We should not digress for reasons of literalism.
A statement of 10+ minute songs has more to do with the fact that a significant number of songs from the early era are well past the 5 minute mark, and radio, as we know it, likes the 3 minute song, and it is rare to hear any that push much into 4 minutes.
The following push the 9-10 minute mark (when rounding):
'One for the Vine': 9:56
'Firth of Fifth': 9:36
'The Knife': 8:55
'Stagnation': 8:45
'Get 'Em out by Friday': 8:35
These still make it into the 7 to 8 minute range (without rounding):
'In the Cage': 8:15
'The Return of the Giant Hogweed': 8:09
'Ripples': 8:03
'Dancing with the Moonlit Knight': 8:02
'The Fountain of Salmacis': 7:54
'Eleventh Earl of Mar': 7:39
'Mad Man Moon': 7:35
'Watcher of the Skies': 7:19
'Looking for Someone': 7:00
When rounded, there are many more.
This, over seven studio albums, after 'Wind and Wuthering, I don't pay attention, but all of the aforementioned songs are too long for radio. Why you could play 2-3 'hit' songs in place of each. I can not think of any time that I have heard these on the radio recently, much less at full length.
Even at the height of their popularity, and that of progressive rock in general, other than a few choice stations, this music saw more limited air play and edited songs to fit the 3 minute format. But that was then, now? Not so much.
Pink Floyd's 'Dogs' makes XRT in Chicago but not at 17+ minutes, more like 6 minutes. WLUP will play Tull's 'Thick as a Brick' but again edited from 45+ minutes to 6 minutes. Still very long for the radio, but with the way themes are developed in these types of songs, there would not be much left that was recognizable if made any shorter.
The old Genesis still does get some limited airplay in Chicago, but they typically don’t go back to the Gabriel era.
WXRT in Chicago just finished playing ‘A Trick of the Tail’ as I write this and they have been known to play ‘Dance on a Volcano’ and ‘Squonk’ on rare occasion. Believe it or not, they have used part of ‘Watcher of the Skies’ as a background in station event advertising, and I do believe I may have even heard it once, or at least Lin Brehmer refer to it.
As the closest thing to the idea of a 'decent' radio station that I've encountered in modern day, they still rather play Keane and its ilk because old records are not the ones selling.
I believe WLUP will also occasionally play ‘Lamb Lies Down on Broadway’, and also rarely, ‘Los Endos’.
But that is about it.
