Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’: Celebrating 50 Years of Musical Mastery and Legacy

Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" will be 50 years old in October. Lead singer Freddie Mercury wrote the song, and it features parody elements of opera, exaggerated choruses, hard rock sections, and distorted Italian phrases. The video helped pioneer the music video medium.

In talks with Rolling Stone, former Queen guitarist Brian May said, “Freddie had some amazingly lateral thought processes.  It was always easier for me to play on his songs than mine.” He also said that he was interested in a potential residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas.

Queen recorded "Bohemian Rhapsody" in late summer 1975, and Roy Thomas Baker produced it. The track is part of the band's first album, A Night at the Opera. 

It spent nine weeks at number one in the UK, according to Billboard. Then, the song returned to No. 1 for five more months after Fred Mercury passed in 1991. It became part of the GRAMMY Hall of Fame in 2004, and it's part of the National Recording Registry. The group tested the limits of analog recording gear, and the layered vocals created a rich, full sound that became the song's signature.

John Reid, who managed Queen back then, suggested that the lyrics of this track mirror Mercury's inner struggle with identity. A grand tribute awaits at London's Royal Albert Hall. The BBC Proms will stage an orchestral show featuring May and Taylor, backed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra and three choirs. Now, Queen tours with Adam Lambert out front. 

The song's achievements stack up high. With six million copies sold worldwide, it's the UK's third-highest-selling single ever. The groundbreaking video got a second wind thanks to Wayne's World in 1992. It introduced the classic to new fans.