of Enchanted Lands (extremely cheesy though)
Dragonforce - Prepare for War (also very cheesy)
Devin Townsend - Planet Rain
Nile - Unas Slayer of the Gods
Rush - ALL of 2112, not just the overture and Temples :/ , Xanadu, La Villa Stangiato

[iPod Master]

ShanD, Voices- Dream Theater, is part of a three part epic called A Mind Beside Itself. I cnsists of Ertomania, Voices, and The Silent Man.

[ShanD]

Originally posted by iPod Master
ShanD, Voices- Dream Theater, is part of a three part epic called A Mind Beside Itself. I cnsists of Ertomania, Voices, and The Silent Man.

Completely aware of that fact - I own all studio albums, both live albums, the Live Scenes DVD, the Cleaning Out the Closet and Graspop Festival offical fanclub christmas CDs, and half of the official bootlegs. It's just that Etoromania may as well be my least favorite DT song (yeah, I even like Status Seeker more), and I prefer A Mind Beside Itself sans Etoromania. I mean the intro is pretty much just a guitar lesson ... the end's better, but the whole song is just outstandingly mediocre - that, and In The Name of God (which is far too long-winded for it's own good, and also quite possibly Dream Theater's biggest wankfest) are my least favorite DT songs. (and I also prefer the electric version of The Silent Man that they were doing this tour - shame they didn't play it at my show (4/3 NYC)

EDIT: Oh yeah - and I can't belive I forgot Dream Theater's Raise the Knife on that list. One of their best songs, and it's a shame it wasn't on FII. I say they could have cut off Burning My Soul, and You Not Me, and put Raise the Knife in, which would pretty much completely fill up the CD. If you're a "hard core" (ah, how I hate that expression), you should track down a copy of the 2001 fan club CD, "Cleaning Out the Closet," which has that track.

[converge]

Dream Theater - A Change of Seasons...25 mins.

[iPod Master]

Originally posted by ShanD
It's just that Etoromania may as well be my least favorite DT song (yeah, I even like Status Seeker more), and I prefer A Mind Beside Itself sans Etoromania. I mean the intro is pretty much just a guitar lesson ... the end's better, but the whole song is just outstandingly mediocre - that, and In The Name of God (which is far too long-winded for it's own good, and also quite possibly Dream Theater's biggest wankfest) are my least favorite DT songs. (and I also prefer the electric version of The Silent Man that they were doing this tour - shame they didn't play it at my show (4/3 NYC)

EDIT: Oh yeah - and I can't beliv

Is the 4/3 show the TOT show at Madison Square Theater? If so i was also at that one :). I loved it. I dont hate Ertomania, but it is not my favorite. Maybe a 3/5 stars. But in the name of God is my favorite Dream Theater song. I just love it for some reason. But I have not heard all of DT material, only a few of their CDs.

[raine]

radiohead-cuttooth-the often missed potential epic. its story is the same as paraniod android's. cut down from 10 to 5. should have opened HTTT
zeppelin-achilles last stand. did i miss this? because that songs rocks my world.
sigur ros-tracks 7 and 8 off of (). killer songs. especially 8. oh baby.

[ShanD]

Originally posted by iPod Master
Is the 4/3 show the TOT show at Madison Square Theater? If so i was also at that one :). I loved it. I dont hate Ertomania, but it is not my favorite. Maybe a 3/5 stars. But in the name of God is my favorite Dream Theater song. I just love it for some reason. But I have not heard all of DT material, only a few of their CDs.

Yes indeed it was - it was a great show. :)

[aje]

dredg - The Canyon Behind Her
glassJAw - Siberian Kiss

[DavePod]

Meatloaf - I'd Do Anything For Love. Oh yes, I'm serious.

[polar]

Coheed And Cambria - In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3

I know it's new, but it truly is an epic.

[xunfadingx]

Pelican - Australasia - 10:48

Heavy, slow, amazing.
Get into it.

[Galley]

Originally posted by DavePod
Meatloaf - I'd Do Anything For Love. Oh yes, I'm serious.
If you were truly serious, then you would know that when you are referring to the singer, it's "Meat Loaf" (two words). ;)

[Galley]

Don't forget Dire Straits' masterpiece, "Telegraph Road" (14:28)

[By-Tor]

I'll second ShanD's reccomendation of ALL of Rush's 2112. You definitely cant forget the climax of the song (Oracle:The Dream). True epicness is reached through its Rock-Opera style.

Another of my favorite epics would be: Yes - Heart of The Sunrise

and on another note I'd like to add: Mike Keneally - Faithful Axe, which is the entire repertoire of Yes squeezed into one minute and twentyfive seconds (as far as I'm concerned, nothing could be more epic than that)

[SlowBye]

I second Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen.

Also, another song that literally takes you on a trip is Alice's Restaurant which I think is by Arlo Guthrie. My dad likes folk music and I'd heard this song a few times, its quite funny.

[fletchnj]

Here are my picks...

Grateful Dead: Terrapin Station
Blues Traveler: Sweet Pain
Doors: Soft Parade
Pink Floyd: Sheep

[BRBJackson]

Two that come to mind are Uriah Heep's 'Salisbury, and 'Phaedra' by Tangerine Dream. Great stuff, and truly epic.

[altcountryman]

The Last Resort by the Eagles is one of my old fave epics. Lots of Jay Farrar's stuff I consider epic-esque, too.

Great thread! Lots of good suggestions here!

[matzohball]

"Light My Fire" Doors

[Chrysler Guy2]

LOL all of my 5 star songs are epic songs, and that's what I called them too!

Supertramp=Asylum (Crime of the Century)
Supertramp=Rudy (Crime of ...)
Supertramp=Fool's Overture (Even in the Quietest Moments)
Supertramp=Lover Boy (Even in the Quietest Moments)
Billy Joel=Scenes From an Italian Restaraunt
The Who=Everything in Quadrophenia album
Led Zeppelin=Stairway (of course)
The Beatles=Rocky Racoon (White Album)
Led Zeppelin=Achilles Last Stand

Keep in mind the above songs are actually narrated stories in music form.

Queen=Bohemian Rhapsody (A Night at the Opera)
The Beatles=You Never Give me Your Money (Abbey Road)
Chicago=Hard For Me to Say I'm Sorry (Chicago XVI)
Elton John=Funeral Friend/Love lies Bleeding (Goodbye Yellow Brick Road)
Supertramp=Waiting So Long (Famous Last Words)
The Who=Baba O' Riley (Who's Next)
The Who=Who Are You (Who Are You)
The Who=No Road Romance (previously unrealased) (Who Are You)
Queen=Who Wants to live Forever?
Eagles=Hotel California (Hotel Califonia)
Supertramp=Crazy (Famous last Words)
Jethro Tull=Locomotive Breath
The Kinks=Lola
Boston=Foreplay/ Long Time (Boston)
Aerosmith=Sweet Emotion
Led Zeppelin=In my Time of Dying (Physical Graffiti)
Led Zeppelin=Ten Years Gone(Physical Graffiti)
Led Zeppelin=Kashmir (Physical Graffiti)

But now I have brain block. I'll come up with more. :)

[supercarrot900]

1.The original "Layla" by Eric Clapton (7:05)Ithink it's on a record called "The Cream of Clapton"
2.Stairway to Heaven
3.Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen


Thank you have a nice day.