Which skyscraper was the longest holder of the "World’s Tallest Building" title?

Empire State Building has held the title for 42 years since 1931. It was surpassed by the North Tower of the World Trade Center in 1972. An early-1970s proposal to dismantle the spire and replace it with an additional 11 floors, which would have made it once again the world's tallest at the time, was considered but ultimately rejected.