LONDON, UK (Top40 Charts) BBC
Radio 2 revealed that Bohemian Rhapsody is Your Ultimate
Queen Song following a listener vote to discover the nation's favourite
Queen song.
Don't Stop Me Now is in second place, Somebody to Love in third place, We Are The Champions / We Will Rock You in fourth, and
Radio Ga Ga rounded off the top five. The full Top 40 countdown hosted by Steve Wright is available on BBC
Sounds from Friday 31 March and highlights of the Top 40 will be broadcast on
Radio 2 on Monday 10 April at 4pm.
From Monday 20 February, listeners were asked to vote for up to three of their favourite songs from Queen's Top 75 UK chart singles, including collaborations with the band following Freddie Mercury's death. Voting closed on Wednesday 8 March, with the results compiled for this special show, Your Ultimate
Queen Song.
Bohemian Rhapsody was released as the lead single from Queen's fourth album, A Night at the Opera, in 1975 and became the band's first number one. Written by
Freddie Mercury and referred to by him as a 'mock opera', the track - often regarded as Queen's signature song - is one of the few progressive rock songs of the 1970s to achieve widespread commercial success. It topped the UK Singles Chart for nine weeks, plus a further five weeks following Freddie Mercury's death in 1991, and remains the UK's third best-selling single of all time. In 2004, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and, following the release of the 2018 biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, it became the most streamed song of the twentieth century.
Sir Brian May says: "Hello all you beautiful
Radio 2 listeners. Thank you for voting for this song. I guess we're very thrilled not only because you voted for that particular track, but because you voted at all and it means that we're still in your hearts and your minds and we're very grateful, and I'm hoping that we'll be out there doing our thing for you before too long. Bohemian Rhapsody, of course, is the greatest testament to the powers of our dear Freddie and I know he would be delighted to hear this news. What could be better. Thank you."
Steve Wright says: "This is the real life, not just fantasy! The
Radio 2 listeners have spoken and it's clear that nothing can stop them now from loving Queen's iconic hit Bohemian Rhapsody. I'm thrilled to crown this timeless hit the winner, proving that it still rocks the airwaves decades after its release."
Jeff Smith, Head of Music,
Radio 2 and 6 Music, says: "Bohemian Rhapsody has undoubtedly stood the test of time and continues to captivate audiences with its power and truly innovative approach to songwriting. As a station committed to celebrating the very best in music from across the decades, we are proud to honour the enduring legacy of
Queen and their staggering contribution to the world of rock and pop music 50 years on from the release of their debut album."
The Top 40, as voted by
Radio 2 listeners:
1. Bohemian Rhapsody (1975)
2. Don't Stop Me Now (1979)
3. Somebody To Love (1976)
4. We Are The Champions / We Will Rock You (1977)
5.
Radio Ga Ga (1984)
6. Who Wants To Live Forever (1986)
7.
Killer Queen (1974)
8. Under Pressure (1981)
9. Love Of My Life (1979)
10. These Are The Days Of Our Lives (1991)
11. I Want to Break Free (1984)
12. The Show Must Go On (1991)
13.
Seven Seas Of Rhye (1974)
14. Hammer To Fall (1984)
15. You're My Best Friend (1976)
16. A Kind Of Magic (1986)
17. Fat Bottomed Girls (1978)
18. Another One Bites The Dust (1980)
19. Crazy
Little Thing Called Love (1979)
20. Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy (1977)
21. One Vision (1985)
22. Innuendo (1991)
23. Now I'm Here (1975)
24. Tie Your Mother Down (1977)
25. Spread Your Wings (1978)
26. Somebody To Love - Five Live EP (1992)
27. I Want It All (1989)
28. Breakthru (1989)
29. We Will Rock You (2000)
30. Flash (1980)
31. Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen & The Muppets, 2009)
32. Save Me (1980)
33. Bicycle Race (1978)
34. Too Much Love Will Kill You (1996)
35. It's A Hard Life (1984)
36. I'm Going Slightly Mad (1991)
37.
Friends Will Be
Friends (1986)
38. No-One But You (Only the Good Die Young) (1998)
39. Las Palabras De Amor (1982)
40. Headlong (1991)
Also available on BBC
Sounds from Friday 31 March is a
Queen Artist Icons Collection, which includes:
Queen: The Fans' Story - a love letter to the legendary band from some of the biggest stars of the last 50 years; those who have worked with them, grown up listening to them and continue to be inspired by them. Sharing their heartfelt memories are current frontman Adam Lambert, Alice Cooper, Ben Elton, Sir Bob Geldof, Francis Rossi, Joe Elliott of Def Leppard, Joe Bonamassa, Justin Hawkins of The Darkness, Marisha Wallace, Melanie C, Michelle Visage, Niall Horan, Noel Gallagher, Robbie Williams, Sam Ryder, Shania Twain,
Tom Chaplin and Tom Grennan, all sound-tracked by some of the most iconic rock songs ever recorded. This programme will also be broadcast on
Radio 2 on Monday 10th April, from 7-8pm. A BBC Mostest production.
Queen At The BBC - featuring
Queen sessions at the BBC, the band themselves talking to presenters, including Bob Harris, Johnnie Walker and John Peel, across the decades, and their music being played on vinyl. From this classic archive, listeners hear
Queen discuss their latest releases, live performances, how they recorded and composed classics such as Bohemian Rhapsody, and the excitement about their first plays on BBC radio and television shows like The Old Grey Whistle Test. Following the tragic death of Freddie Mercury, listeners also discover what he would have wanted the band to do and their work at his Wembley Stadium tribute concert. This programme will also be broadcast on
Radio 2 on Monday 10th April, 8-9pm. A BBC Audio production.
Previous listener votes on
Radio 2 have led to tens of thousands of listeners voting for their favourite songs by some of the world's best loved artists, including
George Michael and Take That, and for the Ultimate Animated Movie Song, Ultimate Rom Com Song and All-Time Greatest Song for a Musical.
BBC
Radio 2 is the UK's most listened to radio station, with a weekly audience of 14.29 million (RAJAR Q4, 2022), and won Station Of The Year at the
Music Week 2021 awards. The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show is most listened to breakfast show in the UK with an audience of 7.14 million (RAJAR Q4, 2022). The network's presenters include Michael Ball, Zoe Ball, Rob Beckett, Tony Blackburn, OJ Borg, Rev. Kate Bottley, Rylan, Fearne Cotton, Sara Cox, Jamie Cullum, Gary Davies, Paul Gambaccini,
Angela Griffin, Bob Harris, Vernon Kay, Cerys Matthews, Scott Mills, Jason Mohammad, Trevor Nelson, Dermot O'Leary, Elaine Paige, Mark Radcliffe, Romesh Ranganathan, DJ Spoony, Liza Tarbuck, Jeremy Vine, Michelle Visage, Johnnie Walker, Jo Whiley, Phil Williams, Claudia Winkleman and Steve Wright.
