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.
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- Queen - A Night At The Opera - 1st - VG - UK - vinyl LP - £40.00, $50.00, €46.80 (New Item) (arrived 19-Apr-2024 13:09)
QUEEN A Night At The Opera (Classic 1975 UK first press 12-track LP with picture labels & 'BLAIRS' etched into the run-off area, their fourth studio album including the classic hit Bohemian Rhapsody, embossed gatefold picture sleeve with picture inner. The sleeve [VG] shows some minor discolouring to the back. The inner has some seam splits along some of the edges, whilst the vinyl is clean & grades EX with minimal signs of wear EMTC103) #Top 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time
- Queen - The Platinum Collection - UK - 3-CD set - £25.00, $31.25, €29.25 (New Item) (arrived 08-Apr-2024 17:42)
QUEEN The Platinum Collection (2006 issue UK 51-track 3-CD album collection comprising of all 3 of their hugely successful hits collections together including the classic hits 'Bohemian Rhapsody', 'Don't Stop Me Now', 'We Will Rock You', 'We AreThe Champions', 'Radio Ga Ga', 'I Want To Break Free', 'Too Much Love Will Kill You', 'Heaven For Everyone', 'Another Ones Bites The Dust' and many more! Presented in an embossed outer slip case showing just a few light marks from storage but otherwise excellent with original store stickers, housing a fat double jewel case with picture booklet and all contents near as new)
- Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody - Japanese - 3" CD single - £35.00, $43.75, €40.95 (New Item) (arrived 01-Apr-2024 13:31)
QUEEN Bohemian Rhapsody (2000 Japanese 3-track 3" CD single, issued to coincide with the release of the 'Visions' album. Includes a Karoake Version performed by Queen plus Now I'm Here, housed in a unique lilac snap-pack picture sleeve with English lyric insert - The front of the sleeve also promotes the Toyota Pronard TV for which the track was used in the marketing campaign TODP-2560)
- Queen - A Winter's Tale - Xmas Pack - UK - CD single - £15.00, $18.75, €17.55 (New Item) (arrived 01-Apr-2024 13:35)
QUEEN A Winter's Tale (1995 UK limited edition 3-track CD single, including Thank God It's Christmas & Rock In Rio Blues, housed in a green card Christmas envelope pack. The packaging shows some minor edge scuffing & the custom title sticker on the back is unbroken & the disc is unplayed CDQUEENS22)
- Queen - The Show Must Go On - Box + Poster - UK - cd single boxset - £25.00, $31.25, €29.25 (New Item) (arrived 01-Apr-2024 13:46)
QUEEN The Show Must Go On (Special Limited Edition 1991 UK 4-track CD single box set, also including Now I'm Here, Fat Bottomed Girls & Las Palabras De Amor, housed in the gold embossed collectors' box complete with the fold-out illustrated print/ poster with UK singles discography. The box shows some minor age wear & the disc appears barely played CDQUEENS19)
- Queen - Flash Gordon - Dutch - vinyl LP - £20.00, $25.00, €23.40 (New Item) (arrived 01-Apr-2024 14:33)
QUEEN Flash Gordon (1980 Dutch 18-track vinyl LP soundtrack album, within a vintage stickered glossy picture sleeve with the printed die-cut inner. The sleeve displays only light general wear whilst the vinyl shows very little evidence of play1A062-64203)
- Queen - Sheer Heart Attack - 2nd - EX - UK - vinyl LP - £15.00, $18.75, €17.55 (New Item) (arrived 01-Apr-2024 15:40)
QUEEN Sheer Heart Attack (70s UK issue of the 1974 13-track LP, housed in a laminated picture sleeve with angle cut lyric inner. The sleeve is Excellent with minimal edge wear & the vinyl is clean & in Excellent condition with little play EMC3061)
- Queen - I Want To Break Free - White Bordered Group Picture Sleeve - UK - 12" vinyl - £20.00, $25.00, €23.40 (Back In Stock) (arrived 02-Apr-2024 14:14)
QUEEN I Want To Break Free (1984 UK 12" vinyl single featuring the Extended Mix, also including Machines, white bordered group picture sleeve. The sleeve shows a little light corner wear and the vinyl remains in EX condition 12QUEEN2)
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