Short And Sweet
We've all heard the cliché of the "three-minute pop song". But what about all those great songs that came in at under three minutes—or even under two minutes? While every song on this list is under three minutes long, the question is: How short can we go? Let's find out.
From Me To You (The Beatles): 1:56
The Fab Four's third single, and their first to hit number on the official UK singles chart—but on most other charts, it was their second number one hit. The first being...
Eric Koch, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
Please Please Me (The Beatles): 2:00
Their second single, "Please Please Me" reached number one on the New Musical Express (NME) and Melody Maker charts and—when re-released in the US a year later, it peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100.
PPAP (Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen) (Pikotaro): 0:45
This wonderfully-weird J-pop track by Japanese comedian Daimaou Kosaka (as his character Pikotaro) reached number one on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart. On the OG Hot 100 charts, it only got as high as 77, but at just 45 seconds long, it was—at the time in 2016—the shortest single to ever chart on the Billboard Hot 100. A record that would later be broken by...
Department of Foreign Affairs, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Beautiful Trip (Kid Cudi): 0:37
It's just a 37-second intro, but Kid Cudi's "Beautiful Trip" just made it onto the Hot 100—at number 100.
Stay (Maurice Williams): 1:36
For some, this song will always be associated with Dirty Dancing—where the song had a resurgence in the late 80s after being included on the film's soundtrack. But it had its first surge back in 1960 when it took the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 from Elvis Presley's "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" And speaking of Elvis...
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
All Shook Up (Elvis Presley): 1:57
Elvis shook up the charts with this short track—topping the US Billboard Hot 100 for nine weeks, and spending four weeks atop the Billboard R&B chart.
Rossano aka Bud Care, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
California Dreamin’ (The Mamas & The Papas): 2:42
All the leaves are brown and this song is only two minutes and 42 seconds long. It also peaked at number four on the Hot 100 and has been certified three-times platinum.
CBS Television, Wikimedia Commons
Song 2 (Blur): 2:02
Looking for a two-minute, two-second long song? Woo-hoo, we found one for you.
Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
9 To 5 (Dolly Parton): 2:43
A hit in both the music and film worlds, Dolly Parton's office-worker anthem earned her a Grammy for Best Country Song and for Best Country Vocal Performance, Female. The song was also ranked 78th on the American Film Institute's "100 Years, 100 Songs".
Eva Rinaldi, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Rich Girl (Hall & Oates): 2:23
Hall & Oates had six songs reach the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100. "Rich Girl" was their first to do so.
RCA Records, Wikimedia Commons
Runaway (Del Shannon): 2:20
Del Shannon's classic rock & roll track from 1961 ran away with the top spot on the Billboard charts for four straight weeks that year. It also ranked among Rolling Stone's 500 greatest songs of all time.
Yakety Yak (The Coasters): 1:52
This super fun song rocked the top of the R&B Charts for seven weeks back in 1958. And in 1999, the original recording of the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
Mine (Bazzi): 2:11
Bazzi self-released "Mine" in 2017, and it became an internet meme and a hit song that entered the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at number 11. The track was eventually certified platinum in multiple countries: United States, Australia, Canada, Sweden, and New Zealand.
(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear (Elvis Presley): 1:46
Presley had four number one singles in 1957—"(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear" was the third.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
Fell In Love With A Girl (The White Stripes): 1:50
While Joss Stones' cover of the song—"Fell in Love with a Boy"—clocks in at three minutes and 38 seconds, the OG "Fell in Love with a Girl" version by The White Stripes is a great little ditty that comes and goes in under three minutes. It was the second single off of the White Blood Cells album and rose up to number 21 on the UK singles chart and hit number 12 on the US alternative songs chart.
Fabio Venni, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
I Think I Love You (The Partridge Family): 2:54
If you ever doubted the popularity of the Partridge Family in the early 70s—let "I Think I Love You" prove you wrong. The song was released about a month before the TV show premiered and not only did it hit number one, it was the best-selling single of 1970.
ABC Television, Wikimedia Commons
Trouble In Paradise (Loretta Lynn): 2:09
Loretta Lynn had no trouble with this track. In fact, it spent one week at number one and 13 total weeks in the paradise that is the US country singles charts.
Les Leverett, Wikimedia Commons
Why Don't We Do It In The Road? (The Beatles): 1:42
Paul McCartney wrote the song after seeing two monkeys "get it on" in the street in India. We're not sure the song ever charted or could be considered a hit. But we love this one, and so...here it is.
Iberia Airlines, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Highly Evolved (The Vines): 1:34
The opening track off of The Vines' similarly-titled debut album, "Highly Evolved" rocked up to number 32 on the UK singles chart and put the band on the map.
United States Of Whatever (Liam Lynch): 1:26
This comedy rock song that Lynch has said he improvised in one take was, in 2002, the shortest song to ever enter the UK charts (where it peaked at number10). It also hit number 34 on the US alternative songs chart and number six in Australia. Whatever!
Featureflash Photo Agency, Shutterstock
Theme From The Dukes Of Hazzard (Good Ol' Boys) (Waylon Jennings): 2:06
The catchy TV show theme song became Waylon Jennings' 10th number one country hit as a solo artist and his highest charting track ever on the Billboard Hot 100 (reaching number 21).
A&M Records, Wikimedia Commons
The Letter (The Box Tops): 1:58
Joe Cocker had his first ever top 10 hit with a four-minute cover of the song—but the Box Tops original version comes in at under two minutes and that's all they needed to make it onto Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list (number 372), and get inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. It also hit number one on the Hot 100 back in 1967.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
What Do You Want? (Adam Faith): 1:38
Beginning in November of 1959, "What Do You Want?" spent a total of 19 weeks on the UK singles chart (three of those 19 were spent at number one)—and it is still the shortest song to ever hit number one on said chart.
Jack de Nijs, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
Do You Know You Are My Sunshine (The Statler Brothers): 2:13
The first of four number one country hits by the group, "Do You Know You Are My Sunshine" spent two weeks at number one on the country charts in 1978.
Wannabe (Spice Girls): 2:54
It only took two minutes and 54 seconds for the Spice Girls to become a phenomenon.
Featureflash Photo Agency, Shutterstock
Respect (Aretha Franklin): 2:29
This one was written by Otis Redding, who had a hit with a two-minute and five-second version of "Respect" in 1965. Then Aretha Franklin got her hands on it, added 24 seconds, and made it an even bigger hit. Franklin's version hit number one on the Hot 100, earned her two Grammys, and was called one of the five best songs of all time by Rolling Stone magazine. Now, you gotta respect that!
Atlantic Records, Wikimedia Commons
All The Small Things (Blink-182): 2:48
One of those small things just might be this song, given its meager 168-second length.
What A Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong): 2:21
What a wonderful two minutes and 21 seconds.
Library of Congress, Wikimedia Commons
Whip It (Devo): 2:37
There are many interpretations of what this song is actually about—but one thing we can all agree on is that it only lasts for two minutes and 37 seconds.
Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Waterloo (ABBA): 2:42
The song that won the 19th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest and started ABBA on their path to greatness.
AVRO, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The Morning After (Maureen McGovern): 2:14
Written for 1972's The Poseidon Adventure, "The Morning After" won Best Original Song at the 45th Academy Awards.
Miami Vice Theme (Jan Hammer): 2:26
Released as a single in 1985, Jan Hammer's instrumental theme worked its way up to number one on the Hot 100. It also took home Grammys for Best Instrumental Composition and Best Pop Instrumental Performance.
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