When we think about epic songs, we usually associate that with length. But who says great songs also have to be long? Being able to get your point across and evoke deep emotional responses from listeners in a short span is an envious skill to possess.
The following five songs are slow tempo-wise, but clock in at right around the two-minute mark or less. Put together a playlist from these tracks, and you can listen them all in your commute to work—twice over, perhaps, if there’s traffic.
“Bookends Theme” by Simon & Garfunkel (Time 1:16)
Bookends is a bit of an odd album by the preeminent duo of the ’60s. There are some majestically great songs (“America,” “Hazy Shade of Winter”). But there are also strange interludes (such as the collection of spoken-word vignettes known as “Voices of Old People”) and a first side that’s kind of strung together with mini-songs. The “Bookends Theme” actually appears at the beginning and end of that side. It’s the second appearance, with wistful vocals from Paul and Artie to accompany the plaintive melody, that earns its spot on this list.
“I Will” by The Beatles (1:46)
We could have included “Golden Slumbers” from Abbey Road here, but that small segment of music is hard to disconnect from the larger medley surrounding it. Instead, we chose this Paul McCartney gem from The White Album. That double-LP contained more than enough space for every member of the group to get all their pet projects in. “I Will” is a charming little love song that’s notable for McCartney, one of the world’s best bass players, choosing to use his voice as the bass part. It’s mostly an all-Paul affair, although John Lennon and Ringo Starr both add some percussion.
“Souvenir” by Billy Joel (2:00)
Streetlife Serenade, released in 1974 as Billy Joel’s third album, found him mostly in a holding pattern. There weren’t any huge advances from the previous year’s Piano Man, which earned him his first widespread airplay with the title track and “Captain Jack.” Maybe he was just a bit shy of material, considering he was on his third album in three years. In any case, one of the highlights is “Souvenir,” a touching if slight (length-wise, anyway) piece of melancholia that actually would have served as a better album-closer than the instrumental “The Mexican Connection.”
“Outside the Wall” by Pink Floyd (1:41)
Since it was a concept album with a good share of exposition involved, Pink Floyd’s 1979 double-album The Wall contained more than a few short, slow ones. “Vera,” for example, is one that certainly could have qualified for this list as well. But we chose “Outside the Wall.” Many people forget this is the closing track, perhaps because the bombastic “The Trial,” with its Tear down the wall chants, immediately precedes it. But “Outside the Wall” allows the album to go out on a quiet, personal moment that features one of Roger Waters’ prettiest melodies.
“Alright for Now” by Tom Petty (2:00)
Petty found himself at something of a career crossroads in the second half of the ’80s, as his relationship with his backing band the Heartbreakers was a bit strained at that time. But he found himself rejuvenated when he started working with ELO’s Jeff Lynne, leading to his first solo album and an unmitigated triumph, Full Moon Fever in 1989. “Alright for Now” is one of the many unassuming beauties on that record that don’t demand attention so much as sink into your consciousness. It’s a lullaby with just enough of a bittersweet edge to keep it from getting cloying.
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