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.
"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.
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.
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.
Goldmine praised the song's adventurous structure and distinctive sound.
The publication concluded that the song's finale is what ultimately elevates it above its competition.
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.
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.
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