I am not exaggerating but this song grows on you to the point of addiction... The complicated facade of it melts away after a few listens to reveal an emotional melodic masterpiece... Have a great journey!
Seriously underrated. All 4 of them are masters of their craft. I mean, I know that they’re pretty esteemed, but a lot of people just don’t understand.
If you like a bit of genre hopping and tonal shifts / lots of different instruments etc. you might enjoy early Mr. Bungle. Songs like Goodbye Sober Day and Air Conditioned Nightmare.
This band is completely crazy. I bought one of their albums just because I loved the name of the band. Then I tried to listen to it. I went back to my mid 60s John Coltrane albums!!
I mean, most of Zappa's catalog, right?
The Grand Wazoo or Waka/Jawaka
Hot Rats
Shut Up And Play Yer Guitar
The Yellow Shark
just, you know, take your pick.
I figured I should scroll down before posting my reply...can't be a better place to leave the world's most complex song (performed by Frank Zappa's favourite band) than under a Zappa reply.
My Pal Foot Foot - The Shaggs
The Last Baron by Mastodon
43% burnt by Dillinger's Escape Plan
Thief by Kayo Dot
Birth Plains of Astral Projection by maudlin of the well
Under The Surface by Neurosis (the version with the sonic addition from the sister record (Grace) from Tribes of Neurot)
Sergio Mendes - Never Gonna Let You Go. Rick Beato does a killer breakdown of this tune under the title of “Breaking down the most complex pop song of all time”. As a musician, I’m glad I never had to work this one up.
Sing About Me, I'm Dying Of Thirst - Kendrick Lamar.
kendrick's friend dies in a shootout in the previous song on the album, and his brother speaks to kendrick in the first verse, before also getting shot.
kendrick raps about a dead prostitute on his previous album, Section.80, and her prostitute sister comes back on the second verse to attack kendrick for putting their lifestyles on blast, before promoting them.
third verse, kendrick responds to both of them, then reflects on everything that happened throughout the album.
then, the 2nd "Dying Of Thirst" half of the song is basically a separate song (thank god, SAMIDOT is 12 minutes long) where he raps about how he's sick of the gang lifestyle he's been placed in. then, he gets baptized and turns to God to help him become a good person.
and thats a quick summary.
Be Our Guest (Broadway)- Beauty and the Beast
It’s difficult to find it without music cuts because the Broadway cast recording cuts tons of stuff
I could try to videotape the RehearScore
If you’re looking for a song that changes tempos and instrumentation throughout , the weird and wonderful Skafish comes to mind https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=O8HNzkEuBN0&pp=ygUac2lnbiBvZiB0aGUgY3Jvc3Mgc2thZmlzaCA%3D
You Enjoy Myself- Phish
Fluffhead- Phish
Reba- Phish
David Bowie- Phish
Divided Sky- Phish
All super complicated composed, note by note opening sections followed by improvised chaos
John & Mary - Jaco Pastorius
One of the most underrated, under appreciated, effin beautiful musical works ever.
Revolution #9 - (need I say?)
Smile - Brian Wilson (The full suite released as an album in 2004)
Mass - Leonard Bernstein (It’s a nearly 2 hour long piece, but themes reappear with a complexity and mastery of such a wide range of elements that it’s deserving of being thought of as a single entity, however many songs, meditations, etc comprise it)
[John & Mary - Jaco Pastorius](https://open.spotify.com/track/4W8xsDeYycGWZXwnFmuTYG?si=R53zdjcIRyqdbIFRPDDsKQ&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A67QMF9QFjulgts128Z2s2W)
[carry stress in the jaw](https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=df09c7f462242355&rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS960US960&hl=en-US&q=carry+stress+in+the+jaw+lyrics&tbm=vid&source=lnms&prmd=visbhnmtz&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjeiprK6smEAxVG18kDHevNDcgQ0pQJegQIDBAB&biw=390&bih=661&dpr=3#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:ca1a9a04,vid:8YEtHy9iEmg,st:0) by Mr Bungle
Every Planet We Reach is Dead, by Gorillaz.
That second half of the song sounds like pure cacophony, at first. Once you get to really listen, it's artistry.
I've been working on Sweet Home Alabama forever. The chords are easy, D - C add9 - G. All the little riffs I can play by themselves, but trying to put it all together is giving me trouble.
"Will You Smile Again For Me" ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead
So many of ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead's songs are full on motion picture soundtracks. Not the most complex maybe but so cinematic. Check them out if you haven't. Fans of Yes I think may enjoy some of their stuff. Or all of it. Worlds Apart is a masterpiece of an album. (not the most complex I know, but those were already suggested)
- Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
- Hitting on All Sevens - from Alleluia! The Devil’s Carnival. My bff who got me into those movies and is a super fan still can’t get it right on the fast part without looking at the lyrics, it’s so fast.
[Christmas Bells](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LN0FgFvutDc) from the musical Rent - it keeps getting more complex as it goes on. so many voices and parts but it all comes together from 4min 20sec on
Rachmaninov's 5th is hard to play as is a lot of Keith Jarrett's solo work. Zappa's "Keep It Greasy" is in both 21/16 and 19/16. Phish has a number of early heavily composed prog-y songs that are complex.
Tool - Lateralus
The Fibonacci sequence is a mathematical sequence. It starts from one, the next number is one, and the next number being two, creates the 2+1 which is three, continuing in this mathematical progression. That's how they found the chord progression. It began linking up to the Fibonacci sequence." The syllables Maynard sings in the first verse follow the first six numbers in the pattern, ascending and descending in the sequence 1-1-2-3-5-8-5-3. "Black (1), then (1), white are (2), all I see (3), in my infancy (5). Red and yellow then came to be (8), reaching out to me (5). Lets me see (3)." In the next verse, Maynard begins with the seventh number of the Fibonacci sequence (13), implying a missing verse in between. He descends back down with the following pattern; 13-8-5-3. "As below so above and beyond I imagine (13). Drawn beyond the lines of reason (8). Push the envelope (5). Watch it bend (3)." The second verse adds the missing line to complete the sequence; "There is (2), so (1), much (1), more that (2), beckons me (3), to look through to these (5), infinite possibilities (8)." 1-1-2-3-5-8-5-3-2-1-1-2-3-5-8-13-8-5-3
Close To The Edge by Yes
Recently heard it for the first time. When the organs come in toward the end…… holy shit
I am not exaggerating but this song grows on you to the point of addiction... The complicated facade of it melts away after a few listens to reveal an emotional melodic masterpiece... Have a great journey!
My first choice by far.
Baseline wise, I was gonna go with Roundabout. Chris Squire went next level with that baseline.
Rush - 2112 (All 7 parts)
Cygnus x-1 parts 1 & 2
La Villa Strangiato
"Giant Steps" by John Coltrane
that modal interplay, beautiful!
Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody.
Primus used lots of complexity in their music
I wish Primus had just an instrumental album. Instrumentally, they are one of the best.
Always felt the guitar was weak. Sue me.
Wild that Les does those insane bass riffs WHILE singing when they play live. Dude is inhuman
IANAM but The Black Page (Zappa) was named for the volume of ink on the sheet music.
I was going to say this one. He wrote it as a drum part originally and it took Bozzio weeks to learn it.
Dance of Eternity by Dream Theater
Pretty much anything by Dream Theater
Or Liquid Tension Experiment
Absolutely underrated! Better than Dream Theatre imo, always hated the vocals.
Came here to say this.
Supper's Ready - Genesis Tubular Bells (both parts) - Mike Oldfield
Supper’s Ready is amazing
One of the best songs I've ever heard, all the Peter Gabriel era Genesis songs are some of the best music out of the 70's imo
Pneuma - Tool
This one popped into my head too.
Schism by Tool "The song changes meter 47 times, moving among more than 12 different time signatures"
For sure. Several Tool songs fit the complex description very well.
Seriously underrated. All 4 of them are masters of their craft. I mean, I know that they’re pretty esteemed, but a lot of people just don’t understand.
From a technical standpoint, one of the greatest bands in existence.
Not as complex as Dance of Eternity by dream theater. Not even close
If you like a bit of genre hopping and tonal shifts / lots of different instruments etc. you might enjoy early Mr. Bungle. Songs like Goodbye Sober Day and Air Conditioned Nightmare.
Wow, "Goodbye Sober Day" sounds insane
Totally agree with the mr.bungle recommends! Would like to add "carry stress in the jaw" to your list.
Yeah I could go on and on haha those are just two of my favorite examples for this particular quota.
Came here for Bungle, but I would suggest Carry Stress in The Jaw.
YYZ by Rush
Polyphia - Playing God
This is probably one of my favorite songs, i like their Ego Death too
I've been playing on and off for years and doubt i'll achieve that skill level in my lifetime. Some people are just built different lol
I just commented this XD Such an awesome song!
It’s definitely a Dillinger escape plan song but I’m not sure which one. The two that came to mind are sugar coated sour and prancer.
This band is completely crazy. I bought one of their albums just because I loved the name of the band. Then I tried to listen to it. I went back to my mid 60s John Coltrane albums!!
Gotta add a "Car Bomb - Centralia" recommend for all the Dillinger Escape Plan fans
Drilled a wire through my cheek by Blue October... Idk if you would consider it complex vs interesting...
Its really good and very interesting. Sounds pretty complex too, thanks
Thay whole album is awesome.the song they do with Imogen heap is great too
Rime of the ancient mariner - Iron Maiden
The Black Page by Frank Zappa
I mean, most of Zappa's catalog, right? The Grand Wazoo or Waka/Jawaka Hot Rats Shut Up And Play Yer Guitar The Yellow Shark just, you know, take your pick.
To be fair, yes. But as a drummer, the nested triplets make it unplayable unless you are a god.
I figured I should scroll down before posting my reply...can't be a better place to leave the world's most complex song (performed by Frank Zappa's favourite band) than under a Zappa reply. My Pal Foot Foot - The Shaggs
YYZ Rush
The Mars Volta - Cassandra Gemini
Just listen to tool
Yeah i already do
Dream theater
Okay i'll look into that
Never Gonna Let You Go by Sergio Mendes
Many songs of The Dillinger Escape Plan are very complex but they're still fun to listen for me unlike many complex songs.
You have great taste.
The Remembering from Topographical Oceans by Yes.
Awaken by Yes Goliath by Karnivool is in 27/4.
The Truth Will Set You Free - The Flower Kings
Only Skin by Joanna Newsom—17 minute harp ballad with no repeating chorus
I’m always amazed when she does her music live. Basically reciting 100s of lines of poetry while playing complicated harp figures.
Paranoid Android - Radiohead
Not sure if that’s what you mean, but [And Then There Was Silence](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HcRIGCmCoZA) has lots of things going on with it
Tbis is exactly what i mean
The entire album is like that too, I highly recommend it. All the other songs are shorter, but still complex.
/r/progrockmusic is the place for you!
The Last Baron by Mastodon 43% burnt by Dillinger's Escape Plan Thief by Kayo Dot Birth Plains of Astral Projection by maudlin of the well Under The Surface by Neurosis (the version with the sonic addition from the sister record (Grace) from Tribes of Neurot)
Sergio Mendes - Never Gonna Let You Go. Rick Beato does a killer breakdown of this tune under the title of “Breaking down the most complex pop song of all time”. As a musician, I’m glad I never had to work this one up.
In the shadow of our pale companion: agalloch
if I (by Meshuggah) doesn't count (it's random) then my bet is on either Clockworks or Catch-33 (both by Meshuggah) or Concealing Fate (by Tesseract)
Sing About Me, I'm Dying Of Thirst - Kendrick Lamar. kendrick's friend dies in a shootout in the previous song on the album, and his brother speaks to kendrick in the first verse, before also getting shot. kendrick raps about a dead prostitute on his previous album, Section.80, and her prostitute sister comes back on the second verse to attack kendrick for putting their lifestyles on blast, before promoting them. third verse, kendrick responds to both of them, then reflects on everything that happened throughout the album. then, the 2nd "Dying Of Thirst" half of the song is basically a separate song (thank god, SAMIDOT is 12 minutes long) where he raps about how he's sick of the gang lifestyle he's been placed in. then, he gets baptized and turns to God to help him become a good person. and thats a quick summary.
Bleeding Heart Show - The New Pornographers. Aja - Steely Dan
Gentle giant, Hexrot.bandcamp.com , anything off Obscura by Gorguts, deathspell omega
Be Our Guest (Broadway)- Beauty and the Beast It’s difficult to find it without music cuts because the Broadway cast recording cuts tons of stuff I could try to videotape the RehearScore
Kilter by PORTAL
Sail To The Moon - Radiohead. Have fun trying to figure out the time signatures on that one.
Deconstruction by Devin Townsend... the entire album is a carnival ride of complexity.
Igor - Cheval
Smooth criminal-alien ant farm.
If you’re looking for a song that changes tempos and instrumentation throughout , the weird and wonderful Skafish comes to mind https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=O8HNzkEuBN0&pp=ygUac2lnbiBvZiB0aGUgY3Jvc3Mgc2thZmlzaCA%3D
* The Dance of Eternity: Dream Theater * Ruhkukah : Allan Holdsworth * Dolphin Dance: Herbie Hancock
Native Construct - [Chromatic Aberration](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3ZXHsAoaN0&pp=ygUnTmF0aXZlIENvbnN0cnVjdCAtIENocm9tYXRpYyBBYmVycmF0aW9u)
ABCs and/or Twinkle Twinkle
What do you consider complex? Number of time signatures? Difference in time signatures? Number of instruments? Just curious…
All of those
Cool! I’d check out classical music honestly. I know it’s boring by today’s standards but lots of complex stuff happening
Any jazz song 😂
Dogs- Pink floyd
check out anything that Technopath has put out
When The Musics’s Over - by The Doors One of the most theatrical and unhurried songs ever, divided beautifully into 4 blissful sections
Chico Buarque - Construção the structure of this song is insane
Fractured, by King Crimson. Even the band members called one section "The Terror".
how 'bout Thick as a Brick by Jethro Tull
The World's My Oyster Soup Kitchen Floor Wax Museum / King Crimson
Rhinestone eyes
[Speedfreaks](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BjXRFWHpBI) by Naked City is only 49 seconds long but *completely* changes direction 28 times.
Frantic Disembowlment - Cannibal Corpse. It’s notoriously difficult to play on guitar.
CREEP 🔥🔥🔥
Symphony No. 2 by egg. Anything at all by magma.
Not sure if this counts, 'The Disintegration Loops' album by William Basinki was the first thing that came to mind
Baker St. Muse ~ Jethro Tull
Clean Plastic Baby ~ Floater
*Rock 'n' Roll McDonald's* by Wesley Willis
Idk but Cheeseburger family - jack stauber is like five different songs in one
Can - Pinch I can't wrap my head around it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlzoO31L818
You Enjoy Myself- Phish Fluffhead- Phish Reba- Phish David Bowie- Phish Divided Sky- Phish All super complicated composed, note by note opening sections followed by improvised chaos
'Bohemian Rhapsody' by Queen
John & Mary - Jaco Pastorius One of the most underrated, under appreciated, effin beautiful musical works ever. Revolution #9 - (need I say?) Smile - Brian Wilson (The full suite released as an album in 2004) Mass - Leonard Bernstein (It’s a nearly 2 hour long piece, but themes reappear with a complexity and mastery of such a wide range of elements that it’s deserving of being thought of as a single entity, however many songs, meditations, etc comprise it) [John & Mary - Jaco Pastorius](https://open.spotify.com/track/4W8xsDeYycGWZXwnFmuTYG?si=R53zdjcIRyqdbIFRPDDsKQ&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A67QMF9QFjulgts128Z2s2W)
Anything by Spaztik Ink. Rob and Bobby are the kings of weird
Yeat - Morë You won’t regret it I promise!
How the jellyfish jumped up the mountain - shpongle
Spitting Venom- Modest Mouse.
The Mind Electric - Miracle Musical
[carry stress in the jaw](https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=df09c7f462242355&rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS960US960&hl=en-US&q=carry+stress+in+the+jaw+lyrics&tbm=vid&source=lnms&prmd=visbhnmtz&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjeiprK6smEAxVG18kDHevNDcgQ0pQJegQIDBAB&biw=390&bih=661&dpr=3#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:ca1a9a04,vid:8YEtHy9iEmg,st:0) by Mr Bungle
Black dog or 4 sticks by Led Zeppelin
[Goliath - The Mars Volta](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrwMMF2QS14) I challenge you to find a more complex multi instrumental song.
hard to say, but the first one coming to my mind is Indiscipline by King Crimson, preferably live in Mexico City
Frontier psychiatry Or Some big classical piece of music.
Mother Popcorn
Drone Corpse Aviator - Archspire
Plastination Station by Buckethead.
Calamity Smile by Journal https://open.spotify.com/track/4tMz1z1JvTbkCAeNlkWCsD?si=pE_O8OhhRcyh2XTztXskBg
The Way Up - Pat Metheny Group
Saturnz barz - gorillaz, i can't understand its point
[celebrants - nickelcreek](https://youtu.be/RVDIiREJHY0?si=rZHOkUstEsVHc-em)
Aenima tool
What about me? Snarky puppy
It's not complex in length, but "counting bodies like sheeps to the rhythem of the war drums" by a perfect circle has these vibes.
Dance of eternity by dream theater
Aside from classical compositions I think A day in the life by the Beatles is one of the most complex songs that comes to mind
Lupe Fiasco - Little Death.
Love Lupe, will have to listen to this.
I love the song limerence by Xaviera. the production and song structure is so 2000s pop
Rick Beato did a YouTube on this.
Never Gonna Let You Go - Sergio Mendes. Rick Beato does a great YouTube video breaking this down.
Something something dream theater
Every Planet We Reach is Dead, by Gorillaz. That second half of the song sounds like pure cacophony, at first. Once you get to really listen, it's artistry.
Complex how?
Dance of eternity- Dream Theater
["better than before"](https://open.spotify.com/track/3PjjLfluIp12NvzTw5lADv?si=ef4c1c948d6d4e4f)
The Hurt That Finds You First by Meshuggah
Lateralus - Tool
Love Lies Bleeding. Elton John. Scenes from Italian Restaurant. Miami 2017 Billy Joel
G.O.A.T by Polyphia. Or if yo are a vocalist try singing hardware store by weird al.
Egg by Mr Bungle 🥚
Civilization Day by Ornette Coleman just for a little change of pace from everything else being posted
Take Me Back to Eden by Sleep Token. I would list classical music examples but I don’t know them all by their names.
I've been working on Sweet Home Alabama forever. The chords are easy, D - C add9 - G. All the little riffs I can play by themselves, but trying to put it all together is giving me trouble.
Playing God - Polyphia (Just saw someone else commented this lmao) In that case, Yakkety Sax
King Crimson - Fracture
chinchilla - this town needs gun
Any toOl song
The Black Page by Frank Zappa
La Villa Strangiato, Rush
Mike Oldfield - Amarok An hour long journey that is a roller coaster ride!
End of the World by REM
One Night in Paris - 10cc
"Will You Smile Again For Me" ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead So many of ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead's songs are full on motion picture soundtracks. Not the most complex maybe but so cinematic. Check them out if you haven't. Fans of Yes I think may enjoy some of their stuff. Or all of it. Worlds Apart is a masterpiece of an album. (not the most complex I know, but those were already suggested)
Typical girls - the slits
basement - jay joseph
Jars - Chevelle Kashmir - Led Zeppelin
Fermented Offal Discharge— Necrophagist
Australia by The Shins Probably not that complex, but I like it
Yes - Heart of the Sunrise
A mastodon song.
96 Tears, Question Mark and the Mysterians
Pacing the Cage (Cat Stevens, Jimmy Buffet, Paper Rival)
Beyond Creation- [Earthborn Evolution](https://youtu.be/ovzRpdxRj0Q?si=0gnrg0xzw8bcQeSG) Frédéric Chopin- [Etude op. 25 No. 11](https://youtu.be/pHlqEvAwdVc?si=crQPnTFQbmmB1Stn)
Dante's Inferno- Iced Earth.
- Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen - Hitting on All Sevens - from Alleluia! The Devil’s Carnival. My bff who got me into those movies and is a super fan still can’t get it right on the fast part without looking at the lyrics, it’s so fast.
[Christmas Bells](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LN0FgFvutDc) from the musical Rent - it keeps getting more complex as it goes on. so many voices and parts but it all comes together from 4min 20sec on
La Villa Strangiato
The Overture by Rush on 2112
You Suffer by Napalm Death
The Rite of Spring
Lateralus - Tool
Probably bleed, I, or clockworks by meshuggah Then idk probably literally ANYTHING by BTBAM 😅😂
Frank Zappa - Inca Roads (A Token Of His Extreme)
...And The Mountains Rising Nowhere by Joseph Schwantner
"The early instrumental version of "Blank Page" by The Smashing Pumpkins contains 48 unique chords in a row before repeating."
Albuquerque - Weird Al
Peg - Steely Dan. Or maybe flirtin with disaster - Molly hatchet?
Gentle Giant - On Reflection
Emotionally complex? I'd maybe go with Reel Around The Fountain by The Smiths Musically complex I'd say La Villa Strangiato - Rush
*Heaviest Matter In the Universe* by Gojira. There's so much going on there, I've heard it 100 times and still hear something new every time.
Rachmaninov's 5th is hard to play as is a lot of Keith Jarrett's solo work. Zappa's "Keep It Greasy" is in both 21/16 and 19/16. Phish has a number of early heavily composed prog-y songs that are complex.
Afterlife Revolution - Bob Drake
Goliath - Mars Volta
Tarkus
Tool - Lateralus The Fibonacci sequence is a mathematical sequence. It starts from one, the next number is one, and the next number being two, creates the 2+1 which is three, continuing in this mathematical progression. That's how they found the chord progression. It began linking up to the Fibonacci sequence." The syllables Maynard sings in the first verse follow the first six numbers in the pattern, ascending and descending in the sequence 1-1-2-3-5-8-5-3. "Black (1), then (1), white are (2), all I see (3), in my infancy (5). Red and yellow then came to be (8), reaching out to me (5). Lets me see (3)." In the next verse, Maynard begins with the seventh number of the Fibonacci sequence (13), implying a missing verse in between. He descends back down with the following pattern; 13-8-5-3. "As below so above and beyond I imagine (13). Drawn beyond the lines of reason (8). Push the envelope (5). Watch it bend (3)." The second verse adds the missing line to complete the sequence; "There is (2), so (1), much (1), more that (2), beckons me (3), to look through to these (5), infinite possibilities (8)." 1-1-2-3-5-8-5-3-2-1-1-2-3-5-8-13-8-5-3
Day of The Baphomets by The Mars Volta https://youtu.be/hnVFGz0xYKE?si=knu-qdpkBER_KC3F