The art of the short song is a tricky one to master. The song must be concise, while not feeling incomplete or lacking in substance. Here are the songs we feel that do it best:
10. Wire – Field Day for the Sundays (0:28)
One of the first short form punk songs released. Comedic lyrics about the tastelessness and attention begging nature inherent in consumer and mass media culture.
9. Vultures United – The Natives (0:39)
This is simply an awesome high energy punk rager. Lot’s of screaming, amp buzzing, and swear words!
8. Gallows – True Colours (demo) (0:37)
This was the first song released with the Gallow’s new singer Wade MacNeil (formerly of Alexisonfire). They released it as a teaser to their EP “Death is Birth” (3rd best EP of 2011 according to us). It puts to rest any doubts that Wade’s singing is hardcore enough.
7. Noise Noise Noise – My Name is Chainsaw (0:46)
Noise Noise Noise is a cool band not a lot of people know about. This song is a good display of low-fi, fast paced, pop punk. Funny band name, funny song title, good song.
6. Vultures United – I am My Father’s Son (0:31)
The only band to chart twice! and on the same album no less. An angry introspective rant about being in your late twenties and already having nothing to live towards.
5. Wisdom in Chains – Bully (1:00)
This is one of my favourite anti-police abuse song of all-time, on par with “Police Truck”, “Calm like a Bomb”, and “Fuck the Police”.
4. Kid Dynamite – PH Decontrol (0:47)
The lyrics sum it up:
“We’ll carry the torch you fucking dropped. I’m getting old but that’s no reason to stop.”
Never give up, you’re never too old.
3. Beatles – Her Majesty (0:23)
Classic McCartney songwritting. I heard that this was the first secret song ever.
2. AFI – Hearts Frozen Soil Sod Once More By The Spring Of Rage, Despair, And Hopelessness (0:32)
The song title probably takes longer to say than the song does to play. During this era, AFI were the best band for Woahs, and the majority of this song is Woahs.
1. Circle Jerks – Deny Everything (0:30)
The perfect short song. In it’s tight time frame it manages to fit 3 verses, 4 choruses, and a bridge. It’s a pop song stripped to it’s bare components.
Honorable Mentions:
There were a few awesome songs that clock in at just over a minute:
Dead Kennedys – Nazi Punks Fuck Off (1:03)
This song basically invented the hardcore subgenre. Though it’s half the length of a typical DK song, it remains one of their best. Jello is at his best lyrically here.
Minutemen – Joe McCarthy’s Ghost (1:01)
Minutemen write almost exclusively in short songs, but only a few of their great ones are around the minute mark (a lot of their prime material clocks at about 1:30). This list wouldn’t feel complete without their mention.
That’s it! I’m sure we missed some, let us know how we’re wrong in the comments below.
1 reply on “1 Minute of Madness! (Top 10 songs that are 1 minute long or less)”
[…] mostly inspired by quick, hard hitting tracks that require more active and attentive listening. We have even published a list of our favourite short songs. We try to make music that you want to tap your toes to, that you want to sing along to; this is the […]