1972 Rock Epic, Lasting Nearly 19 Minutes, Named the Greatest Long Song of All Time

In 1972, the U.K rock band Yes released a song unlike almost anything else in rock music.

Running 18 minutes and 43 seconds, “Close to the Edge” occupied an entire side of the band’s landmark album of the same name and pushed the boundaries of what a rock song could be. More than five decades later, the epic composition is still earning recognition.

In a recent ranking of the Top 20 Songs Longer Than 10 Minutes, Goldmine, the music collector’s magazine, named “Close to the Edge” the greatest long song of all time.

“I think just objectively, on point of brains and brawn, ‘Close to the Edge’ has got to be the greatest long song of all time, whether you buy into what Yes is selling or not,” Goldmine wrote.

The publication continued: “It’s almost a cliché — or I suppose more of a hard-fought point of agreement — that Close to the Edge is the greatest progressive rock album of all time, and the main reason for that is this masterpiece of ethereal, spiritual, oddball music-making.”

Released in September 1972, Close to the Edge arrived during a breakthrough period for the English progressive rock pioneers. The album became the band’s biggest commercial success to that point, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and No. 4 in the United Kingdom. It would eventually sell more than one million copies in the United States.

The title track remains the centerpiece of the album.

Written by Jon Anderson and Steve Howe, the song blends progressive rock, classical influences, jazz elements and ambitious storytelling into a sprawling four-part suite. Its lyrics were inspired in part by Hermann Hesse’s novel Siddhartha, while the music moves through dramatic shifts in tempo, mood and instrumentation. The composition was so ambitious that it occupied an entire side of the original vinyl release.

Although it was never released as a traditional hit single, “Close to the Edge” became one of the band’s defining works and remains a benchmark for progressive rock more than 50 years after its debut.

Goldmine praised the song’s adventurous structure and distinctive sound.

“The whole thing is a trip, first of nature sounds, then cacophony, then uncommon rhythms,” the magazine wrote. “There’s church organ music, Steve Howe’s unique, wiry guitar playing, and then, on top of the whole spider-legged presentation, Jon Anderson speaking in tongues all mystical and just a little bit scary, like if you follow him and his flowing robe, you’re gonna get locked in the church basement.”

The publication concluded that the song’s finale is what ultimately elevates it above its competition.

“The vaulted and heavenly ending, however, has you realizing that what he was talking about wasn’t just guff.”

Over the years, Close to the Edge has become one of the most acclaimed albums in progressive rock history. The record has appeared on numerous greatest-albums lists and was ranked among the greatest albums of all time by Rolling Stone. The title track, meanwhile, continues to be celebrated as one of the genre’s defining achievements.

“Close to the Edge is the best of Yes’ many lineups at an absolute peak, with Jon Anderson’s sun-king vocals pouring out over new member Rick Wakeman’s dazzling keyboards. The title track, an 18-minute epic in four distinct parts, remains the most majestic moment in the prog-rock history,” wrote Rolling Stone of the album and song.

More than 50 years after its release, “Close to the Edge” remains the standard against which other long-form rock epics are measured, proving that even a song approaching 19 minutes can leave listeners wanting more.