So with its two versions suitably and appropriately merged, All Too Well (Taylor’s Version) shot straight to No.3, Taylor Swift’s biggest hit since Willow also had a cup of coffee in the Top 3 in December last year following the release of her Evermore album. Which led to more than one person asking me, did this make it the longest ever track to become a Top 3 hit?
As the video above illustrates, the full-length version of the song clocks in at 10 minutes and 12 seconds, which is longer than Oasis’ All Around The World, at 9 minutes and 38 seconds still to this day the longest track to top the charts.
But if we are going to be pedantic (and show me a chart nerd who isn’t) the singles chart does not list All Too Well (10 minute version) as the No.3 record of the week. It lists All Too Well (Taylor’s Version) - the more manageable single length edit. And that means the normal version is technically the lead track. The 10 minute edit commanded the lions’ share of both sales and streams and was clearly the one that most people were interested in hearing, but the chart records only have it as an alternate version, the 12-inch cut if you like.
So you can count it as a record holder if you really want. But the record books won’t necessarily acknowledge that. In much the same way that Bill Ray Cyrus didn’t perform on the No.1 hit Old Town Road and Saint Jhn’s Roses had nothing to do with remixer Imanbek. Because the published charts do not acknowledge this.