Spectrum #56: Order these classic rock songs by length — the solution
The Spectrum puzzle from October 9, 2026: six things on one hidden scale, shortest to longest, with every figure and where the checks were best spent.
The puzzle
Order these classic rock songs by length, shortest at the top and longest at the bottom. The board opened in this order:
- Hey Jude
- Bohemian Rhapsody
- Hotel California
- Free Bird
- Stairway to Heaven
- American Pie
Nothing was in its place; Hey Jude opened 2 places from home.
The walkthrough
The ends first. Bohemian Rhapsody is the shortest of the six at 355 seconds and Free Bird the longest at 548 seconds. Anchor those and the middle four are what is left to place.
Where the scale splits. The widest gap is between Hey Jude (431 seconds) and Stairway to Heaven (482 seconds) — 51 seconds apart. Everything above that line belongs on the shortest side and everything below it on the longest side, so sorting the six into those two groups is most of the puzzle.
The closest call. American Pie (516 seconds) and Free Bird (548 seconds) are only 32 seconds apart — the pair that is a coin flip without the figures, and the place to spend a check: a check locks whatever is already right and leaves only the wrong tiles to swap.
The answer
| # | Shortest to Longest | Figure |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bohemian Rhapsody | 355 seconds |
| 2 | Hotel California | 390 seconds |
| 3 | Hey Jude | 431 seconds |
| 4 | Stairway to Heaven | 482 seconds |
| 5 | American Pie | 516 seconds |
| 6 | Free Bird | 548 seconds |
Previous: Spectrum #55 (Thu, Oct 8) · Next: Spectrum #57 (Sat, Oct 10)
About Spectrum
Spectrum is Noggin’s daily ordering puzzle: six things, one hidden scale, three checks. Tiles in the right place lock green; the figures turn over when the board is done. How to play Spectrum, or play today’s.