You’re only allowed to to listen to one song

As a kid, tired of his dad’s “terrible” music on the drive to school, a boy struck a deal to pick one song per trip, any genre. To stretch his moment of bliss, he chose “The Decline” by NOFX, an 18-minute punk epic, only for his dad to shut it off after 6 minutes, revoking his song privileges for a month. Later, he was limited to songs under 6 minutes, but the prank was worth it for his dad’s reaction.

Shared online, this lighthearted tale sparked laughter and song suggestions from the Reddit crowd. Was the long song a genius move? The community dives into epic tracks and family fun, reviving nostalgic music battles.

‘You’re only allowed to to listen to one song’

The story kicks off with a kid’s deal to pick one song per car ride.

When I was a kid my dad used to torture my ears on the drive to school with his terrible music. We came to an agreement that I was allowed...

For a couple of weeks I got to enjoy a few minutes of bliss each day, but there had to be a way I could make it last longer…

He picks an 18-minute song to maximize his time, but Dad isn’t amused.

That’s when I discovered a band called NOFX, most of their songs are a couple of minutes long. Except for one, a song called The Decline that’s roughly 18 mins...

I was doing my best to hide my smile when I put it on, it took about 6 minutes before “how long is this damn song??”. When I said 18...

His song privileges return with a time limit, but the prank lives on.

When I was eventually allowed one song again, it was on a case by case basis, and definitely not anything longer than 6 minutes. It was kind of worth it...

Edit: I’ve got some longer songs to check out when I get home!

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Can a long song turn a car ride into a hilarious family showdown?

A young boy, fed up with his dad’s “terrible” music on school drives, negotiated one song of his choice per trip. To extend his fun, he picked “The Decline” by NOFX, an 18-minute punk rock epic, only for his dad to stop it after 6 minutes, revoke his song rights for a month, and later cap songs at 6 minutes. The boy still cherishes his dad’s shocked reaction.

From Dad’s perspective, the lengthy track might have felt like a cheeky stunt, disrupting his driving vibe. Shutting it down was firm, but banning song choices for a month was a tad harsh for a kid’s playful prank.

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Family psychologist Dr. John Gottman notes, “Shared moments of humor strengthen family bonds” (The Relationship Cure, 2001). The boy’s prank created a memorable story, bridging generational music tastes with laughter. He could revisit this tale with his dad to share a laugh or introduce shorter punk tracks to find common ground. This story shows music can spark joy and connection, even across differing tastes.

Here’s the input from the Reddit crowd:

Reddit loved the prank, sharing epic long songs to keep the joke alive.

Users offered massive tracks to escalate the prank.

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billyyankNova − I would've just come back with a 45 minute Dark Star.

PantherBrewery − "Thick as a Brick" Jethro Tull 43:50

Impressive-Bike-8126 − Sleep's Dopesmoker. 1hr 34min and it f__king jams.

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ExceptingAlice − Dad should have volleyed back with Alice's Restaurant

Some shared their own tales of playing long tracks for laughs.

ReluctantPhoenician − Thanks to the rise of internet jukeboxes that let you pick any song from their library instead of just the things that were pop radio-friendly, I once put...

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It's a 24 minute long orchestral suite. One movement is various non-musical noises. Another movement is clashing parts of other movements played at the same time. Other customers were very...

Nunov_DAbov − Alice’s Restaurant by Arlo Guthrie- 18:37

The community cheered the cleverness and suggested more long songs.

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MasatoTanaka − Before I read through your whole post I had thought to myself "I'd pick the Decline". Great minds think alike! Great choice.

tseeling − I suggest one of the old Genesis classics: "supper's ready". It's song across one full album side. Or some nice tracks by Dire Straits or Mike Oldfield. Yes,...

WarpedHumorIsTheBest − Well played, and you had so many directions you could go in. I can think of multiple songs that go 20 minutes that I love listening to. Rush...

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Forsaken_Law3488 − My first choices for longer songs I love are Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys Iron Maiden - Rime of the Ancient Mariner Helloween - Halloween Those...

Reddit adored the boy’s cheeky prank, praising his choice of “The Decline” and suggesting longer tracks like “Dopesmoker” (1h34m) and “Thick as a Brick” (43:50). They shared similar stories of musical mischief and encouraged cherishing such fun family moments.

Playful pranks through music can create lasting family memories, as long as they’re handled with humor and understanding. Generational music differences offer chances for connection and laughter.

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What song would you pick to tease a family member? How can music taste clashes become fun family bonding moments?

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