Six 20 plussers that'll blow your mind

20+ minute studio recording epics from Miles, Sun Ra, Kraftwerk, Pink Floyd, Fela, & Rare Earth

Mar 22, 2026

Howdy, happy Spring.

Out for a lengthy second day of Spring walk, I came upon a 21 and a half minute cover of a Temptations song that got me thinking about long songs. Stand alone long songs. Not two or three songs that segue into each other, but stand alones. Sure, there’s lots of 10 → 15/16/17-ish minute songs. But I’m talking like, 20 plus minute songs. Not live songs (heck, i’d include this banging 40 minute version of “Tweezer” by Phish if I included live songs), but studio recordings. An hour into my walk, after I had finished listening to three of these songs, I figured let me put a bunch out to share. So here you go. Hope you enjoy.

Rare Earth - “Get Ready” (21:32) - This cover of the temptin’ Temptations “Get Ready” (written by Smokey Robinson), filled the full second side of the band’s second studio album when it was released in 1969. It was originally recorded by The Tempts for their 1966 album, Gettin’ Ready. It became a R&B number one hit song, and went to number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Rare Earth were subsidiary label mates with the Tempts and were signed to Motown’s Rare Earth label. Their cover of it, mixed down to a 2:46 single, peaked at the #4 hot 100 spot on the Billboard charts.

Rare Earth’s cover was recorded in the studio with a live audience dubbed in after they recorded it. Cheesy? Sure. But damn, it hits all the 60’s classic rock hot long cliches in a great way. Everyone in the band shows up with a solo; keyboards, guitar, sax and drums.

Kraftwerk - “Autobahn” - Unlike Rare Earth who put their classic 20 plusser on side two, Kraftwerk put the 22:47 electronic classic title track to their 1964 album on side one. The original single version of the song, reduced to 3 minutes, hit the charts in 1975, and a nine and 1/2 minute animated version of the song came out in 1979.

Fela Kuti, “Original Sufferhead” - The title song to the legendary Father of Afrobeat’s 1986 album clocks in at a way funky and hypnotic 21:09.

Sun Ra, “Space Is The Place” (21:14) - The title song to Mr. Ra’s 1973 journey to the cosmos, recorded in tandem for a documentary of the same name, is both deliriously out there (free jazz!) and gloriously visionary, epochal, and spiritual. And get this: It was recorded in one day.

Pink Floyd, “Shine On You Crazy Diamond Pts 1-9” (25:26) - Last year, to celebrate the 50th anniversary release of Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here, a new stereo remix was released combining the first track “Wish You Were Here, Pts. 1-5” with the last track on the album, “Wish You Were Here, Pts. 6-9.” Even tho they were originally released as two separate tracks, I’m including this in the 20 minute plusser category. It’s d

Miles Davis, “Bitches Brew” (26:59) - The second track (filling all of side two in its original vinyl form) from Miles’s masterpiece is epically sprawling and brilliant in its composition and performance. Roll call: Miles, Wayne Shorter (sax), Benny Maupin clarinet(, Joe Zawinul (electric piano, left), Chick Corea (electric piano, right), John McLaughlin (guitar), Dave Holland (bass), Lenny White (drums, left), Jack DeJohnette (drums, right), Don Alias (congas), Juma Santos (shaker, congas).