In 1975, Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” charts at No.1 for the first time
The Queen classic is a milestone on Rock music history
In 1975, Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” charts at No.1 for the first time
On November 23rd, 1975, Queen started a nine-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with their absolute classic “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The pioneering song that featured a blend consisting of several sections without a chorus: an intro, a ballad segment, an operatic passage, a hard rock part and a reflective coda, it’s often regarded as Queen’s signature song. Featured on their 4th album, the 1975 “A Night at the Opera,” “Bohemian Rhapsody” was written by Freddie Mercury, although critical reaction was initially mixed, “Bohemian Rhapsody” remains one of Queen’s most popular songs and is frequently placed on modern lists of the greatest songs of all time. The single was accompanied by a promotional video, which many scholars consider ground-breaking. In 2015, The Economist described it as “one of the most innovative pieces of the progressive rock era.” It wrote “though Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones and The Beatles’ Paul McCartney had experimented with symphonic elements, and Roger Waters of Pink Floyd and Pete Townshend of The Who had created narrative albums with distinct ‘movements,’ none had had the audacity to import a miniature opera into rock music. The song has won numerous awards, and has been covered and parodied by many artists. In 1977 “Bohemian Rhapsody” received two Grammy Award nominations for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus and Best Arrangement for Voices. In 1977, only two years after its release, the British Phonographic Industry named “Bohemian Rhapsody” as the best British single of the period 1952–77. It is a regular entry in greatest-songs polls, and it was named by the Guinness Book of Records in 2002 as the top British single of all time. The song is also listed in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. Shortly after Freddie Mercury’s death, “Bohemian Rhapsody” had a resurgence in 1992 when it was featured on the movie “Wayne’s World.” Following the release of the film and soundtrack album in February, “Bohemian Rhapsody” re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart after 16 years, reaching number two and recently with the release of the biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody” the Queen signature song was once again back on the top of the charts.
Look back at the 1975 iconic music video for “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen
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