Taylor Swift just dropped the rerecorded version of her 2012 album Red and fans were poised to support the singer in light of the legal battle for her masters. The buzz around Red (Taylor’s Version) led to it debuting at the top of the charts and gave her her tenth No. 1 album. But the fan-favorite on the project was definitely the extended version of the song “All Too Well,” which clocks in at 10 minutes and 13 seconds. The song landed at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart this week, making it the longest song to ever top the charts.
Swift’s “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” broke the chart record previously held by Don McLean’s “American Pie,” which is eight minutes and 37 seconds. McLean had held the record since the track’s 1972 release, so he commended Swift on her impressive achievement. In a statement given to Billboard, McLean said:
“There is something to be said for a great song that has staying power. ‘American Pie’ remained on top for 50 years and now Taylor Swift has unseated such a historic piece of artistry. Let’s face it, nobody ever wants to lose that #1 spot, but if I had to lose it to somebody, I sure am glad it was another great singer/songwriter such as Taylor.”
Of course, Swift isn’t the only pop star to record long versions of a song before being told to cut it back to a more radio-friendly length. Ahead of the release of her anticipated album 30, Adele said her hit track “I Drink Wine” was originally 15 minutes long. “[The label] was like, ‘Listen, everyone loves you, but no one’s playing a 15-minute song on radio,’” Adele said in an interview.
