List of rock epics

A rock epic, or rock ballad is a typically multi-parted, unusually long rock song that pertains to one story or concept. Some epics do not necessarily pertain to one solid concept, because they are entirely instrumental. They are also sometimes called suites. Rock epics are most commonly found in progressive rock and progressive metal. Epics can be quite lengthy, some exceeding 45 minutes long.

List

1960s

*"The End" - The Doors - 1967 (11:42)
*"When The Music's Over" - The Doors - 1967 (11:02)
*"Interstellar Overdrive" - Pink Floyd - 1967 (9:41)
*"In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" - Iron Butterfly - 1968 (17:10)
*"A Saucerful of Secrets" - Pink Floyd - 1968 (11:56)
*"" - Crosby, Stills & Nash - 1969 (7:25)
*"April" - Deep Purple - 1969 (12:10)
*"Sysyphus" - Pink Floyd - 1969 (13:26)
*"The Narrow Way" - Pink Floyd - 1969 (12:17)
*"The Grand Vizier's Garden Party" - Pink Floyd - 1969 (8:44)

1970s

*"Child in Time" - Deep Purple - 1970 (10:17)
*"Atom Heart Mother" - Pink Floyd - 1970 (23:44)
*"The Devil's Triangle" - King Crimson - 1970 (11:39)
*"Lizard" - King Crimson - 1971 (23:15)
*"Tarkus" - Emerson, Lake & Palmer - 1971 (20:39)
*"American Pie" - Don McLean - 1971 (8:36)
*"Echoes" - Pink Floyd - 1971 (23:31)
*"Starship Trooper" - Yes - 1971 (9:25)
*"Yours Is No Disgrace" - Yes - 1971 (9:42)
*"Perpetual Change" - Yes - 1971 (8:54)
*"The Musical Box" - Genesis - 1971 (10:24)
*"A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers" - Van Der Graaf Generator - 1971 (23:12)
*"Close to the Edge" - Yes - 1972 (18:41)
*"And You and I" - Yes - 1972 (10:07)
*"Thick as a Brick" - Jethro Tull - 1972 (43:48)
*"Supper's Ready" - Genesis - 1972 (22:55)
*"Trilogy" - Emerson, Lake & Palmer - 1972 (8:51)
*"Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" - Elton John - 1973 (11:06)
*"Fall of the House of Usher" - The Alan Parsons Project - 1973 (16:11)
*"The Battle of Epping Forest" - Genesis - 1973 (11:46)
*"The Cinema Show" - Genesis - 1973 (10:48)
*"Karn Evil 9" - Emerson, Lake & Palmer - 1973 (29:34)
*"Lark's Tongues in Aspic - King Crimson - 1973
*"Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd - 1973 (9:07)
*"Tubular Bells" - Mike Oldfield - 1973 (48:56)
*all songs off of "Tales from Topographic Oceans" - Yes - 1973 (81:04)
*"The Gates of Delirium" - Yes - 1974 (21:50)
*"Journey/Recollection" - Rick Wakeman - 1974
*"Battle/The Forest" - Rick Wakeman - 1974
*"By-Tor & The Snow Dog - Rush - 1975 (8:40)
*"Shine On You Crazy Diamond" - Pink Floyd - 1975 (25:59)
*"Bohemian Rhapsody" - Queen - 1975
*"The Necromancer" - Rush - 1975 (12:32)
*"Jungleland" - Bruce Springsteen - 1975 (9:34)
*"The Fountain of Lamneth" - Rush - 1975 (19:58)
*"2112" - Rush - 1976 (20:33)
*"Dogs" - Pink Floyd - 1977 (17:08)
*"Pigs (Three Different Ones)" - Pink Floyd - 1977 (11:28)
*"Sheep" - Pink Floyd - 1977 (10:20)
*"Fool's Overture" - Supertramp - 1977 (10:57)
*"Awaken" - Yes - 1977 (15:31)
*"Xanadu" - Rush - 1977 (11:07)
*"Cygnus X-1 duology" - Rush - 1977/1978 (28:30)
*"La Villa Strangiato" - Rush - 1978 (9:35)

1980s

*"Natural Science" - Rush - 1980 (9:16)
*"Behing the Lines/Duchess" - Genesis - 1980 (11:46)
*"Duke's Travels/Duke's End" - Genesis - 1980 (10:47)
*"The Turn of a Friendly Card Suite" - The Alan Parsons Project - 1980 (16:21)
*"The Camera Eye" - Rush - 1981 (10:59)
*"Abacab" - Genesis - 1981 (7:03)
*"Home by the Sea/Second Home by the Sea" - Genesis - 1983 (11:16)
*"The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking" - Roger Waters - 1984
*"Rime of the Ancient Mariner" - Iron Maiden - 1984 (13:39)
*"Brother Where You Bound" - Supertramp - 1985 (16:30)
*"The Ivory Gate of Dreams" - Fates Warning - 1986
*"Domino - Genesis - 1986 (10:45)
*"Halloween" - Helloween - 1987 (13:18)
*"The Killing Hand" - Dream Theater - 1989

1990s

*"Three Days" - Jane's Addiction - 1990
*"Fading Lights" - Genesis - 1991 (10:16)
*"Achilles, Agony and Ecstasy in Eight Parts" - Manowar - 1992
*"Dry County" - Bon Jovi - 1992
*"Learning to Live" - Dream Theater - 1992
*"I'd Do Anything for Love (but I Won't Do That)" - Meat Loaf - 1993 (12:00)
*"A Change of Seasons" - Dream Theater - 1995 (23:09)
*"Ghostship" - Shadow Gallery - 1995
*"Crimson" - Edge of Sanity - 1996
*"Trial of Tears" - Dream Theater - 1997
*"The Divine Wings of Tragedy" - Symphony X - 1997
*"A Pleasant Shade of Gray" - Fates Warning - 1997
*"Three Minute Warning" - Liquid Tension Experiment - 1997
*"Stardust We Are" - The Flower Kings - 1998
*"When The Water Breaks" - Liquid Tension Experiment - 1999

2000s

*"Moviedrome" - Arena - 2000
*"Elizabeth" - Kamelot - 2001
*"Cliffhanger 2" - Shadow Gallery - 2001
*"Light of Day, Day of Darkness" - Green Carnation - 2002
*"The Odyssey" - Symphony X - 2002
*"The Truth Will Set You Free" - The Flower Kings - 2002
*"Devil's Playground" - The Flower Kings - 2002
*"Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence" - Dream Theater - 2002 (42:00)
*"And Then There Was Silence" - Blind Guardian - 2002
*"Kalifi myy mustaa valoa" - Kuha. - 2003
*"Harvest of Souls" - IQ - 2004
*"Cassandra Gemini" - The Mars Volta - 2004
*"Lochness" - Judas Priest - 2005
*"Jesus of Suburbia" - Green Day - 2005
*"Arriving Somewhere But Not Here - Porcupine Tree - 2005
*"Octavarium" - Dream Theater - 2005 (23:58)
*"Death, Come Near Me" - Draconian - 2005
*"The Tain" - The Decemberists - 2005 (18:35)
*"Wings for Marie (Pt 1)" and "10,000 Days (Wings Pt 2)" - Tool - 2006
*"Knights of Cydonia" - Muse - 2006
*"Anesthetize" - Porcupine Tree - 2007
*"In the Presence of Enemies" - Dream Theater - 2007
*"Jäästä Syntynyt/Varjojen Virta" - Moonsorrow - 2007 (30:10)
*"Tuleen Ajettu Maa" - Moonsorrow - 2007 (26:19)
*"Love Is The Only Answer" - The Flower Kings - 2007
*"The Ghost of Tom Joad" (live) - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band with Tom Morello - 2008
*"Tulimyrsky" - Moonsorrow - 2008 (29:45)