When Ariana Grande released "Petal," fans were quick to notice one surprising detail.

The album runs for just 36 minutes and 8 seconds, making it one of the shortest major pop releases in recent years. That has sparked a fun question online: Is "Petal" the shortest album ever made?

The, err, short answer is no.

While "Petal" is compact by today's standards, it is actually closer in length to many classic albums than people might think.

Its longest track is "Never Get Over Me," while the shortest song, excluding the interlude, is "Stay." Together, they make up an album that can easily be enjoyed in one sitting, a contrast to many modern releases that stretch beyond an hour with 20 or more tracks.

Ironically, albums used to be much shorter.

During the vinyl era, artists had limited space to work with. Most LPs ran between 30 and 40 minutes, which is why many legendary records from The Beatles, The Ramones and other iconic acts comfortably fit within that time frame.

Everything changed with the arrival of compact discs in the 1980s. Since CDs could hold up to about 80 minutes of music, albums gradually became longer. By the late 1990s and early 2000s, hour-long records had become common, with some artists releasing double and even triple albums.

Streaming changed the game once again.

Some artists began releasing longer albums packed with songs to boost streaming numbers, while others embraced shorter projects that encouraged repeat listens. "Petal" falls into the latter category, proving that an album does not have to be lengthy to make an impact.

So what are the shortest albums ever released?

Many punk and hardcore records barely reach the 20-minute mark. The 1989 album "Scum" by Napalm Death famously packs 28 songs into just over 33 minutes, while several grindcore albums finish in less than half an hour despite featuring dozens of tracks.

On the opposite end of the spectrum are albums that seem almost endless.

The Smashing Pumpkins' "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" runs for more than two hours across two discs. Triple albums such as George Harrison's "All Things Must Pass" and The Clash's "Sandinista!" also stretch well beyond the two-hour mark.

Then there are projects that take the idea of "long playing" to another level. British composer Jem Finer created "Longplayer," a composition designed to play continuously for 1,000 years without ever repeating, making it one of the longest musical works ever conceived.

That puts Ariana Grande's "Petal" into perspective.

At just over 36 minutes, it is far from the shortest album in history. In fact, it sits comfortably alongside many beloved classic albums that were never intended to last much longer.