Overview
- Released on October 31, 1975 as the lead single from A Night at the Opera, the nearly six-minute track defied radio norms.
- The composition spans a cappella opening, ballad, operatic passage, hard-rock burst and a gentle close, realized with extensive overdubs under producer Roy Thomas Baker.
- The recording stacked vocals by Mercury, Brian May and Roger Taylor to create an effect likened to a 200-voice choir, pushing 1970s tape limits.
- The single spent nine weeks at No. 1 in the UK and lifted Queen to international stardom after early critical reactions were mixed.
- Mercury conceived the piece largely in his head and left its meaning open to listeners; later acclaim includes a 2002 BBC honor and Rolling Stone’s No. 17 ranking in 2021, with Live Aid helping cement its legacy.