Written by Freddie Mercury for the band’s 1975 album A Night at the Opera. It is a six-minute suite, consisting of several sections without a chorus: an intro, a ballad segment, an operatic passage, a hard rock part and a reflective coda.
The song is a more accessible take on the 1970s progressive rock genre. It was reportedly the most expensive single ever made at the time of its release, although the exact cost of production cannot be determined.
When it was released as a single, “Bohemian Rhapsody” became a commercial success, staying at the top of the UK Singles Chart for nine weeks and selling more than a million copies by the end of January 1976.
It reached number one again in 1991 for another five weeks when the same version was re-released following Freddie’s death, eventually becoming the UK’s third-best-selling single of all time.
It is also the only song to be the UK Christmas number one twice by the same artist. It topped the charts in several other markets as well, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and The Netherlands, later becoming one of the best-selling singles of all time selling over 6 million copies worldwide. In the United States, the song originally peaked at number nine in 1976.
It returned to the chart at number two in 1992, and also appeared in the film Wayne’s World, which contributed to the revival of its American popularity.
Although critical reaction was initially mixed, “Bohemian Rhapsody” remains one of Queen’s most popular songs and is frequently considered one of the greatest rock songs of all time.
The single was accompanied by a promotional video, which many scholars consider ground-breaking. Rolling Stone stated that its influence can’t be overstated, practically inventing the music video seven years before MTV went on the air.
The Guardian ranked the music video number 31 on their list of the 50 key events in rock music history, adding it ensured videos would be a mandatory tool in the marketing of music.
In 2004, Bohemian Rhapsody was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 2012, the song topped the list on an ITV nationwide poll in the UK to find “The Nation’s Favourite Number One” over 60 years of music, while Mercury’s vocal performance was chosen as the greatest in rock history by readers of Rolling Stone.
For more details about the song, please see addition information on Wikipedia.
Be sure to check out the Queen titles on eil.com, and if you have any items to sell, please call us on 01474 815099
eil.com – the world’s best online store for rare, collectable and out of print Vinyl Records, CDs & Music memorabilia since 1987
-
Queen - Jazz - 180gm Pink Vinyl - Sealed - UK - vinyl LP - £49.99, $64.49, €58.49 (New Item) (arrived 14-Feb-2020 11:19)
QUEEN Jazz (2019 UK strictly limited edition 13-track Half-Speed Mastered LP issue of their 1978 13-track album, now pressed on 180gram Hot Pink Vinyl exclusively in HMV for '2019 National Album Day', including the classic hits Bicycle Race, Fat Bottomed Girls and Don't Stop Me Now. Complete with a printed inner sleeve and a double-sided printed tri-fold poster with bicycle-girls & lyrics, the vinyl is UNPLAYED housed in the embossed gatefold picture sleeve which remains sealed within its original custom-stickered shrinkwrap)
-
Queen - Las Palabras De Amor - Inj - UK - 7" vinyl - £8.00, $10.32, €9.36 (New Item) (arrived 11-Feb-2020 16:44)
QUEEN Las Palabras De Amor (1982 UK injection moulded 7" vinyl single, also including Cool Cat, plain die-cut paper sleeve EMI5316)
-
Queen - Radio Ga Ga - Sold - UK - 7" vinyl - £10.00, $12.90, €11.70 (New Item) (arrived 11-Feb-2020 16:16)
QUEEN Radio Ga Ga (1984 UK solid centre 7" vinyl single, also including I Go Crazy, paper picture sleeve. The sleeve displays minimal wear and the vinyl looks barely played QUEEN1)
-
Queen - Queen's First EP - 4pr - EX - UK - 7" vinyl - £18.00, $23.22, €21.06 (New Item) (arrived 11-Feb-2020 14:41)
QUEEN Queen's First EP (1976 UK 4-track 7" vinyl EP with intact four prong centre, including Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy, Death On Two Legs, Tenement Funster and White Queen (As It Began), flipback card picture sleeve. The sleeve displays some general wear & creases whilst the vinyl remains excellent with only light signs of play EMI2623)
-
Queen - A Night At The Opera - 1st - EX - UK - vinyl LP - £75.00, $96.75, €87.75 (New Item) (arrived 06-Feb-2020 16:40)
QUEEN A Night At The Opera (1975 UK first issue 12-track LP with picture labels, complete with shaped card picture inner, embossed gatefold picture sleeve with lyrics inside. The sleeve shows just a little light shelfwear & a small level of discolouration at the spine from handling, with the vinyl keeping its sheen & showing few signs of play EMTC103)
-
Queen - The Miracle - EX - UK - vinyl LP - £18.00, $23.22, €21.06 (New Item) (arrived 01-Feb-2020 16:46)
QUEEN The Miracle (1989 UK 10-track LP, including the singles I Want It All, Breakthru, The Invisible Man & Scandal. Comes housed in the iconic picture sleeve featuring the artwork of the familiar faces of the four band members into one morphed Gestalt image designed by Richard Gray. Despite a tiny crease mark to the lyric inner, the sleeve is otherwise Near Mint & the vinyl is Excellent with just minor cosmetic signs of play PCSD107)
-
Queen - A Night At The Opera - 2nd - UK - vinyl LP - £35.00, $45.15, €40.95 (New Item) (arrived 30-Jan-2020 16:55)
QUEEN A Night At The Opera (Late 70s UK issue of the 1975 12-track LP, including the classic singles You're My Best Friend & Bohemian Rhapsody, housed in the second edition non-embossed gatefold picture sleeve with the Price Attack series sticker attached & illustrated card inner. Both the sleeve & vinyl are Near Mint with few signs of wear or play. A superb one owner copy EMTC103)
-
Queen - Live Killers - barcoded p/s - UK - 2-LP vinyl set - £25.00, $32.25, €29.25 (New Item) (arrived 28-Jan-2020 14:53)
QUEEN Live Killers (Early 80s UK issue of the 1979 22-track double LP, featuring a brilliant collection of tracks recorded live during the European leg of Queen's 'Jazz' world tour between January & March 1979, housed in the second edition barcoded gatefold picture sleeve with Price Attack! series sticker attached & red & green narrative inners. The sleeve shows minimal wear & both vinyl discs still look barely played EMSP330)
Be the first to comment