The Fairy POLLers Master-Stroke: The ILX Queen Poll Results Thread (#68 in a series)

here we go.
http://www.rirocks.net/images/queen-vintage-logo.jpg

let's kick things off with the albums.

http://assets.rollingstone.com/assets/images/album_review/edda0d398f511281ef2435304403da7c29057c14.png
1 vote

http://www.rockmusic.org/queen/discografia/queen/caratulas/A_Day_At_The_Races.jpg
1 vote

http://allmusic.galeon.com/caratulas/q/queen_-_a_night_at_the_opera-front.jpg
3 votes

http://www.official-kornucopia.com/img/Album_Covers/Queen_-_Queen_II_-_Album_Cover.jpg
6 votes

and here it is, your no. 1 Queen album:
http://dvfnvgxhycwzf.cloudfront.net/media/ArticleSharedImage/imageFull/.fn2k-N2T/ArticleSharedImage-15930.jpg
7 votes

yay!

never noticed those little bicycles on the bottom of the Jazz sleeve. how cool!

Sheer Heart Attack totally deserved to win that. Queen II may be the dedicated fan favourite, and A Night At The Opera may be the "classic", but when it comes to the crunch I think Sheer Heart Attack is a stronger record than both.

Anyway, bring on the results! :D \o/

now for our tracks. as mentioned previously, the rollout will comprise of 39 tracks in honour of the song that takes that number for its title.

22 ballots were received, an impressive 105 songs were nominated.

Def agree with you Turrican, and always have really. SHA was my first Queen record, and still my fave. Queen II has also always been my pet favorite, even tho I think SHA (and in truth Night at the Opera) are better. Actually, Queen II and Jazz are probably about the same for me, quality-wise, just very different characters.

By the way, who voted Jazz as their favourite Queen album? Whoever it was, much respect... I've always thought that was one of Queen's most underrated albums.

a nice tune to start proceedings, i think:

https://queenphotos.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/during-the-shooting-of-spread-your-wings-and-we-will-rock-you-videos-in-roger_s-garden-january-1978-by-peter-hince.png
39. Spread Your Wings
News Of The World, 1977
87 points (5 votes)

'Spread Your Wings' is undoubtedly one of my highlights of the News Of The World album, and I've always been surprised at how badly this did on the UK chart. It only peaked at #34 on the UK chart after coming off a #2 hit with 'We Are The Champions', which completely ruled it out for inclusion on the Greatest Hits compilation. A seriously underrated single.

one of my votes. interestingly, it pipped Get Down, Make Love for the 39th spot, which as we all know appeared on the same album.

Always liked this song, though perhaps ironically? I remember tossing "Sammy was low" back and forth with my friends in high school, as a sort of joke about how ridiculous the line was, but also how in earnest it was (and John Deacon's songs in general). And I will now cop to not including any of his tunes in my ballot. Sorry JD :(

Yeah, this was on my ballot too... it was one of those that was there from the beginning from the first draft to the last, actually. I like 'Get Down, Make Love' too, but nowhere near as much as this!

http://cdn1.knowyourmobile.com/sites/knowyourmobilecom/files/9/39/queen-making-of-i-want-it-all-video.jpg
38. I Want It All
The Miracle, 1989
88 points (5 votes)

this was actually one of the first Queen songs i heard and loved (my older brother owned The Miracle on cassette).

YES! \o/ Another one that I voted for! I like to think that if it hadn't been for Freddie's unfortunate health problems, this could have ended up becoming a big Queen live staple. I just imagine 'I Want It All' going down a storm in front of thousands of people in the same way a lot of their other big live songs.

listening to it now - the vocals sound fantastic.

I prefer the way the single version starts, with the vocals before the drums kick in, but the album version has the longer guitar solo!

The Invisible Man follows I Want It All nicely in the album's sequence. it's cool how they namecheck each other throughout that song. R-r-roger Taylooor!

Back to Spread Your Wings: John's bass line is terrific rhythmically and melodically, Roger Taylor is clearly following him and the piano. Deacy's also the only member of the band who seems to be having any fun in the freezing-their-tits-off video.

The Invisible Man follows I Want It All nicely in the album's sequence. it's cool how they namecheck each other throughout that song. R-r-roger Taylooor!

― charlie h, Wednesday, September 23, 2015 2:09 PM (3 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yeah, I love those parts... "Rrrrrroger Taylor" expressed with a roll on the R, as in "drum rolls", and Brian May repeated twice because of his trademark delay lines! "Brian May! Brian May!"

http://spd.fotolog.com/photo/29/28/94/david_queen54/1204752498_f.jpg
37. Jealousy
Jazz, 1978
91 points (4 votes)

i think that video for Spread Your Wings may have been shot in Roger's garden.

'Jealousy' was one of those that was on the first draft of my ballot and I think I ended up dropping it at the last moment, which is something I really didn't want to do because it's one of my favourites on Jazz, and I think it gets overlooked a great deal.

I love this song. One (of many) examples of Queen writing songs that were not over the top, and captured real emotions with sophistication and grace.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tM5_AWdw_3s/VKwDPVr7M6I/AAAAAAAAXuA/sFScakzay3s/s1600/1511622_295500470611413_2061614542406130843_n.jpg
36. Flick Of The Wrist
Sheer Heart Attack, 1974
94 points (4 votes)

xpost:

I love the buzzy sitar-like sound that Brian gets out of his guitar on 'Jealousy' - it's kinda a reprise of the sound he got on 'White Queen (As It Began)' but I think it works better here!

Ah, 'Flick Of The Wrist'! I love it, although I didn't vote for it - the main reason being that I have such a hard time seeing 'Flick Of The Wrist' as a "standalone" track, even though I think a standalone version did make it onto a B-side? For me, the track is at its most potent when taken as part of a suite along with 'Tenement Funster' and 'Lily Of The Valley' ... the segue between 'Tenement Funster' and 'Flick Of The Wrist' is one of my favourite moments of the Sheet Heart Attack album, and I think the impact of the segue is completely lost when 'Flick Of The Wrist' is listened to in isolation.

x-post: It is in fact the same (cheap acoustic) guitar.

If 'Tenement Funster/Flick Of The Wrist/Lily Of The Valley' could have been voted for as one track, I probably would have voted for it... but, as I said, if we were to allow things like that, then I guess people would argue that side 2 of Queen II should be voted for as one track also.

yeah, agreed Dominique re. Jealousy. Queen really were adept at leveraging very sincere, tender emotion through the vehicle of wonderful, expressive vocals & the restrained arrangements that such emotion called for.

Flick of the Wrist is a good example of Roger and John failing to gel as a rhythm section -- simple drums, bass part busy but with space left for the groove, and they just can't get a feel together. A really good example of everyone following Roger coming in too late around "squeeze you 'til you've dried". Coulda been a contender.

i voted Flick Of The Wrist very high on my ballot. love that playful menacing romp through the verses (and May's playing throughout the whole song).

http://www.ultimatequeen.co.uk/queen/gallery/singles-1/keep-yourself-alive-portugal7front.jpg
35. Keep Yourself Alive
Queen, 1973
99 points (5 votes)

Yeah, 'Flick Of The Wrist' has some great playing from May on it. I love it how this is essentially the prequel to 'Death On Two Legs (Dedicated To...)', it's one of Freddie's "pissed off with the music business" songs.

xpost

Of that group, I took Tenement Funster, and do think it's the easiest to take on its own, apart from the medley. But yeah, those songs are part of a group in my mind.

yeah, i did sense a bit of venom from Freddie on Flick Of The Wrist, without actually knowing if it was genuine or not.

as for Keep Yourself Alive: a fantastic, historic song.

YES! 'Keep Yourself Alive' was one of those songs that, like 'Jealousy', was on the first draft of my ballot and I ended up dropping it at the last moment. I absolutely love this song... the buzzy intro, the guitar solo (which I think John Peel actually thought was a synthesizer, hence why they put the "No Synths" messages on their albums) - there's an interesting use of chords in the track, too.

Also: "Do you think you're better every day? No I think that I'm two steps nearer to my grave" - da da Da dA Da dA Da dA Da dA Da DA DA!

When I heard the debut album for the first time, it was surprising to hear Queen with relatively lower production values, but over time I've actually come to enjoy the way the record sounds.

our first song to hit 100 points:

https://queenphotos.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/the-game-tour-1980.jpg
34. Dragon Attack
The Game, 1980
100 points (5 votes)

By the way, who voted Jazz as their favourite Queen album? Whoever it was, much respect... I've always thought that was one of Queen's most underrated albums.

― Turrican, Wednesday, September 23, 2015 9:30 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

it was me! i'm partial to the late '70s stuff so it was between that and News Of The World for me.

i nearly voted for "Spread Your Wings" and "Dragon Attack," glad to see they made it, bummed to hear that it was at the expense of "Get Down, Make Love"

xpost:

First song to hit over 100 points and also the first song that I either didn't vote for or wasn't in contention for my ballot. I enjoy 'Dragon Attack' whenever I hear it and I think it's okay, but not really anything more than that. I think there's far superior Queen songs in this kind of vein.

yeah but what about the RAK and Jack Ben remix??

Yeah, Dragon Attack is almost the worst of Queen for me -- one not very interesting riff repeated infinitely, Taylor thumping on cardboard lazily and groovelessly, Deacy getting nervous and clamming on his bass solo IN THE STUDIO, dumb lyrics about nothing -- if Freddie were out-of-tune and histrionic I would take the "almost" out, but the vocals are good.

All of the songs that have placed so far have had about 4 or 5 votes each... I wonder when it's going to get above that?

it was me! i'm partial to the late '70s stuff so it was between that and News Of The World for me.

― some dude, Wednesday, September 23, 2015 3:24 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Ah! Much respect, man... although not my ultimate favourite Queen album, it's definitely one of my favourites!

http://djbrecord.free.fr/queen103.jpg
33. Back Chat
Hot Space, 1982
103 points (6 votes)

The Game was the album on which Queen changed their studio approach - and not just the use of synths, either. Up to that point, when they were recording the initial takes of songs they'd play the song over and over until they got it right, whereas on The Game if a good take ended up breaking down, they'd play along with what they'd already recorded and drop themselves in from just before the take broke down.

'Dragon Attack' is an interesting one, because the drumming on that is actually looped with various bits of additional drumming and percussion overdubbed on top of it. They did the same with 'Another One Bites The Dust', if I remember correctly.

YES!! 'Back Chat'!!!

i'm a new convert to Back Chat, but i think it is the most compelling example of the sound that Hot Space was looking to capture.

I think Another One started as a handclap/drum machine loop with the drums overdubbed -- also Taylor did not use his regular idiosyncratic drum tuning, which I think definitely makes a difference. There are clear similarities between Dragon Attack and Another One, but for me one works and the other just fails.

'Back Chat' was on my ballot from the very first draft - it had to be said, I'm not a massive fan of Hot Space and never really have been, it's down there as one of my least favourite Queen albums if not my least favourite. However, this track has always been a clear highlight of the record for me, and probably my favourite Queen song of this type. I'm glad to see it placed!

xpost

Never hated "Dragon Attack" (definitely not the worst song on The Game), but never found it that interesting either. Roger's drum sound is actually kind of cool on it, gives the groove a thickness that they (intentionally I'm sure) didn't use on "Another One".

btw anyone else having a Queen marathon today?

'Back Chat' performed dreadfully on the chart as a single, though... #40 in the UK, the lowest of all the Hot Space singles.

I agree that 'Dragon Attack' is definitely not the worst song on The Game, though... I could definitely live without hearing 'Don't Try Suicide' or 'Rock It (Prime Jive)' ever again.

I've never been incredibly fond of 'Coming Soon', either.

haha I like Don't Try Suicide, such a weird song. Also weird narrative sequel to Death on Two Legs, where they argue in favor of suicide

I came in just to applaud "Back Chat."

even the most repetitive tracks in the Queen songbook, the ones with those linear, trim structures (think Another One Bites The Dust) were offset by the dynamic capabilities of Freddie's vocals, in my mind.

going to listen to Don't Try Suicide right now. despite all the listening i did for this poll, there were a few songs that i must have skipped out on. always thought it was an odd title - i guess it's fitting that it's an odd song as well.

haha yeah Don't Try Suicide definitely is weird. sounds like the lyrics were made up on the spot.

haha I like Don't Try Suicide, such a weird song.

― Dominique, Wednesday, September 23, 2015 3:52 PM (6 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

The lyrics, though! "Don't try suicide/nobody cares" is bad enough, but to follow it up with lyrics like "So you think it's the easy way out, think you're gonna slash your wrists this time/Baby, when you do it all you do is get on my tits" and "You need life, so don't hang yourself/It's okay, you just can't be a prick teaser all of the time" is just... what?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEYIoJRCSXg

http://myfreddiemercury.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/zzz8.jpg
32. It's A Hard Life
The Works, 1984
106 points (5 votes)

xpost

Freddie's just being real!

and people thought he was gay!

'It's A Hard Life' was yet another one that was on my ballot from the very first draft - I've always loved this one, one of my absolute favourite. I love that ascending melody in the verse: "It could ha-ppen-to-a-ny-oooooone!"

If I remember correctly, the video was directed by Tim Pope (who did a lot of videos for The Cure) and Brian and Roger are both on record as saying they hated it.

*favourites

I am beginning to suspect that I will place the one that I have already placed and 2 in the top 10 and that's it.

It's A Hard Life is one that i'm still learning to love. it's definitely a terrific performance from Freddie, no mistaking that.

https://queenphotos.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/3212_fm.jpg
31. We Are The Champions
News Of The World, 1977
111 points (5 votes)

this is obv a good song, but I didn't vote for it. Along w "We Will Rock You", it's one of the few Queen songs I'd already heard too much to really get into, even before I became a Queen fan.

Now, this is a surprise... I didn't vote for it, yet I'm very surprised to see it this low down the list. I would have thought this would have been Top 15 or thereabouts.

"It's A Hard Life is one that i'm still learning to love."

I see no need to push too hard in that direction. Queen alluding to opera = good, Queen quoting opera or Freddie working with Montserrat Caballe = not so good.

i used to love Champions as a kid. can't actually recall the point at which that fondness slipped away, if it ever did. it was probably just a case of it becoming so familiar that it lost its power to exhilarate me.

Freddie working with Montserrat Caballe actually seems like a pretty logical step for me. the results probably don't appeal to me so much, but he's the kind of artist i applaud for just about everything he did, even if some of it doesn't strictly align with my tastes.

I still like 'We Are The Champions' a hell of a lot even though I've heard it thousands of times, but I can understand that it's become a little too familiar for some who get more pleasure out of the deeper cuts these days. Having said that, I'm still surprised to see it so low because it's a classic.

I grew up with opera and rock, so it was a real miss for me. I hate respectful cute genre mixing.

x-post to Charlie

https://queenphotos.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/freddie-crazy-little-thing-called-love.jpg
29. (tied) Crazy Little Thing Called Love
The Game, 1980
113 points (4 votes)

haha, yeah never really got the sense that Freddie truly nailed his stint at opera, but it was fun to see him doing it.

'Crazy Little Thing Called Love' was never going to be a track that was ever going to be in contention for my ballot. I think it's a pleasant genre exercise that I don't have any difficulty listening to while it's playing, but it's never been a track that I've ever wanted to listen to on repeat and it's never been one of those tracks that randomly pops up in my head and makes me feel that I have to listen to it immediately. It's okay, I guess. If I had to make my own Top 39 Queen tracks, it definitely wouldn't be in there.

It's worth noting at this point that there's nothing that has placed so far that I out-and-out dislike, though!

how i adore this one:
http://www.website.com/yourimage.jpeg
29. (tied) White Queen (As It Began)
Queen II, 1974
113 points (5 votes)

yikes, let's try that again:
http://blog-imgs-73.fc2.com/m/e/t/mettapops/queen--queen-ii3.jpg
29. (tied) White Queen (As It Began)
Queen II, 1974
113 points (5 votes)

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!! One of my favourite early Queen songs, this! :D

Not on my ballot, but a great one -- one of the proggiest Queen tunes, also with a little Zep-style mysticism in the production

a stunner this one, all the more powerful for the gauzy, overcast mythos it projects.

i placed this no. 4 on my ballot, but on another day it could've been higher.

https://queenphotos.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/919207_543900458994115_538504233_o.jpg
28. Mustapha
Jazz, 1978
116 points (7 votes)

Mustapha isn't a personal favourite, but it's a wonderful start to Jazz, no doubt about it.

WHOA!

This is a great, fun song that narrowly missed my ballot. I love how you don't really get a clue where this is going until the guitars come in, and then it really EXPLODES.

I think it's great, but I really really wasn't expecting it to show up!

it's a really brave way to start an album. Queen are one of the few bands that could pull that kind of thing off.

Dominique completely OTM - I've always loved the way it sounds so tiny at the beginning, and then suddenly the band kick in and the volume goes up... it's a great opening track, definitely.

haha yes it does sound slight on volume at the beginning, like Freddie's singing at you from a distance.

going to do one more, then hit the hay, i reckon.

I don't think they played 'Mustapha' live that much, did they? Incredibly, it was a single, but only in Germany, Spain, Yugoslavia and Bolivia.

https://queenphotos.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/tumblr_mscuxg5r781qdslbvo1_1280.png
27. You Take My Breath Away
A Day At The Races, 1976
119 points (5 votes)

another great one that atypically shows Queen's "serious" side

This poll is turning up some real surprises! Anyway, I didn't vote for it, but I have a soft spot for 'You Take My Breath Away' - I don't think it's one of Queen's more immediate ballads, and I have to admit that it wasn't one of those tracks that was "instant love" for me and it took a while for this track to grow on me. Nowadays, I think it's a beautiful piece of songwriting and the vocals are sublime IMO. The ending with all the layered/looped vocals is a neat bit of studio trickery, I think.

I still think that placing this as the second track on A Day At The Races was a bit of an insane sequencing decision, though... the album opens with a bang with 'Tie Your Mother Down', but rather than go for the one-two punch approach to album sequencing, placing this as track two is a bit of a momentum killer.

total agree w the pacing thing -- the whole album doesn't really seem to know where it's going. Even within some of the songs (like Millionaire Waltz), there's a lot of stop-start anti-momentum going on

Added this one to my ballot at the last minute, I'd forgotten how good it was before replaying it last week. I still think A Day At The Races was the album where it started to get a bit crap tho on the whole.

Even the comedy tracks weren't very good

Yeah... 'You Take My Breath Away' feels more like a song to close an album side or a "halfway through side two" kind of song.

this is one of a bunch of tracks that i started paying extra attention to as a result of people's enthusiasm during the voting period. great, great vocals & simply lovely harmonies. sometimes you forget how great a singer Freddie is because everything he goes for seems to fit so comfortably in his hitting zone.

agreed that it's a strange choice for the second track of the album, but at least that way you can't miss it.

it kind of stops you in your tracks after the arguably lightweight opener.

I think the vocals at the end slide nicely into 'Long Away' - which, when I think about it, is probably the best bit of sequencing on the entire record!

I feel a little out of step here, being someone who adores "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" and has never clicked with Queen II (always liked the first album a lot so i'm not against all the early stuff). still lots of fun to get all the different perspectives on the band, though.

Damn, I should have voted in this - but if I had, there would have been very little after A Day At The Races. "We Are The Champions" is pretty much where I got off the bus.

but it's such a fun bus to ride!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZkouut-9RQ

Happy to report the poll has inspired me to give Hot Space a(nother) chance. Have to say, I'm at least getting through it. The first part of the record is such a drastic departure from everything before, it was hard to take it seriously before. And, I think had the record been sequenced differently (why they didn't start it with "Under Pressure" is beyond me), it might be held in better regard by fans.

Eh, I dunno... for me, I don't think it's a matter of side one vs. side two - I think there's some outright duds on both sides of the album. 'Back Chat' and 'Under Pressure' are the clear highlights for me, and 'Put Out The Fire' isn't too bad. Christ, though... 'Calling All Girls' has to rank down there at the bottom of the table for me... at least the video for 'Body Language' has some comedy value to it, just because of how much Brian, Roger and John just look like they're not into it at all.

Have you heard "Soul Brother"? I never had before today, apparently was a b-side, and is at least a decent entry into Freddie's torch song series (a la Melancholy Blues). Put it in place of any number of awful songs on HS, and it might raise it a 1/2 star single handedly.

Yeah, I've heard 'Soul Brother', it was the B-side of 'Under Pressure' if I remember. I'm not a big fan of it if I'm to be honest, it's a bit of a band jam with Freddie quoting past Queen songs... sounds like something they knocked together very quickly because they needed a B-side!

He's my best friend he's my champion
And he will rock you rock you rock you
'Cause he's the saviour of the universe
He can make you keep yourself alive
Make yourself alive
Ooh brother cause he's somebody somebody
He can love
He's my soul brother

Whan you're under pressure feeling under pressure
Yeah pressure yeah pressure
He won't let you down
Whan you're under pressure
Oh feeling under pressure yeah pressure
So he won't let you down
He won't he won't he won't let you down
He can do anything anything anything
He's my soul brother

been bogged down at work all day but been reading...

first of all, thrilled to see Queen II get lots of love in the albums poll.

the tracks have been a surprise, because a lot of my songs placed that I didn't expect. "Mustapha", for one, which is my favorite song off of Jazz.

"White Queen" is one I kinda forgot about from Queen II, but it's fucking grand.

Have been busy, and just catching up with the rollout. As I said in the voting thread, picking 20 was hard work. Picking 39 tracks might've been easier. I enjoyed the challenge of narrowing it to 20, but was miffed about a number of tracks that I wanted to include, but couldn't!

I voted for these:
Dragon Attack (was iffy about including it, though. I went through a period of LOVING it as a jam, but don't feel quite so strongly about it now)
Backchat (delicious groove, love Brian's solo too)
It's a Hard Life (beautiful track, love the operatics, and the instrumental break that includes another of Brian's best solos)
Mustapha (yes, as said above, love the opening and the way it suddenly goes up about ten notches. Crazy track!)

I removed I Want it All from my ballot at the last minute, and probably would've voted for Keep Yourself Alive on another day. I didn't seriously consider including White Queen (As it Began), but glad to see it place. And I like most of the others that've placed so far; in fact the only one I'm not so keen is Spread Your Wings. It's okay, but maybe just a bit too earnest and predictable.

Agree with Turrican re Soul Brother. My pick of the Queen b-sides would be A Human Body, which could easily have replaced one of the lesser songs on The Game. And there's Hang on in There (b-side of I Want it All), which seems a little bit patched together and unfinished, but I still enjoy it.

*not so keen on

poll needs a Spotify playlist, are Queen on Spotify?

some songs that I love got sliced cos they served more as bookends to the track before them, ie "Nevermore" from Queen II. glorious tag to "Fairy Feller's" but really has to be enjoyed together rather than standalone.

I like Dragon Attack, didn't vote for it, but I grew to love that one from that one 80s live concert that got aired all the damn time on VH-1

dammit why didn't I vote "SAil Away, Sweet Sister"

omg @ this!!!! yeah, I miss the harmonies, but this was a newish song at the time and I like the solo version....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBBne8R66xo

newish as in not even recorded!

my my, that's beautiful.

harmonies on the original recording remind me of Beach Boys, even if the song itself decidedly doesn't

really wishing i voted for it.

Forgot to comment on the albums. A little surprised there were no votes for the debut. I listened to it again after sending in my ballot, and have to say it's right up there. And I was even more annoyed that I couldn't find a spot for a number of tracks from it, such as Great King Rat, My Fairy King, Jesus, and (as mentioned upthread) Keep Yourself Alive. But I did manage to include a couple of other tracks - one which I expect to place, whereas the other probably won't.

I find it hard to choose between the first four albums, really. But I voted for Sheer Heart Attack.

the debut is great for sure with some of the band's fiercest & most uncompromising tracks - i think Martin Popoff named it as his favourite album of all time? it may just come across as a little unpolished for those endeared to the slicker side of Queen.

here we go!

http://img.youtube.com/vi/EC6DLiKsNXw/0.jpg
26. All Dead, All Dead
News Of The World, 1977
120 points (6 votes)

love this one. so tender in a bizarre, unassuming kinda way.

one of my favorite May vocals. "Leaving Home Ain't Easy" is lovely too.

and here's one that i seriously wish i'd voted for:

http://www.ultimatequeen.co.uk/queen/gallery/extra/photo-live-1977.jpg
25. Sheer Heart Attack
News Of The World, 1977
131 points (5 votes)

a bit of a News Of The World double feature to start things off today.

it's interesting to me just how often bands leave the 'title track' off of an album and then it ends up on the next album -- Queen might be the only case where it was 3 albums later

Love both of these. In case of "Sheer Heart Attack", this is an example of how a Queen "genre exercise" (punk here) turned out way better than it had a right. IMO this predicts bands like Cardiacs. "All Dead, All Dead" is related to "Dear Friends" to me, and YET AGAIN shows there was a lot more to Queen than their hits. Two of my very favorite Queen tracks.

love the slackened, lo-fi exterior of Sheer Heart Attack. i didn't get what it was trying to do at first, but now i think it's a minor stroke of genius. agreed that the sound is very punk, but it took me a few listens to pick up on that.

haha yeah, it's kind of endearing to think that Queen remained faithful & connected on a musical level to SHA to the point of reworking its title track three albums down the road. agreed that it's not a stunt that many bands would pull.

http://www.raw-tcsd.com/queen012.jpg
24. Now I'm Here
Sheer Heart Attack, 1974
140 points (7 votes)

a long-time favourite this one, that fuses the band's propensity to rock hard with more than a little sass.

Hey, a stretch of tunes I voted for! (White Queen, Mustapha, Breath, and All Dead)

You Take My Breath Away was my number three, and it could have been higher. It's a one-off, in a way, as Freddie's nervous introduction at the Hyde Park show kind of indicates. He is absolutely wide open and vulnerable, the lyrics are not a pose, and he uses his whole vocal technique to put it out there -- this isn't vocal fireworks to dazzle and impress, he is really trying to portray the totally of his his pain, fear, and desire. The multi-tracked chorus is support, but not cover, as is the unusually non-bombastic vaguely Frippish guitar chorus. I don't think it's a coincidence that this song was recorded around the time he came out to his closest confidantes (who did not include Brian and Roger). There's a tragic pre-echo of the These are the Days of our Lives video in the last words.

I bought this record when it was new and I was a child, and this song thrilled and repelled me and I couldn't deal. Later, I could deal very much and went on to assist in the invention of emo.

All Dead is small and sweet and allows glimpses of unbearable sadness, which is what you wanna do with a song about a dead pet you loved.

great post there about You Take My Breath Away. you brought to light a number of my own impressions about it.

in particular, the fact that there is no over-embellishment or trumped-up melodrama on the voice - just a tender, heartbreaking sentiment expressed as humanly & convincingly as possible.

xpost

"All Dead" is also a good opportunity in the list to talk about the genius of Brian May's guitar orchestrations. His work on this song really does rise to the level of outright symphonic arrangement, and shows how these guys were true artists. Not just technically impressive, but exquisitely beautiful, and understated in the same way as experiencing the beauty of light through a cathedral stained-glass window is understated, divine.

'All Dead, All Dead' was one of those songs that wasn't on the first draft of my ballot, then I seriously considered including it for a while before it dropped off again. On a 30-song ballot, it probably may have just about made the cut. It's definitely a song that I have a soft spot for. 'Sheer Heart Attack' is another one I also like, but was never a contender for my ballot. 'Now I'm Here' I assumed would take care of itself, and it did!

What I love about 'Sheer Heart Attack' is that it's very punky, but Queen still can't resist putting those vocal harmonies all over it - which in the case of this track, are deliberately unpleasant-sounding in a good way.

http://perlbal.hi-pi.com/blog-images/257480/gd/1277627804/flash.jpg
23. Flash's Theme
Flash Gordon (motion picture soundtrack), 1980
141 points (8 votes)

this was my favourite Queen song as a 10yo, back when i used to play the family copy of Greatest Hits constantly. apparently, i still harbour a soft spot for it.

I like the feedback solo on Sheer Heart Attack, and the Freddie-imitating-Roger vocals are hilarious. But it's too long. Flash fell off my ballot because I figured others would take care of it, and lo and behold.

well, I didn't vote for it (and the Flash soundtrack is the only classic era Queen album I don't own), but I can say this was actually the first Queen music I ever heard. I got to see Flash for my 7th birthday, and remember singing this song afterwards with all my friends as we ran under a giant tree with Christmas lights. In retrospect, it was kind of impossible for me not to become a Queen fan.

Flash actually might have done better, but suffered from a few too many low votes. ah well, i think 23rd place is probably about right. really, really iconic piece. you hear it once and it's unlikely you'll ever quite forget it.

"Flash" is so awesome, glad i could help it place. i like to think that if Freddie and the original Queen were alive and kicking, they'd still be doing over-the-top soundtrack work for middling sci-fi movies. the sample of "Flash" on It Takes A Nation Of Millions also classic.

http://bravewords.com/medias-static/images/news/2014/540761B4-queen-open-rock-time-capsule-on-inthestudio-roger-taylor-brian-may-discuss-live-at-the-rainbow-74-image.jpg
22. Father To Son
Queen II, 1974
156 points (6 votes)

Missed my ballot, but a great start (after the intro procession) to Queen II. Immediately apparent the band had learned a lot about recording since the debut record. Also, a good example of how they fused their influences into something new, as this reminds me of a head-on cross of Led Zeppelin, Pretty Things and Crosby, Stills & Nash.

http://eil.com/images/main/Queen-We-Are-The-Champi-85959.jpg
21. We Will Rock You
News Of The World, 1977
159 points (8 votes)

I love how both 'Flash's Theme' and 'We Will Rock You' get so much out of so little - while Queen are noted for elaborate productions and often complex epics, I think 'Flash's Theme' and 'We Will Rock You' come from the other end of the spectrum... musically, there's not really a great deal going on in these tracks, yet they manage to sound as full and as powerful as their more elaborate works. I didn't vote for either of them, though, and neither were really in contention for my ballot.

'Father To Son' - I love the transition from 'Procession' to 'Father To Son', and the way it kicks in with the piano arpeggios etc. but if I was to rank all the tracks on Queen II from favourite to least favourite, it'd probably rank somewhere near the bottom (least favourite of course being 'The Loser In The End') - I didn't vote for it, and probably wouldn't have done if I'd had more space if I'm to be truly honest.

one of the things i love about Father To Son is that you never quite know what it's doing or where it's going. it has that pulsing Won't Get Fooled Again-style intro, and then it kinda backs off a little, gives itself a bit of a breathing space and goes off on all manner of tangents, forging its own unpredictable destiny. there's even a section that unexpectedly recalls the Beach Boys.

not a huge fan of Rock You, but its impact is undeniable.

http://eil.com/images/main/Queen-Bicycle-Race--Fat-7359.jpg
20. Fat Bottomed Girls
Jazz, 1978
164 points (7 votes)

18. Bicycle Race
Jazz, 1978
166 points (8 votes)

Got 'em backwards, but it's cool that they both placed.

and what is the meat in that particular sandwich?

love Bicycle unconditionally, fairly neutral on FBG, though it's a hell of a lot of fun of course. it's nice that they (almost) landed alongside each other in the rollout.

Well, these are both classics, although I didn't for FBG. However, "Bicycle Race" is basically flawless, and looking back, kind of the end of an era -- the last time the band really made a track that was of the same quality and aesthetic as "Bohemian Rhapsody". And Bicycle Race is actually a lot more concise take on that -- funny, dizzying, virtuosic and somehow lighthearted. On the shortlist of tracks that I might play for someone who'd never heard this band to give them an idea of what they're about.

awww, "Fat Bottomed Girls" was my #2 vote, i had such high hopes for it

Haha! I didn't vote for 'Fat Bottomed Girls', even though I really really wanted to, so I'm glad that it ended up taking care of itself. I did vote for 'Bicycle Race' though, because I love how (on the surface) it sounds like a bit of a throwaway or a bit of light-hearted fun, but when you actually pick it apart it turns out to actually be quite astonishingly complex. Vocal harmonies galore, some pretty unorthodox chord sequences, several meter shifts, the bicycle bell solo followed by the panned guitar solo, not to mention referencing the other side of the single in the lyrics (as does 'Fat Bottomed Girls') - it's a mini-masterpiece, IMO.

one of my favorite things about FBG is the little "i tell ya!" interjections that make Freddie sound like Rodney Dangerfield

Actually, the poll didn't get 'em backwards -- I got confused by numbering because I r dumm.

and the meat in the sandwich goes to:
http://queenlive.ca/queen/live%20pics/74-11_London_02.jpg
19. Liar
Queen, 1973
165 points (6 votes, two number ones)

...and there it is, my #1!

My attempt to sing Bicycle Race at karaoke made me realise how complex the thing is, it pretty much modulates key every 20 seconds or so. Bo-Rap was far easier.

quite deserving of making the Top 20, this one.
borderline ridiculous in the most magical of ways.

Simply put, 'Liar' is one of my favourite things this band has ever done. It's an all-time favourite of mine without a doubt, and every time I listen to it it gives me the same feeling as I did when I first heard it. I love the riffs, the multiple sections, the bass solo! Not just one of the best early Queen tracks but one of the best things the band did full stop, and I can't help but feel it's criminally overlooked.

Also, high-five to the other person who ranked it #1 on their ballot!

I will cop to not voting for it, and frankly underrating the first album in general. I only heard after I'd heard SHA, Night at the Opera, even Queen II, so it seemed a very different beast, and I should start approaching it w/out any notions of what Queen became.

alright, this one is a bit of a fan favourite (and rightly so):
http://aboutmusic.com.br/wp-content/uploads/p01fxhhk.jpg
17. Ogre Battle
Queen II, 1974
171 points (7 points)

oh hell yeah

Love the battle section in the middle of this one. Also the reverse tapes at the start.

this was my number 2, and i might have bumped it up a notch on another day. just an amazing furious energy from start to finish.

'Liar' was pretty much #1 on my ballot from the moment the poll was announced, really.

YEAH! 'Ogre Battle'! What I love about this track is that when one thinks about Queen in full on hard rock mode, they always tend to assume that those songs were either written by Brian and Roger, but then you've got heavy motherfuckers like 'Ogre Battle', which was completely written by Freddie - and on guitar, too, rather than his usual piano-based writing.

I'm guessing nothing off this album is going to make it btw

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/99/Queen_The_Cosmos_Rocks_Album_Cover.jpg

Like 'Fat Bottomed Girls', I really wanted to vote for 'Ogre Battle' but it was another that ended up dropping off my ballot at the last moment. Even though it's not one of the more well-known Queen tracks, for some reason I kinda assumed that the Queen II fanatics would ensure it would place!

i actually think Paul Rodgers did a really good job on The Show Must Go On, but i don't think i could bear to listen to any fresh material with him, Brian and Roger.

unless I'm sadly mistaken, there's still Queen II side 2 yet to place

For me, Queen ended with Innuendo. There's a lot of Made In Heaven that I like, but I see it as kinda like a PS.

'Ogre Battle' is on side 2, Dominique.

I know, I mean other stuff from side 2

i was the other #1 vote for "Liar." such an awesome song, really feel like it was the 6-minute masterpiece that gave them the confidence to pull off "Bohemian Rhapsody."

I'm expecting 'The March Of The Black Queen' and 'Seven Seas Of Rhye' to place. 'Nevermore' and 'The Fairy-Feller's Master Stroke' maybe. 'Funny How Love Is', probably not.

i kind of assumed "Seven Seas" is a lock given how Queen II and some of its tracks have done so far.

"Funny How Love Is" is wonderful, already regret not voting for it.

http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/c4/ac/1b/c4ac1b5a68d1aba70255965b8cb96963.jpg
16. Play The Game
The Game, 1980
175 points (8 votes)

how funny is Roger in that picture. all of them, actually.

Great song, actually placing lower than I thought. Very Beatlesque (and actually it seems like Freddie himself borrowed from this for "Life is Real (Song for Lennon)").

I can't listen to this track without thinking of the video where Freddie wrestles the guitar off Brian and then then throws it back to him.

Or the bit in the video, where it goes "Play the game! Play the game! Play the game! Play the gaaaaaaaame! *synth*" - where the camera cuts to each member, who all mime, apart from John who just glares into the camera.

"Play The Game" is one of those songs that made much less of an impact in the US than the UK that i always wish had made its way into classic rock rotation, such a gorgeous tune

just listening to these songs and cracked up so hard at "Flash I love you, but we only have 14 hours to save the earth!" -- i really need to see that stupid movie one of these days

i've actually come to really appreciate the sentiment of the song, after years of being cynical and thinking it was too schmaltzy.

haha yeah, so many great little parts in that theme.
x-post

xxpost:

I haven't seen that movie for years! I think the early '90s was the last time I saw it, because it was shown on TV at the time.

ok, so next up is another tie. the last of the ties, to be exact.

Anyway, 'Play The Game' is another one that I didn't vote for that I really wish I could have voted for. I can see a bit of a theme developing here - probably would have voted for most of them if I could have done.

i'll stand up and applaud if the next song is "Tie Your Mother Down"

http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/32200000/Sheer-Hreat-Attack-queen-32292451-480-488.jpg
14. (tied) Brighton Rock
Sheer Heart Attack, 1974
176 points (7 votes)

'Brighton Rock' is incredible, the whole track has such a fucking energy to it and of course, May's delayed guitar solo in the middle of the track - they'd repeat the same trick but with vocals on 'The Prophet's Song' (which is another I'm expecting to turn up at some point!)

also LOL @ that Sheer Heart Attack sleeve outtake!

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8f/Queen_Innuendo_(song).png
14. (tied) Innuendo
Innuendo, 1991
176 points (6 votes, one number one)

this is the first time I've ever felt like I'm on the same planet with the other listeners of a band in a poll. Half the time here I think I must have misunderstood what was great about the band, but glad to see so many great items posting. even the stuff I didn't vote for is ace.

I will admit to not being a big fan of "Liar" (I don't hate it, just doesn't stick in my head). As Dominique said above, I have issues with the first Queen, largely for the same reason (listening backwards). Revisited last night and will do so more in coming weeks.

"Play the Game" I sort of wish I'd voted for now. I loved it the first time I heard it, got tired of it for a while, but listened to it last night for the first time in ages and realized how much I still love it.

"Ogre Battle" made mine as well. I love the main riff, just so METAL for Queen to be doing. it's just silly heavy rocking fun.

both "Bicycle" and "Fat Bottomed" placed on mine - these were childhood favorites that haven't declined in my heart. "Bicycle Races" was the first kind of quirky pop I'd ever heard. I remember even as a kid thinking "why the fuck is this dude so excited about a goddamn bike", but in an amused, not judgmental way (that must be why I love that one song from Piper at the GAtes of Dawn, too).

"Brighton Rock" is such an amazing, full-throttle opener to Sheer Heart Attack. and Freddie's hitting those insanely high notes in chest voice.

"Father to Son" is beautiful not just for the lyrics, but the guitar chorale effects which had surfaced on Queen I and were being better deployed here. and I well up during the "air I breathe" part.

so excited for this top 12.

Ive never heard Innuendo outside of "Days of OUr Lives" and "Show", but just ordered a copy.

we'll leave it at that for now. i'll continue tomorrow with the final 13!

Wow! Well I didn't vote for "Innuendo", but it was definitely an important track for this band. Seems to have almost single-handedly recouped their rep for fans who thought they'd never again see epic, operatic tracks.

don't believe in Peter Pan, Frankenstein or Superman

xpost

'Innuendo' was #5 on my ballot - I just think it's a magnificent piece of work, and it was great to see Queen tackling an epic like this at such a late stage in their career. It peaked at #1 in the UK as well when it was released as a single... in fact, I think it may have went straight into the chart at #1.

A recap:

39. Spread Your Wings
38. I Want It All
37. Jealousy
36. Flick Of The Wrist
35. Keep Yourself Alive
34. Dragon Attack
33. Back Chat
32. It's A Hard Life
31. We Are The Champions
=29. Crazy Little Thing Called Love
=29. White Queen (As It Began)
28. Mustapha
27. You Take My Breath Away
26. All Dead, All Dead
25. Sheer Heart Attack
24. Now I'm Here
23. Flash's Theme
22. Father To Son
21. We Will Rock You
20. Fat Bottomed Girls
19. Liar
18. Bicycle Race
17. Ogre Battle
16. Play The Game
=14. Brighton Rock
=14. Innuendo

Brighton Rock is another one that Roger slows down, dammit -- but I voted for it anyway because it rules and if Roger could drum it would be universally acknowledged as one of the all time great hard rock tunes.

Innuendo is such a huge song. love how they returned to their epic roots, while putting a latter-day Queen twist on it.

and of course, Brighton Rock is a glorious start to an album that barely puts a foot wrong.

My only real issue with "Innuendo" (both the song and the album) is the production, which has always seemed muddy to me, a bit much reverb, too airy synth work. I wonder if Freddie was feeling insecure about his vocals, maybe wanted to pad them a bit in the mix, or something. They would never have done this, but I think if they'd dried the production on this record out, boost the drums and guitar more, it would even be more of a reclaiming of their old sound.

Just listening to 'Mother Love' from Made In Heaven now, which is apparently the last vocal that Freddie recorded (Brian takes over the lead later on in the song because, well, Freddie literally wasn't around to finish the song) - I'm still amazed that, even at that stage, Freddie was still capable of a vocal like that.

is the poll with the least number of 'big hits' from a band with so many big hits? cause this poll's nuts innit? more than half of it's 'deep cuts'!

is *this* i meant sorry.

Really interesting rollout so far, lots of surprises, nice mixture of different eras. Not one single song from Night at the Opera so far.

So many big songs that could make the final 13 - sadly I've given up on 'Some Day One Day' placing.

Also I can totally hear the Pretty Things in 'Father to Son' now that Dominique mentions it, good catch.

i guess Seaside Rendezvous won't place :/

#1 will be the 1991 dance remix of Dragon Attack

Fact: of the 26 songs that have placed so far, only 8 were never released as singles.

opinion: there will be a minimum of 2 songs from Night at the Opera in the final group, and possibly 3-4.

I suspect NATO is gonna make a bit of a run in the Final 12...just not sure what the songs will be outside of Boheems and maybe You're My Best friend

Jealousy - released as a single in the US, Canada, Brazil, New Zealand & USSR.
Flick Of The Wrist - released as a "double A-side" with 'Killer Queen'
Keep Yourself Alive - their debut single.
Mustapha - released as a single in Germany, Spain, Yugoslavia and Bolivia.
Liar - released as a single in the US.

Hoping for Prophets and Death on Two Legs. Will settle for one.

What a weird distribution for Mustapha.

given how fan-fave this poll has been so far, I'd be shocked if "Prophet's" didn't make it. I'm ready to riot anyway

It's hard to say what the final stretch will consist of, because there's not only a lot of big hit singles that haven't placed yet, but a few "fan favourite" epics (stuff like 'The March Of The Black Queen' and 'The Prophet's Song') and there's still a few deeper cuts that could place.

yeah i don't think this poll is gonna look so deep cut-dominated once we see the top 10. that's every poll, really. i can think of 7 or 8 hits that will definitely place and could very well BE the top 7.

lemme stick up for Roger a little, he's kind of a Ringo, not a jaw-dropping technician but simply made too many perfect decisions that contributed to the greatness of too many songs to be dismissed.

btw for shits and giggles, this is what the most played Queen songs on American classic rock radio looks like nowadays: Bohemian Rhapsody, Another One Bites The Dust, Fat Bottomed Girls, We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions, Killer Queen, Under Pressure, Somebody To Love, You're My Best Friend, Crazy Little Thing Called Love

Here's some that haven't placed and very well could

Tie Your Mother Down
Don't Stop Me Now
Break Free
The Show Must Go On
Love of My Life
Boheems
Best Friend
Black Queen
Prophet's
Bites the Dust
Somebody to Love
Stone Cold Crazy
Seven Seas
In love with my car

That list doesn't surprise me. It was all of theirs I heard on the radio growing up too.

xpost

yep, that's pretty much what they were 20 years ago too, though I heard Bicycle Race every now and then

I don't think I voted for any of those on some dude's list :O

and I only voted for two on Hammer Smashed Bagels list :D

curious to see all the lists after the results -- sounds like Queen is a band that means something slightly different to everyone. I definitely voted for some of those mentioned above

they're kind of a victim of their success in some ways. it's hard to even think of anyone who was openly influenced by Queen that wasn't really transparent and over-the-top about it, kind of in the same way that most people who are "influenced by Michael Jackson" are these annoyingly ambitious wannabe megastars. not to say that there aren't Queen fans all over the map -- i've heard that Queen is worshiped by the members of Fugazi and others in Dischord circles, which for some reason makes a lot of sense to me.

xpost:

Yeah, me too... the ballot-comparing is just as much fun as the roll-outs themselves, IMO. Just took another look at my ballot, and yeah I definitely didn't vote for any of the songs on some dude's list. Of my 20 songs, 8 have placed (although only 3 of them were in my Top 10) and still 12 yet to place... and I'll be very surprised if any of them do!

they're kind of a victim of their success in some ways. it's hard to even think of anyone who was openly influenced by Queen that wasn't really transparent and over-the-top about it, kind of in the same way that most people who are "influenced by Michael Jackson" are these annoyingly ambitious wannabe megastars. not to say that there aren't Queen fans all over the map -- i've heard that Queen is worshiped by the members of Fugazi and others in Dischord circles, which for some reason makes a lot of sense to me.

― some dude, Thursday, September 24, 2015 7:04 PM (4 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yeah, I'd say this was OTM... whenever I hear the words "Queen influenced", I usually think "oh, masses of vocal harmonies, over-the-top production and lead vocalists that are showmen." ... I never hear the words "Queen influenced" and think "oh, heavy guitar riffs, piano ballads with interesting chord progressions, don't take themselves seriously..." etc.

That's why the "The Darkness sounds like Queen" horseshit enraged me in the early aughts...cos it meant "lead singer uses obnoxious falsetto" and not much else

personally, i'm really enjoying the eclecticism of the results so far. sure these are all fantastic songs, but they also represent diverse phases of the band's career.

including the 80s material that I've largely missed out on that I at least have a starting poitn on now

who's up for some results now?

ME

awesome.

hopefully the Britishes are staying up.

and here we go again:
http://eil.com/images/main/Queen-Seven-Seas-Of-Rhy-84830.jpg
13. Seven Seas Of Rhye
Queen II, 1974
187 points (8 votes)

yaaaaay! love the ridiculous lyrics and the triumphant melody

yet another song that i gravitated to early on the back of its inclusion on the Greatest Hits collection. it rocks mightily with a tremendous sense of grace and gossamer about it.

http://static.queenonline.com.s3.amazonaws.com/cms_page_media/1548/Untitled-1_resize_720_360.jpg
12. Don't Stop Me Now
Jazz, 1978
229 points (9 votes, one number one)

knew that one was coming. :) think I left it off mine a bit unfairly - once that one became the new Queen song du jour for folks Boheemed out I got tired of it too even though on its face, it's a brilliant pop song that is one of my favs on Jazz.

yeah, this was definitely the Queen song du jour when i was in high school. can't deny it's a tour de force, nothing short of electrifying in the right context.

Shaun of the Dead used it well

i'll have to check that out again! the only musical reference that i recall from Shaun of the Dead is the priceless joke about Second Coming.

whoa glad I checked in, thought this was gonna start up tomorrow!

"Don't Stop Me Now" is def one of my favorite Queen songs, and it's seemingly organic, retroactive rise to the ranks of Queen classic in the 90s is one of the strangest/coolest things I've seen happen to a band/song. I remember the first time I heard it was the first time I heard the Jazz album. I couldn't believe how over the top, how shamelessly fabulous it was, and the dance break in the middle was pretty much the best, most euphorically hilarious thing I'd ever heard. How could anyone not love this? How could anyone not love Queen?

http://s2.hulkshare.com/song_images/original/6/d/f/6df45eff125999e54e3ab02d096cae47.jpg?dd=1421886894
11. The Show Must Go On
Innuendo, 1991

233 points (9 votes, one number one)

manages such a powerful vocal on that one....I think I did vote for this one. such a sad, yet defiant song.

kinda wish Moulin Rouge hadn't used it

a genuinely heartbreaking song that finds a way to celebrate life against the odds.

Freddie sounds great, but the track also belongs to Brian for some phenomenal fretwork.

"shamelessly fabulous" is a great way to describe Don't Stop Me Now. it's pure joy really, and i can't understand why anyone would decide they dislike it.

so, i don't know whether to press on for a bit now or wait until later when i'll be a little starved for time.

maybe one or two more!

"Don't Stop Me Now" is kind of the biggest US/UK divide before the schism became really wide in the mid-80s -- #9 in the UK, #86 in the US. the first time I saw Shaun Of The Dead i was like 'oh, nice of them to highlight a less famous Queen song.' great song, though, ended up on my ballot, think it's kind of a shame that it's not more well known here.

http://www.website.com/yourimage.jpeg
10. Another One Bites The Dust
The Game, 1980
246 points (10 votes, two number ones)

damnit! :
http://www.seatbeltguitar.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/2queen___another_one_bites_the_dust__single__by_felipemuve-d6ayx1l.jpg
10. Another One Bites The Dust
The Game, 1980
246 points (10 votes, two number ones)

one of those deceptively simple Queen songs. really takes off once May's funk playing sets in, imo. not too sure how i feel about the disorganised ending.

yeah it just kinda...ends.

I love this unapologetically, even if I heard the Weird Al parody first. especially Freddie's octave jump in the second verse.

love May's funk, it was one of those things where it's like...nice, you do that well too!

huh, thought that one a lock for the top 5

ugh, have to go to show now, guess I'll see results if you keep going

i applaud you guys for rallying so hard behind this one:
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01988/freddie-mercury-70_1988489i.jpg
9. The March Of The Black Queen
Queen II, 1974
251 points (10 votes, two number ones)

in many ways the definitive early Queen song.

Roger has a superb vocal cameo in this one.

there is so much rampant enthusiasm in those early Queen songs. it's as if they didn't know how long they were gonna last, so they kept absolutely nothing in reserve.

will tackle the final 8 around midnight Sydney time, hopefully (12 hours from now).

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSss!

love those harmonies at the beginning, the sudden speed-up of tempo, the chorus, the bridges, everything...

I'll be your bad boyyyyyyy, I'll be your bad boyyyyyyy

I never had anybody to share enthusiasm with this song with when I first listened to it cos all my Queen fan friends never ventured beyond the greatest hits.

this song is perhaps the pinnacle of Queen at their most free-spirited - they'd continue to be ambitious & fearless of course, but in a decidedly more calculating way.

really happy to see this one crack the Top 10 actually.

i love that it was Michael Jackson that convinced them to release "Another One Bites The Dust" as a single, such a perfect story

Bites was a perfect song for their transition into the 80s

'Sfun to smoke marrwanna...

Wish I had a .wav of that or something.

As for the predictions, I'd imagine Bo Rhap and Under Pressure will be right up there, and Prophet's Song, and probably Somebody to Love and Killer Queen too. But as for the other three, I think they'll all be tracks I wouldn't necessarily have expected to crack the top 10. Love of My Life, maybe? Tie Your Mother Down?

I wouldn't really have expected You're My Best Friend quite so high in the rankings either, gorgeous though it is. Then again, you'd think it must place somewhere, right? What about Death on Two Legs?

I Want to Break Free would be a bit of a surprise in the top 8, I reckon. And there's been nothing from A Kind of Magic yet. Could Who Wants to Live Forever possibly be a dark horse? I didn't vote for it, but nearly did.

Also slightly surprised that It's Late hasn't placed. I didn't vote for it either, but I know it's a bit of a fan favourite from my occasional reading of the Queenonline.com forums. And I expect Millionnaire Waltz would've been just outside the top 40.

Oh well, we shall see!

But yeah, really happy with the results so far. Glad to see Black Queen crack the top 10. And some of my other favourites all making the top 20: Seven Seas of Rhye, The Show Must Go On, Innuendo, Brighton Rock, Play the Game and Liar! Yay! Actually I think all of those made my top 10.

Others that have placed in the top 20 all pretty much expected, and worthy IMO.

A couple of technicalities:

I voted for We Will Rock You, and specified the BBC session version (it really does rock), but also added a note to say I'd be happy for the vote to be counted towards the original version if they weren't to be counted as separate tracks.

And I'm assuming votes for Flash (the single) and 'Flash's Theme' (from the soundtrack album) were combined? I voted for the former, but then realised I probably should've voted for the latter--but if it didn't matter in the end, then that's all good!

wondering if anything from a kind of magic will make it now, it managed two tracks on my ballot iirc though they were both kinda low. i'm going to assume 'you don't fool me' isn't going to make it, it was fairly high on my ballot but i've never seen it get particular love. very fond of those posthumous tracks that aren't maudlin or dull but instead answer the question of what if realistically and humbly, what if ________ had lived - well they would've kept showing up at the office, they would've kept doing the work. lennon's 'nobody told me' works like this also. i can't remember what sheer heart attack tracks didn't make my ballot, i know certain ones did for damn sure, but at a certain point i had to deliberately cut it off and say 'ok that's enough', such a great album.

Oh yeah, speaking of Sheer Heart Attack, I forgot to include Stone Cold Crazy in my top 8 predictions. Might be a serious contender?

thanks for mentioning the technicalities, Wordy!
i meant to make a note of your specifying the BBC version of Rock You, but somehow forgot.

also, i did end up combining votes for regular old Flash with the ones for Flash's Theme, because there really is no difference between them save the dialogue/ lack of dialogue at the beginning.

Whoa whoa la la la whoa, y'all. You're forgetting another top contender.

So stoked to see so many Queen II songs place. Was off the grid during the poll, and I must say, it's amazing seeing such a consensus on the quality of the list and the enthusiasm for the songs that have placed. Father to Son would be my #1.

That Chic-style guitar on Another One Bites the Dust is John Deacon.

Oh shit, there's been a few more songs rolled out throughout the night, just gonna catch up with this...

Great to see that 'Seven Seas Of Rhye' placed, even though I didn't vote for it... I had a listen to Queen II last night and I hadn't heard 'Seven Seas Of Rhye' for a while and was just stuck by how perfect that song is. Thrilled to bits that 'The Show Must Go On' placed, it was one that was high up on my ballot and a great vocal performance. For some reason, I always remember 'The Show Must Go On' being a big hit here in the UK, but in actual fact it only made it to #16... it feels like it was a much bigger hit than it actually was.

'The March Of The Black Queen' is a definite fan-favourite that I was fully expecting to place at some point, and it's probably their most complex epic of them all - 'The Prophet's Song' has that great vocal delay section in the middle, and 'Bohemian Rhapsody' has its three distinct sections and of course the now-classic "opera" section in the middle, but I think 'The March Of The Black Queen' is far more restless, moving through countless sections seamlessly without pausing for breath. It's a magnificent piece of work, and the only real criticism that I have of the track is that it's so great that anything would struggle to follow it, but on Queen II they follow it up with the relatively weak 'Funny How Love Is'.

On the album, because 'The March Of The Black Queen' and 'Funny How Love Is' are joined together, it's difficult to listen to one without the other. Although, having said that, I've heard there's a version of the track on a Queen compilation somewhere without the segue?

As for the others, I like 'Another One Bites The Dust' a lot, but I didn't vote for it and it wasn't one I was thinking of considering for my ballot. On the other hand, 'Don't Stop Me Now' is one of those tracks that I'm seriously tired of these days and definitely wasn't in contention when putting my ballot together.

I always remember 'The Show Must Go On' being a big hit here in the UK, but in actual fact it only made it to #16

Yeah I think it just spent a while on the Top 40, what with it going back up the charts after Freddie died. I remember seeing the video on TOTP around the time I first started paying attention to music. I didn't vote for it but I've got kind of a sentimental attachment to it, was probably my favourite Queen song when I first got into them.

Yeah, I'm thinking it must have stayed around for a while, because I remember hearing that song a hell of a lot around the time that Freddie died... I think the next single after that was the 'Bohemian Rhapsody'/'These Are The Days Of Our Lives' double-A, wasn't it?

Yeah that's right. I'd never even heard of Bohemian Rhapsody before then!

Very happy to see March of the Black Queen in the top 10, even slightly surprised. Definitely an important track for Queen, and a longtime fan fave. To me, it's a direct precursor to Bohemian Rhapsody, formally, as well as aesthetically. And just like BH, it rocks more than enough to earn its pretensions.

Yeah, it's like one of their first attempts at doing a 'Bohemian Rhapsody', but two albums before!

the Top 8 will be posted tomorrow! sadly i am too exhausted to do it now. please keep speculating in the meantime!

this poll has been so much fun, you've done a great job, get some rest and we'll keep the party going until you're ready!

Just want to give a tiny shout out to The Hero, the bombastic finale to Flash Gordon (maybe the first LP I ever owned?). Ming the Merciless laughs, the drums kick in, everything's heavy and triumphant, heart stirring motivational poster lyrics, then it segues (abruptly) into the orchestral score that crescendoes about ten times, then a guitar solo or two in there somewhere, then back to the Flash theme and then it all ends with an actual explosion.

One! man! one! goal! one! truuuuuue re-li-gion!
One! dump! one! turd! two! tiiiiiits John-Dea-con!

ok, so game on.

http://eil.com/images/main/Queen-Youre-My-Best-Fri-80067.jpg
8. You're My Best Friend
A Night At The Opera, 1975
268 points (11 votes)

credit to Deacon John for the writing, extra credit to Freddie for knocking it out of the park with the delivery.

one of my favorite uses of electric piano

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LzPQKo_9fOA/U9LrRZpqh8I/AAAAAAAAahY/7sxlbn9QhHU/s1600/Queen.promo.1974.unk.jpg
7. Stone Cold Crazy
Sheer Heart Attack, 1974
277 points (11 votes)

yep, that's the key to the song for sure.

x-post

had no idea until recently that (a) Deacon wrote it (b) at the time Mercury hated the sound of electric pianos.

had no idea about that second point, but it's nice that the elec piano wasn't used excessively in Queen songs. makes YMBF something of an anomaly.

YES!!! 'Stone Cold Crazy' was an easy addition to my ballot... I remember playing that track for a friend of mine that was only familiar with the hits and he was bowled over by how thrashy it sounded.

'You're My Best Friend' was pretty much one of those tracks that I had a feeling would take care of itself, so felt no need to include it on my ballot... it's a wonderful song, and only Deacon's second composition to make it onto a Queen album! As much as I enjoy 'Misfire', this track is something else entirely. Leagues ahead.

Love the drum sound on 'You're My Best Friend'.

Easy come, easy go.
http://www.plasticosydecibelios.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Screen-Shot-2012-10-14-at-13.46.19.png
6. Bohemian Rhapsody
A Night At The Opera, 1975
284 points (10 votes, three number ones)

the Stairway of the Queen poll.

Yay for Stone Cold Crazy, great song, and really ahead of its time, intensity-wise.

As for Bohemian Rhapsody, I was afraid of this. I know everyone is probably sick of hearing this song, and even I rarely (if every) go out of my way to hear it. However, this was my #1 for one reason: it is the track that most clearly and definitively demonstrates the best of what Queen was about. Everything the band was capable of is put to use here, and in its most glorious possible manifestation. Not only that, it's one of the few instances I can think of where a song that says so much about a band also happens to be its most popular. Think about if it wasn't popular? Is there any way all of us Queen fans are not campaigning rigorously to tell everyone to vote for this, to say how in a just world, this should have been a huge hit? Well, in at least one case, it is a just world, and though I have many favorites in Queen's catalog, it's difficult for me to justify not putting this at #1.

I still voted for it. And no doubt the over play has hurt it for me...i treated my ballot more like what 20 Queen songs are my favorite right now. Prophet's Song would beat it either way for me though :)

Empirically speaking...who knows what my ballot would look like.

All three of these were on my ballot. Admittedly I heard the Metallica Stone Cold first but I like how Queen actually had glammish harmonies in the chorus.

You're my best friend is refreshing in its earnestness. ..and yes, that electric piano.

I am so, so, so glad that 'Bohemian Rhapsody' didn't make it to number one in this poll - my god, that would just have been the most boring outcome. Yeah, it's an incredible recording and incredible production, and it's great the way they had this track, which had all the ambition of previous epics like 'The March Of The Black Queen', and scored a huge hit with it. However, I'm completely sick to death of hearing it at this stage. Also, it's a song of three sections, yet I think there's full Queen songs which stand up better as pieces of songwriting than any individual section of 'Bohemian Rhapsody', aside from the technical accomplishment of the opera section, which is possibly the real reason why it's so highly praised, rather than for its merit as a song.

I didn't vote for it.

one astounding epic follows another:
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/db/85/d3/db85d32359a1ec7efea4061f4f6454bb.jpg
5. The Prophet's Song
A Night At The Opera, 1975
308 points (10 votes, three number ones)

no Bohemian at number one? denied!

x-post
But that you're pitting whole songs vs 1/3 parts of "Bohemian Rhapsody" says a lot about what it accomplished.

As for Prophet's Song -- yay! Total classic, glad to see it so high in the polls. Arguably the best example of Freddie as a vocal virtuoso, as seemingly, all that looped stuff is just him in quasi-improve cadenza mode.

as for The Prophet's Song: glorious, majestic, definitely one for the ardent Queen fans. and yes, that looped bit is just phenomenally good once you grow accustomed to the movements in the song.

Ahh my fav. The "now I know" part is my fav. Mays contributions shouldn't be overlooked tho.

the "now i know" bit: a little baffling at first, total genius once you realise they knew exactly what they were doing.

My prog-obsessed asshole older brother who dismissed Queen as "faggy" barged into my bedroom while the Prophet's Song was playing one day in the mid-70s, demanding to know what it was. He seemed impressed, then he punched me.

Lol

Freddie is on record as saying he considers 'Somebody To Love' to be a superior song to 'Bohemian Rhapsody', and I agree!

http://www.newsbeast.gr/files/1/2014/11/21/frddiimtruryy/frddiimtruryy15.jpg
4. Killer Queen
Sheer Heart Attack, 1974
309 points (11 votes, one number one)

x-post Anyway, I voted for Prophet's Song pretty highly, and it would have cracked my personal top five if the weren't a sag in energy when the band comes in after the vocal canon bit (three guesses who I blame for that and the first two don't count). Don't sleep on the La La La part -- that part pushes it into profundity for me.

'The Prophet's Song' was another one like 'The March of The Black Queen' that I was fully expecting to show up at some point, I'm totally glad that both of them ended up going Top 10 in the end! The vocal delay section in the middle is basically the vocal version of what Brian did with his guitar solo in 'Brighton Rock'...

Love "Killer Queen". I think this was actually the song on the radio that made me want to investigate Queen. Also, it's still strange to me to think about rock critics lambasting this band in the 70s and 80s, about how over the top they were, as if there were any other bands who making comparable music. Forget about Bohemian Rhapsody, what other band could have made a track like "Killer Queen", combining state-of-the-art production and immaculately sung and arranged vocals, and yet still remain playful, non-serious? They were like anti-prog, in that they were just as complex, but totally fun and ready to be loved by everyone.

Love Killer Queen. Didn't place quite this high on mine but been a fav since high school.

I was one of the #1 voters for Prophet's Song, so pleased to see it make the top 5. Became slowly obsessed with it over the course of putting my ballot together.

the highlights of Killer Queen for mine are the effervescent vocal line and Brian's sprightly solo that somehow poises itself to match the spirit of the song perfectly. there is a certain grace & elasticity to this song that wins you over from the very first time you hear it, in spite of its inherent strangeness.

time to reveal the Top 3!

One of his best solos.

http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/14800000/Somebody-To-Love-queen-14853479-500-335.jpg
3. Somebody To Love
A Day At The Races, 1976
319 points (11 votes, two number ones)

Have always loved this one. Did it very well live. That "find me somebody to love" chord building at the end is fun as hell to sing along to.

Was Freddie the one that sang the bass notes...or was that Roger or Brian?

yep, what an arrangement.

Ah, now 'Somebody To Love' definitely deserves to be in the top three without a doubt. This is such a wonderful song that, again, I didn't vote for because I knew that it was going to have no problems taking care of itself in this poll. Everyone talks about the vocals in the opera section to 'Bohemian Rhapsody', but the harmonised vocals on this are just as crazily intricate, not to mention it has a great lead vocal performance from Freddie, particularly the legendary "some-bo-dy toooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo... loooohohohohohohohooooove!"

There's so many vocals in that part that it's hard to tell who would have sang the bass notes. Definitely Roger in the dog-whistle range, though!

Oh def. That's usually where remakes/karaokes fall apart.

He really was able to do a lot of styles vocally. People focus on his faux opera or rock vox but this was him in full on soul mode.

Queen's tracking sheets must have looked absolutely crazy in the early-to-mid '70s!

Xxpost

jesus, it's one thing to conceptualise those intricate vocal interplays, but to pull it off so immaculately well is another thing all together. just breathtakingly impressive.

Did George Michael attempt the a cappella high part when he did his version? I haven't heard it for years... I don't think he did.

Can't remember but I did like his version even if his voice is a little too smooth for the vocals

That's usually what I hate when I see people cover this. The rough, raw edges of the vocals are always sanded off.

the angriest song in the Queen canon?
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m82/daria333/Queen1975.jpg
2. Death On Two Legs (Dedicated To...)
A Night At The Opera, 1975
341 points (13 votes, one number one)

Blimey, didn't see that one coming at all!

wow upset! Still, a great song, and was on my ballot.

the Sway of the Queen poll perhaps!

Holy shit! I mean, I voted for this and everything, but I still didn't expect to see it this high! Nevertheless, what a song, it's basically the follow-on from 'Flick Of The Wrist' and one of the angriest songs in the Queen catalogue. Excellent vocals, a great riff - I particularly love the way the track opens with the piano arpeggios and wailing guitars.

OMFG. YES! This was high on my ballot.

Dripping with rage. I love the high notes on "ALL MYYYYYYYY MONEEEEEYYYY!"

and hate to play spoiler, but David and Freddie, you're wanted onstage for the presentation....

http://cdn8.openculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/bowie-mercury.jpg
1. Under Pressure
Hot Space, 1982
387 points (14 votes, one number one)

It's not George Michael's fault that when this song was covered subsequently it sounded like "American Idol."

OF COURSE

Hmm. I *really* should have voted.

thanks everybody for making this poll a total blast. i think we can all be very proud of the results.

'Under Pressure' is a great song and everything, without a doubt the best track on Hot Space and a great collaboration between two brilliant artists, but the best Queen track ever? Obviously, I disagree. It's definitely worthy of a place in the Top 39 Queen songs, though!

I love how this song sounds basically 3/4-improvised

even when you have a crew of dedicated Queen fans voting, this is still ILM.

Thank you Charlie, very interesting set of results, Queen-binge now imminent.

"Under Pressure" is a worthy #1 -- and I say that as someone who didn't even vote for it. It's no less classic Queen than any of the top choices, and I give it props for proving that Queen were as democratic and open to change as any band in rock history.

And extra thanks to you Charlie, for running this thing!! It was a blast, and I had tons of fun awaiting the tracks and chatting about one of my all time favorite bands with other super-fans.

it's the terror of knowing what this poll was about
watching some good friends post, LET ME OUT

thanks everybody for making this poll a total blast. i think we can all be very proud of the results.

― charlie h, Saturday, September 26, 2015 3:38 PM (37 seconds ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Thank you very much for running this poll! As for the results, I consider it to be a complete success: there's no songs that have placed that I can say out-and-out suck, and the final results were totally unobvious, non-boring and didn't look like the tracklistings of Greatest Hits and Greatest Hits II shuffled up and fed back in a different order. So yeah, great poll!

cheers guys! Was It All Worth It? hell yes!

Great poll.

Yes, it was a worthwhile experience! Even if that song didn't place :(

ballot:

1. Liar - #19
2. The Show Must Go On - #11
3. Headlong
4. Was It All Worth It
5. Innuendo - #14
6. Stone Cold Crazy - #7
7. Death On Two Legs (Dedicated To...) - #2
8. If You Can't Beat Them
9. Bicycle Race - #18
10. Don't Try So Hard
11. I Want It All - #38
12. It's A Hard Life - #32
13. Hammer To Fall
14. Son and Daughter
15. White Queen (As It Began) - #29
16. Back Chat - #33
17. Spread Your Wings - #39
18. Sail Away Sweet Sister
19. Long Away
20. Dead On Time

Favourite album: Sheer Heart Attack - #1

Spotify time: http://open.spotify.com/user/miketd/playlist/3eUPWo7bH8W0tR0WqoNQc5

Jazz - 5
News Of The World - 5
Queen II - 5
Sheer Heart Attack - 5
A Night At The Opera - 4
The Game - 4
A Day At The Races - 2
Hot Space - 2
Innuendo - 2
Flash Gordon - 1
Queen - 2
The Miracle - 1
The Works - 1
A Kind Of Magic - 0

ballot:

SONGS
1. Bohemian Rhapsody (#6)
2. In the Lap of the Gods
3. Killer Queen (#4)
4. Don't Stop Me Now (#12)
5. Play the Game (#16)
6. Bicycle Race (#18)
7. The Prophet's Song (#5)
8. Jealousy (#37)
9. You Take My Breath Away (#27)
10. Sheer Heart Attack (#25)
11. Stone Cold Crazy (#7)
12. The March of the Black Queen (#9)
13. Death On Two Legs (#2)
14. Bring Back That Leroy Brown
15. All Dead, All Dead (#26)
16. Sail Away Sweet Sister
17. Nevermore
18. Ogre Battle (#17)
19. Dear Friends
20. Tenement Funster

ALBUM
Sheer Heart Attack (#1)

tracks:
Liar
Fat Bottomed Girls
Somebody To Love
Under Pressure
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Stone Cold Crazy
Bohemian Rhapsody
You’re My Best Friend
Get Down, Make Love
Play The Game
Don’t Try Suicide
In Only Seven Days
Sweet Lady
Flash
Hammer To Fall
You And I
Don’t Stop Me Now
Keep Yourself Alive
Let Me Entertain You
We Will Rock You

album:
Jazz

Aw man, I was going to vote for 'You and I', too... I love that song!

Highest-charting hits (in the UK, up to 1991) that didn't place:
These Are The Days Of Our Lives 1
Radio Ga Ga 2
A Kind Of Magic 3
Breakthru 7
One Vision 7
The Invisible Man 12
Friends Will Be Friends 14
Headlong 14
I Want To Break Free 16
Save Me 11
Hammer To Fall 13
Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy 17
Las Palabras De Amor 17

I'll try that again. :-/
These Are The Days Of Our Lives 1
Radio Ga Ga 2
A Kind Of Magic 3
I Want To Break Free 3
Breakthru 7
One Vision 7
Save Me 11
The Invisible Man 12
Hammer To Fall 13
Friends Will Be Friends 14
Headlong 14
Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy 17
Las Palabras De Amor 17

Yeah really surprising from a britisher perspective not to see e.g. Hammer to Fall, One Vision and Radio Gaga placing (not that I voted for any of those tracks).

The Prophet's Song
Under Pressure
Father to Son
You're My Best Friend
Some Day One Day
Death on Two Legs
Seven Seas of Rhye
Brighton Rock
It's a Hard Life
All Dead, All Dead
Now I'm Here
Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy
I'm in Love With My Car
Who Wants to Live Forever
We Are the Champions
Flick of the Wrist
Funny How Love Is
Great King Rat
Need Your Loving Tonight
The Fairy-Feller's Master Stroke

Album: Queen II

i was wondering if "I Want To Break Free" would place. big in some countries but i've only really heard it talked about in context of the video. i think it might've been in a TV ad in America a few years ago?

Here's mine. Only three that didn't place...but Fairy Feller is the only one I'm sad about.

1) "The Prophet's Song"
2) "March of the Black Queen"
3) "Death on Two Legs"
4) "Somebody to Love"
5) "Keep Yourself Alive"
6) "Father to Son"
7) "Mustapha"
8) "In the Lap of the Gods"
9) "Teo Toriatte (Let Us Cling Together)"
10) "Fat Bottomed Girls"
11) "Ogre Battle"
12) "Seven Seas of Rhye"
13) "Brighton Rock"
14) "Spread Your Wings"
15) "Bicycle Races"
16) "Bohemian Rhapsody"
17) "Fairy Feller's Master Stroke"
18) "Stone Cold crazy"
19) "You Take My Breath Away"
20) "Killer Queen"

Sorry I did mine backwards and bolder the ones that placed. D'oh.

Fav album...queen 2

Also thanks to charlie h for running the poll, it got me into the band again in a big way.

Let Me Entertain you is a good one!

For reals. I just bought some of the 2011 remasters thanks to him.

people always have different ideas about whether to bold songs that placed or didn't place. i have a preference but opinions are too mixed for there to be a 'right' or 'wrong' really.

tracks

killer queen
ogre battle
you don’t fool me
don’t stop me now
brighton rock
stone cold crazy
somebody to love
bicycle race
we will rock you
we are the champions
flash’s theme
seven seas of rhye
you’re my best friend
she makes me
mustapha
fat bottomed girls
the show must go on
one vision
i want it all
a kind of magic

album - sheer heart attack

I'm curious as to how many voted for one of We Will Rock You/Champions and not the other. Same with Bicycle and Fat Bottomed

Somebody to Love
Bohemian Rhapsody
Under Pressure
Now I'm Here
Sheer Heart Attack
All Dead, All Dead
Get Down, Make Love
Don't Stop Me Now
Jealousy
The Prophet's Song
You're My Best Friend
'39
Death on Two Legs (Dedicated to...)
Another One Bites the Dust
Dead On Time
Killer Queen
It's Late
Who Needs You
Play the Game
March of the Black Queen

Awesome poll with nice surprises throughout and a very, very distinguished selection of songs.
Also thanks charlie h for running this thing and everyone chiming in with commentary. My contribution:

Favourite album - A Day At The Races

Greatest tracks

1 Somebody To Love
2 Under Pressure
3 Father To Son
4 Jealousy
5 We Are The Champions
6 Don't Stop Me Now
7 It's A Hard Life
8 She Makes Me (Stormtrooper in Stilettos)
9 Play The Game
10 Spread Your Wings
11 Innuendo
12 Sail Away Sweet Sister
13 My Melancholy Blues
14 The Show Must Go On
15 Drowse
16 Liar
17 Was It All Worth It
18 Back Chat
19 You Don’t Fool Me
20 The Night Comes Down

Most interesting for me, besides the placing of Death On Two Legs: the universal love for The Prophet's Song. Had no idea it is held in such high regard.

Funnily enough, it was playing at an obscene volume in a Kebab shop I drunkenly stumbled into many years ago. A very surreal Queen moment.

Yeah its one of those things where you feel like it's only you that are really into these songs as a favorite and find out you have a commonality amongst the diehards.

I was certain Two Legs was out once we got to the top 8 or so.

Yeah, I had similar thoughts about 'Death On Two Legs (Dedicated To...)' once we moved into the Top 10 or thereabouts. I'm still finding it incredible that 'Hammer To Fall', 'I Want To Break Free' or 'Radio Ga Ga' never placed within the Top 39!

Jazz - 5
News Of The World - 5
Queen II - 5
Sheer Heart Attack - 5
A Night At The Opera - 4
The Game - 4
A Day At The Races - 2
Hot Space - 2
Innuendo - 2
Flash Gordon - 1
Queen - 2
The Miracle - 1
The Works - 1
A Kind Of Magic - 0

― mike t-diva, Saturday, September 26, 2015 11:57 AM (5 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

i had to go and add up the total track points for each because it's such an interesting example of how people's favorite albums and favorite individual tracks don't always line up very cleanly:

1. A Night At The Opera – 1201
2. Sheer Heart Attack – 997
3. Queen II – 878
4. Jazz – 766
5. News Of The World – 608
6. The Game – 521
7. Hot Space – 490
8. A Day At The Races – 438
9. Innuendo – 409
10. Queen – 264
11. Flash Gordon – 141
12. The Works – 106
13. The Miracle – 88

i was starting to get worried that this poll would understate the pure pop pleasure of Queen's hits, so i'm pretty happy at how well "Somebody To Love" and "You're My Best Friend" did. god, these harmonies. obviously there were plenty of pop/rock groups doing impressive harmonies in the 60s and early 70s, but was any single vocalist stacking their own voice on top of itself anywhere near as ambitiously as Freddie before Queen came along? I can't really think of anybody.

Not really -- they were super influenced by the Beach Boys and Beatles as far as recording in general, and the Beach Boys are the only real precedent I can think of that even comes close, as far as overdubbing vocal tracks. Thinking specifically of things like Heroes and Villians, Good Vibrations, Pet Sounds as a whole, etc

Songwriting wise, it breaks down like this:

Freddie - 18
Brian - 11
"credited to Queen" or "Queen/David Bowie" - 5
John - 4
Roger - 1

The thing about the songs that are credited to the whole band is that sometimes it's clear who actually wrote the song, and sometimes it's unclear. I mean, 'I Want It All' is definitely a Brian May song that ended up being credited to the whole band, because that's what they were doing at the time. 'Stone Cold Crazy' is an early example of the song being credited to the whole band, but it's said that the song was actually an old Freddie Mercury song from one of his previous bands.

'The Show Must Go On' was a collaborative effort - John Deacon and Roger Taylor came up with the initial chord sequence, but it was Brian May that jumped upon the chord progression and decided to write a song around it and work on the song further, and the lyrics were co-written between him and Freddie.

'Innuendo' was also a true collaborative effort - the first part of the song with the bolero rhythm developed out of a jam session between Brian, John and Roger, and then Freddie came up with the vocal melody and collaborated on the lyrics with Roger. The middle section is apparently 100% Freddie, but I can't think of anyone else in the band who would have or could have written that part.

'Under Pressure' is a bit of a sketchy one - the band were apparently working on a song called 'Feel Like', which was written by Roger, and a couple of musical elements of 'Feel Like' did indeed end up in 'Under Pressure', but they felt like the song wasn't happening. In the meantime, Bowie came over to jam and at some point the bass riff was created and there are different stories regarding who actually came up with the riff - Deacon once said Bowie had written it, Brian and Roger said that Deacon had written it, Bowie said that he had nothing to do with it and it was already written before he had anything to do with the track. The rest of the track was apparently pulled together by Freddie and Bowie. Brian May has said that he "backed off" a little during the creation of 'Under Pressure', which he said was difficult for him.

Here's what 'Feel Like' sounded like, written by Roger... you had hear one of the main chord progressions of 'Under Pressure' in there...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2g5cdDlbXs

Or in short...

Roger's initial chord sequence + Deacon's bass riff + Freddie & Bowie's lyrics/melody/additional parts = 'Under Pressure'

i was starting to get worried that this poll would understate the pure pop pleasure of Queen's hits, so i'm pretty happy at how well "Somebody To Love" and "You're My Best Friend" did. god, these harmonies. obviously there were plenty of pop/rock groups doing impressive harmonies in the 60s and early 70s, but was any single vocalist stacking their own voice on top of itself anywhere near as ambitiously as Freddie before Queen came along? I can't really think of anybody.

― some dude, Saturday, September 26, 2015 11:00 PM (57 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

heh when I was a kid I remember thinking they hired choirs to back Freddie up because the vocals sounded so massive. the Beach Boys used layering to get a fuller, richer sound, but never really sounded like a choir.

(not that they were supposed to - I just think Queen used the layering technique for different aims, to add an additional layer of pomp)

always loved how May used his guitar like a mini-orchestra. I mean in the 70s, guitar harmonies were obviously a thing, but bands often just added one harmony note to the riff to accentuate the main riff, whereas May would sometimes add three or four parts to harmonize in the guitar and use the harmonies to act as a kind of loud, electric string section.

"Processional" a great example of this from II of course.

I'm curious as to how many voted for one of We Will Rock You/Champions and not the other. Same with Bicycle and Fat Bottomed

― Hammer Smashed Bagels, Saturday, September 26, 2015 12:59 PM (8 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

i voted for "We Will Rock You" but probably would've made room for "We Are The Champions" if the ballots were a little longer. the texture of the guitar on "Rock You" is just too good, i never get tired of it as much as i hear the song. i saw Fall Out Boy live last year and an unexpected highlight of the show was Patrick Stump rising out of the stage playing a piano and singing "Champions" -- really one of the few contemporary frontmen who can remotely pull off a Queen song.

"Bicycle Race" has never really registered with me, it's probably the song on the US greatest hits that i'm least likely to encounter if i'm not listening to that comp or its parent album. but hearing it this week it's really better than i ever gave it credit for, even if it's still kind of slight and nowhere near as amazing as "Fat Bottomed Girls."

yeah between the two I prefer Rock You tho I do like Champions, just have grown more tired of it.

being a sports fan I think hearing Rock You in the wrong context for many years ruined it for a little while for me, but that percussion and melody alone are classic (presumably the song was written in response to them coming out for an encore and having the audience sing "You'll Never WAlk Alone" to them and them being blown away by that).

thanks for the kind words, guys. this poll had a small but truly dedicated following, which i am thankful for.

so here is a list of the results to make things more manageable for those referencing this thread in the future:

39. Spread Your Wings
38. I Want It All
37. Jealousy
36. Flick Of The Wrist
35. Keep Yourself Alive
34. Dragon Attack
33. Back Chat
32. It's A Hard Life
31. We Are The Champions
=29. Crazy Little Thing Called Love
=29. White Queen (As It Began)
28. Mustapha
27. You Take My Breath Away
26. All Dead, All Dead
25. Sheer Heart Attack
24. Now I'm Here
23. Flash's Theme
22. Father To Son
21. We Will Rock You
20. Fat Bottomed Girls
19. Liar
18. Bicycle Race
17. Ogre Battle
16. Play The Game
=14. Brighton Rock
=14. Innuendo
13. Seven Seas Of Rhye
12. Don't Stop Me Now
11. The Show Must Go On
10. Another One Bites The Dust
9. The March Of The Black Queen
8. You're My Best Friend
7. Stone Cold Crazy
6. Bohemian Rhapsody
5. The Prophet's Song
4. Killer Queen
3. Somebody To Love
2. Death On Two Legs (Dedicated To...)
1. Under Pressure

i'm not especially keen on placing emphasis on the songs that didn't make the rollout, but since you're probably curious & we've had a bit of time to celebrate the real winners, here's a list of some of the songs that narrowly missed the cut (and their respective placings).

40. Get Down, Make Love (86 points, 4 votes)
41. '39 (82 points, 5 votes)
=42. Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy (80 points, 4 votes)
=42. The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke (80 points, 4 votes) -- did anyone know that this song took its name from a painting?
44. She Makes Me (Stormtrooper In Stilettos) (78 points, 3 votes)
45. Sail Away Sweet Sister (75 points, 4 votes)
=46. Hammer To Fall (69 points, 4 votes)
=46. In The Lap Of The Gods... Revisited (69 points, 3 votes)
48. Radio Ga Ga (67 points, 4 votes)
49. Tie Your Mother Down (64 points, 3 votes)
50. Sweet Lady (63 points, 3 votes)

1. Under Pressure
*2. She Makes Me (Stormtrooper in Stilettos)*
3. You Take My Breath Away
*4. In the Lap of the Gods . . . Revisited* (I wonder if anyone voted for the pitched-down vocal song meaning to vote for the whoa-whoa-la-la-la song. I almost voted for both.)
5. Stone Cold Crazy
*6. Son and Daughter*
7. Brighton Rock
8. Another One Bites the Dust
9. Father to Son
10. Bicycle Race
11. The Prophet's Song
12. Don't Stop Me Now
13. Spread Your Wings
14. White Queen (As It Began)
15. Fat Bottomed Girls
16. The March of the Black Queen
17. All Dead, All Dead
*18. The Millionaire Waltz*
*19. Great King Rat*
20. Mustapha

I voted Under Pressure as number one -- as you can tell by my list, I like the serious earnest side of Queen the most; I also think that Bowie not phoning it in resulted in Queen also not phoning it in when the era of Queen phoning it in had arrived. Also Freddie playing rhythm piano always always resulted in better drumming from Roger. There is also something fascinating about two of the most mannered singers in rock music each doing their thing and sounding absolutely 0% phoney baloney.

Yay! Another voter for 'Son and Daughter'! Definitely one of my highlights of the first Queen album... I love that greasy riff.

I had myself a quick listen to The Miracle earlier this morning, still think the title track, 'Scandal', 'Breakthru' and 'Was It All Worth It' are all incredibly underrated.

Yes, I had never even heard that record until this poll, and the title track from the Miracle is incredible -- would have voted for it had I heard it, like, anytime prior to now.

The thing about the The Miracle is that it undoubtedly begins with not only one of the worst opening tracks on Queen album, but probably one of the worst tracks in their entire discography: 'Party', although I have a soft spot for 'Khashoggi's Ship', the song that it slides into... particularly the bit where Freddie is all like "I SAID KISS MY ASS, HONEY!" ... I'm not really a massive fan of 'My Baby Does Me', either, but 'Rain Must Fall' has grown on me quite a lot... the melody is quite George Michael, I think.

The rest of The Miracle, though, is sublime IMO... it's fitting that about half the album ended up being released as a single.

listening to Innuendo for the first time now. striking me as a bit bland so far other than the title track and "Don't Try so Hard", which is gorgeous. hate the production, but Freddie sounds really good.

feel like May's impact is muted by generic big 80's guitar production

is it my imagination or is Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy a genuinely amazing song that was very unlucky not to place?

No, you're absolutely right. Especially regarding the high placing of You're My Best Friend (in my mind pretty much the ANATO-counterpart of Lover Boy somehow) or Killer Queen.

The 'Dining at the Ritz..." counting segment is genuinely amazing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsS74PtwW0k

Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy was on my short list, and I've always liked it. And yeah, I think had there been campaigning for it, it might have made the list (certainly I like it better than #39 "Spread Your Wings")

i think it's one of those rare songs that can lighten my spirits and make me smile irrespective of the mood i bring to it. and of course it's impeccably arranged and beautifully poised. the likes of Spread Your Wings does seem rather gravid and humourless in comparison.

14. (tied) Innuendo
Innuendo, 1991
176 points (6 votes, one number one)

Great results. And in particular, ^this is why I heart this board. And yeah, time for a Queen binge on Spotify.

Innuendo
Killer Queen
Under Pressure
The Show Must Go On
Somebody To Love
White Queen (As It Began)
The March of the Black Queen
Fat Bottomed Girls
Fight From The Inside
Another One Bites The Dust
Bohemian Rhapsody
Death on Two Legs
Seven Seas of Rhye
Dragon Attack
Save Me
Now I'm Here
Jesus
Let Me Live
Nevermore
I Want It All

'Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy' is one of those Queen songs that I don't mind listening to when it's on, but has never really been a favourite of mine. It's definitely nowhere near the quality of 'You're My Best Friend' to my mind.

Wow, my #1 "It's Late" didn't even place Top 50. BUMMER.

Like what the f tho

Dang, no "Body Language" or "Princes of the Universe" either.

Have had a busy few days, but here's my ballot:

1. Bohemian Rhapsody
2. Innuendo
3. Seven Seas of Rhye (Queen II version)
4. The Show Must Go On
5. Under Pressure
6. Brighton Rock
7. Father to Son
8. March of the Black Queen
9. Liar
10. Play the Game
11. It’s a Hard Life
12. Mustapha
13. Doing Alright
14. We Will Rock You (BBC session version - but happy for votes to be counted towards the News of the World version)
15. Backchat
16. Radio Ga Ga
17. Flash
18. Dancer
19. Now I’m Here
20. Dragon Attack
Album: Sheer Heart Attack

In hindsight, would probably remove Radio Ga Ga and Dragon Attack, and replace with a couple of tracks from the debut (Great King Rat, My Fairy King, or maybe Jesus). Looks like it wouldn't have made much of a difference to the top 39, though.

Did anyone else vote for Doing Alright? It's always been a favourite of mine. I love its mood swings, through the various gentle/plaintive sections and then the sudden bursting-in of May's guitar. Some might say they did something similar with a little more subtlety and majesty on White Queen (As it Began). But I still prefer the earlier track, perhaps because of its greater rawness.

Anyway, thanks so much to charlie h and everyone else for making this poll a ton of fun! The top 39 is a true fans' list, IMO. Death on Two Legs was the surprise package, but I can see why it did so well. It includes what's probably my favourite intro of any Queen song. And the rest of the track is oh-so-vicious. Love it!

I am also sad Princes didn't place. That said, great results. Probably one of the better ballot poll results I've seen here.

thanks Wordy! glad you enjoyed the poll.

billstevejim, your No. 1 vote for It's Late was almost enough to push it into the Top 50. but it only received one other vote for a total of 55 points.

elsewhere:
Body Language (46 points, two votes)
Princes Of The Universe (26 points, one vote)

glancing over the votes, A Kind Of Magic appears to be the worst performing album by far. top song was One Vision with two votes for 31 points. the well-known title track floundered with one vote for 12 points.

41. '39 (82 points, 5 votes)

so close.

'39 would have made my ballot and likely placed. Poop.

Let's do this Queen thing!. Ow!