Mentioned it before.

Think of how many different things I could listen to if all songs were this length.

In equation land

11 x Held Up Without A Gun = 1 x Xanadu.

Buzzcocks were kings of the 2 minute pop song

and this is their masterpiece. With Lego

Mozzer is always best in short bursts, and Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want is his (and Marr's) finest 1min 51secs.

Through With Buzz by Steely Dan always surprised me when I saw the 1:34 running time - it's got a middle 8 and everything:

Johnsburg, Illinois by Tom Waits (forgive me for dropping him into every thread) is another small but perfectly formed gem at 1:33.

One of my favourite Pixies compositions, clocking in at little over a minute.

2:28 isn't really a short record, it's only about 30 seconds shy of the perfect length. Obviously Napalm Death manage to fit in everything they need to say into about 2 seconds but not everyone can be as succinct.
My favourite Beach Boys song happens to be one of their shortest (maybe it is their shortest). They did a lot of sub 2 minute songs but "Ding Dang" from Beach Boys Love You, I think, sums up their career at 57 seconds.

one of the best songs ever - desperation, hurt and anguish - and all accomplished in a little over 3 minutes

1:57 of r&b perfection...

The short sharp and sometimes blunt thrust of ye olde punke rocke was usually fairly brief: somehow best summed up by the affectionate homage (!?) of Snuff Rock, where 3 of the songs on the EP kick in under 2 minutes, only the token leaden reggae lurch being oversized at 3.54. Here's 2 of 'em

The Beach Boys' introductions take nearly as long as the song:

A wonderful tale of young angst that clocked in at 1:38 in it's original format but is given an extended workout here bringing it up to all of 2:32, including applause!

If only to piss off Ragmule; Vatican Broadside by Half Man Half Biscuit. 31 seconds, say what`s on your mind and get out.

I`m also fond of Velocity Girl by Primal Scream and Vaseline by Elastica. Basically if they begin with `V` and are under one and a half minutes, they have my vote. Which reminds me. `Vote for anyone but the BNP` by the drunken warrior outside my polling station on Thursday has a certain something. Coming in at 1 minute 23secs (one line, repeat until vomiting starts) it fills the criteria.

The Ledge. Second track on Tusk and the bit in the record where you go oooooo-kaaaayyyy.....

http://open.spotify.com/track/2UOkfeTV6pF6oj3Pj1j9kh

Most of Eddie Cochran's recordings lasted less than 2 and a half minutes, but this one is a solid gold classic and will only take less than two minutes of your life:

Reason to believe/Tim Hardin
http://open.spotify.com/track/5yJ8C5Eok2xR4hFz10Eurr

...26 Second Song. Does what it says on the tin.

And no, it isn't just a list of all my short songs clocking in under 2 minutes, as I have missed out fast for the sake of it songs and covers, reprises and instrumental interludes. If there is a pattern, it seems that it is especially tragic and bleak songs that fit this brevity best, leaving you swiftly, as the lyric sinks into your falling open mouth..... Some, as the first, are just perfect slices of music that would be spoilt, as the first one, by any embellishment.
From Me To You 1:56 The Beatles
When I See You Smile 1:46 Bic Runga
My Flying Saucer 1:47 Billy Bragg & Wilco
Contact in Red Square 1:57 Blondie
The Man Who Invented Jazz 1:58 Bobby Valentino
Beautiful Dreamer 1:44 Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
Kite 1:55 Boo Hewerdine
Time Between 1:51 The Byrds
Islands 1:44 Cat Power
The Wind 1:42 Cat Stevens
New York Mining Disaster 1941 1:58 Chumbawamba
Anji 1:27 Davy Graham
After The Operation 1:55 Eels
We're Away 1:59 Elbow The Seldom Seen Kid
Why Don't You Love Me (etc)?1:39 Elvis Costello
Jeremy Bender 1:42 Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Fine, Fine, Fine 1:42 The Fabulous Thunderbirds
Tell Her For Me 1:53 James Hunter
Angels Watching Over Me 1:48 Jonathan Richman
Being Around 1:49 The Lemonheads
In Between Days 1:51 Luka Bloom
Prima Donna 1:56 Marcella Detroit
Something Dark 1:57 The Mendoza Line
When We Embraced 1:47 Micah P. Hinson
Love In Mind 1:45 Michael Weston King
Compensation 1:36 Nina Simone
Broken Harp 1:59 PJ Harvey
Pull This Blanket Off 1:59 The Raconteurs
Truly, Madly, Deeply 1:53 Ray LaMontagne
Right On Time 1:54 Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Day My Life Begins 1:58 The Rockingbirds
Now and Always 1:54 Rockpile
Forget It 1:50 Rodriguez
Not Fade Away 1:49 The Rolling Stones
You Tell Me 1:35 Roy Orbison
I Dreamed I Stopped Dreaming 1:52 Sam Phillips
No Fine Lines 1:43 Scritti Politti
Wagers 1:52 Shivaree
The 12 Tones 1:50 Stephen Duffy & the Lilac Time
Bound To Fall 1:53 Stephen Stills
Wherever I Go 1:58 Steve Earle
Poor Cow 1:54 Tanita Tikaram
What You Do To Me 1:59 Teenage Fanclub
Day Is Passed And Gone 1:47 Willard Grant Conspiracy
Outdoor Miner 1:45 Wire

Husker Du - Bricklater

This live version clocks in even longer than the original "Everything Falls Apart" version..

John Martyn - Lay It All Down

http://open.spotify.com/track/2v5WvT2vnUXfHQWM9MTtIi

Bob Dylan - Odds and Ends - http://open.spotify.com/track/7qJKxSHunnyxOhDjFOA0KjDo

Sonic Youth - Nic Fit http://open.spotify.com/track/1rkMYPYTNuPtg4RYggfj4J

NSFW - contains extreme profanity.

could be concise with the best of them:
From Me To You 1:56
Eleanor Rigby 2:02
Yesterday 2:05

and along with:
Jerry Lee Lewis - Great Balls of Fire (1:52)
Whatcha Gonna Do About It - Small Faces (1:58)
Lady Came From Baltimore - Scott Walker (1:59) (was it Tim Hardin originally)

And more recently:
Catherine Burns - James Grant (1:21) - for many people the best track on his new album

but it does come with the bonus of the greatest intro ever (for today).

http://open.spotify.com/track/3oEDtjIgaqnqzQIGfhqDd6

And this live version for the benefit of the Spotify-deprived is a little shorter:

The best, truest song I've ever heard about horse racing and it takes a tidy 1 minutes 32 seconds. Okay it might be the only song I've heard on the subject.

Like the Allman Brothers and Little feat squeezed into two and a half minutes

by Young Marble Giants. Oh, and a more recent one: "Lips" by Micachu.

This has to be about the most exquisite encapsulation of the 'Boy loves girl, girl doesn't know boy exists' scenario ever performed. Heart-rend factor magnified by the almost studied diffidence of the vocal. Makes 'Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want' sound like 'Down Down Deeper and Down' (and I really like 'Please, Please, Please...')

The only Youtube clips I could find were all live with the audience bellowing along and turning it into a rugby song, but if you have Spotify you can now well up to 2'6" of lovelorn perfection:-

http://open.spotify.com/track/4V8bQf6fVRCRd08hNYX4wQ

Take away the intro - and you're left with 2' 30" of loveliness

By Anal C***. Completely unlistenable, and if you don't believe me, Spotify them.

Most of Brakes' songs are between 2 and three minutes, and they also specialise in the ultra-brief. Their albums are all under half an hour as well. No need to drag around! Cracking band.

This is excellent, both audio and visuals.

And the aforementioned ultra-brief; so short, they play it twice, for value.

and jolly.

The founder. The creator. Mr. Rock n' Roll. Try finding a Chuck Berry song that clocks in at more than 2:59! There are a few but this is the man who starts a song, makes his point and ends it. Watch him here when he sings, "I woke up high.... over Albuquerque." And you get the duck walk. All hail Chuck n' roll.

...almost anything by the magnificent Minutemen, especially if it's on Double Nickels On The Dime. Their take on Doctor Wu has got to be the best-ever Steely Dan cover. And from the same era and label, the mighty Husker Du's Never Talking To You Again, from the deathless Zen Arcade.

Lots of excellent short songs, Bit Part is a particular favourite.

Little Feat's Long Distance Love is 2.42

I'm also partial to Linda Ronstadt's Heart like a wheel album from the mid 70's. 10 tracks, barely over 30 minutes in total. Her version of The Everly's When will I be Loved is 2.03 including 2 middle eights and a fab solo

Guys, you can't hear this one too often. Whatever became of her

Mega Armageddon Death Pt. 3 by Electro Hippies

The legend is that they would do it as an encore, as the crowd roared "Shorter ! Shorter !"

Aah, Husker Du, Minutemen indeed. Let's not forget Firehose either. Always big in my house.

How about The Descendents with the title track from their "All" album weighing in at a leisurely 4 seconds, and there was another track on there called "No, All" also clocking in at the same time.

And a previous mention of Ivor Cutler shows the madness of iTunes. Look up (e.g) the "Jammy Smears" album, and it's the standard £0.79 per track but there's 30 tracks on there. Bargain!!

Here they are from 1974, pop-pickers.
85 seconds. Job done. Innit.