‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ is UK’s Favorite
“Bohemian Rhapsody,” the record-breaking hit by rock band Queen, is Britain’s favorite single of all time, according to a poll published Wednesday.
The song beat John Lennon’s ballad “Imagine” to claim the top slot in a poll by “British Hit Singles,” published by Guinness World Records.
Accepting the award with Queen drummer Roger Taylor at London’s Dominion Theater, guitarist Brian May said the hit song “has become a classic phenomenon and one which no one will ever allow us to forget.
“Thank you, people, for the memory.”
David Taylor, editor of “British Hit Singles,” said Queen “is a band whose achievements are legendary. No band, apart from ‘The Beatles,’ has had more top 10 hit singles.”
“Bohemian Rhapsody,” a six-minute epic that first topped the music charts in 1975, made it to No. 1 again in 1991 when it was rereleased to raise funds for charity following the death of the band’s lead singer, Freddie Mercury รณ the first single to top the charts twice in the same version.
It is also the only song to have hit the No. 1 spot twice at Christmas.
In all, the song has spent a total of 14 weeks at the top of the charts. Because of its complex harmonies it was difficult to reproduce and the band were unable to perform it live.
Half the top 10 songs listed in the poll are by Lennon and The Beatles: “Hey Jude” (No. 3); “Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever” (No. 7); “Yesterday” (No. 9) and “Let It Be” (No. 10) all made it.
The most recent single in the top 10 is Robbie Williams’ “Angels” at No. 6. Abba is at No. 4 with “Dancing Queen,” followed by Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” at No. 5. “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls is at No. 8.
Guinness questioned more than 31,000 people for the poll.
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