file photo Photo: 123RF
Short songs offer musicians a restrictive compositional palette whereas longer songs afford freedom for the artist to craft more complex and sophisticated work.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s the average length of a pop song heard on the radio was 2 minutes and 50 seconds.
Progressing through the 1970s and 1980s, by the mid 1990s this average had stretched out to a whopping 4 minutes and 14 seconds.
Post 2000, in the era of streaming, the average has contracted again and today's releases average 3 minutes and 15 seconds. Examining these fluctuations,
Dr Ian Chapman offers insights and critiques a variety of songs across various styles from smash hits to blatant gimmicks. The question: Can short equal great?
Ian Chapman is Honorary Senior Research Fellow in Music at the University of Otago.
