Just back here to say that “Here Comes The Sun” finally hit 1 billion streams on Spotify! Edit: “Come As You Are” by Nirvana finally hit 1 billion streams as well! And now it’s the second song to hit 1 billion streams by Nirvana.
"Here Comes The Sun", "Come As You Are", "Have You Ever Seen The Rain", "Fortunate Son", "We Will Rock You", "Eye Of The Tiger" and "Losing My Religion" has hit 1 billion streams on Spotify ever since this video. I'm glad that people are still listening to these classic songs. There are a few others that are on their way to hit 1 billion which are "Dancing Queen", "I Wanna Dance With Somebody", "Sultans Of Swing", "Summer Of 69", "Nothing Else Matters", "Welcome To The Jungle" and "Paint It Black" all with more than 900 mil streams.
"Here Comes the Sun" is on track to reach a billion streams (it currently has 880,389,517 streams). With that said, I think one of the reasons why not a single Beatles song has reached that milestone yet is because their catalogue wasn't put on Spotify until late 2015, relatively late compared to many of the major classic bands and artists.
Also i feel a lot of people are turn off by the absolute crime that was the mixing in the original versions of the song, also the various mixes may divide the streams all over the place.
I’m in the .01% of Beatles listeners…Spotify told me this on yearly recap. I’m definitely helping them get streams lol. They’re my overwhelmingly most streamed musician/band. I’m also only 22.
@@exasperated Agreed tho. Sure it's iconic, but it outshines underrated gems like The Prophet's Song, whichiin my opinion is the best song in A Night At The Opera
I saw Led Zeppelin in concert in 1969 and 1970. I am 33 days older than Robert Plant. I have never used Spotify. So using Spotify as the yard stick certainly could be influencing the results. If you could measure how many songs have been ripped from a CD to a computer along with Spotify, then you would get more accurate results.
Yes, But spotify does gives you an indication of how these songs are doing with today's generation. That is what Mr. Robert is trying to highlight. The cultural influence these songs/artists have today.
I agree with that statement about blocking music. Prince is a great example. His music wasnt readily available for the longest time. And that def hurt his cultural relevancy.
His music didn't start streaming until 2018 which was two years after his death. I have RUclips music and just checked his number of subscribers which is 1.74 million. That's not bad considering how late his music entered all the major platforms.
”Dancing Queen” by ABBA is almost at 1 billion streams as well and they have 28 million monthly listeners. Also a good example of a 70’s band that have been revived and kept relevant with musicals/movies and most recently the virtual concert event in London along with a new album release. Best pop band of all time for me! EDIT: Now over 1 billion streams 🙌
To me, ABBA is up there with Queen and the Beatles as the greatest bands of all time. In my country, and in most countries around the world, ABBA is more popular and more recognised than the Beatles.
@@MegaRodrigo86 You're right. However in the US and Canada all across both countries these songs are played at every level from youth sports, to middle school, high school, college, to professional in every sport. That is not an insignificant audience. Then they are played on social media and the reach extends further.
What I love about Queen and The Beatles is that they both have many albums so there is always something to be discovered. You can listen to a song many times but then one day it just stands out and you can’t believe you’ve never paid attention before.
I would say AC/DC songs got a massive boost in popularity by being heavily featured in the Iron Man movies. I think both "Back in Black" and "Thunderstruck" were used
Queen is a band that seems to be in between classic rock and modern rock, so they still can translate into the modern era. Their music is very dynamic; musically and vocally.
I believe that the reason why Thunderstruck has 1 billion+ streams/listens/plays is due to its use in the Marvel Movies specifically Iron Man. So the way that popular culture uses those timeless songs can have a Poignant impact on the musicians and the generations of listeners.
Also the fact that it was a much bigger hit outside North America in the first place. I think that's what's catching him out about it. I agree that smart licensing by the current rights holders is at least as important as how "timeless" the actual song is.
Maybe I'm biased, because the theme song for my hockey team (not the goal song, but before home games and after wins, always heard) the Tampa Bay Lightning would be its sports association, including movies. "Thunderstruck" is barely older than the team and I can remember hearing the song during pregame warm-ups with the team skating around and the song is rocking. I think had Spotify been out sooner, before team diversified, "Rock and Rock Part 2" (a.k.a. "Hey Song") would be in there.
What are y'all talking about? Thunderstruck wasn't in any Iron Man movies afaik? There are youtube edits (!) that use Thunderstruck with Iron Man (2?) scenes, but the movies used different AC/DC songs.
I'm not surprised that Queen are still up to date. There is no other band like them. It's a combination of many things such as the best music catalog with a huge amount of unforgettable hits in different genres, probably the best singer and performer ever, their legendary live performances, their unbelievable artistic diversity, and the perfection of their songs, they were music video pioneers and the list can go on and on.....Queen are just part of our lives because of that not because of the movies.
Add to all that Queen, and especially Freddie, always performed with an immense amount of joy which is infectious. When an audience sees a performer enjoying the show, it is impossible to sit on your hands as a mere observer.
A new school year just started and one of my young students who basically only loves KPOP came to me and said: "Professor, I have some news. I started listening to Queen." I was so happy to hear that.
My 7yo daughter is a massive Queen fan. I was too around that age and I certainly played her lots of stuff, so did my wife so that helps. But her hunger to go onto Spotify and not only play the songs but dive into songwriting credits and lyrics really transcends our parental input. That's just the power of Queen's music. Super fascinating.
What's often overlooked is that Queen are really great at marketing their music too. It's near impossible to go to any sporting event and not hear either Rock You/Champions/Bites The Dust. On top of that, their music is always being used in TV/movies/commercials too. Ofc we all know about Wayne's World but don't forget the zombie killing scene in Shaun of the Dead, set to Don't Stop Me Now. That very well could've played a part in turning what was a minor hit for them at the time into > 1 billion streams on Spotify It's funny to me that even before I started listening to Queen, I already knew their biggest songs.
What you said, and also the Movie. Queen didn't have any songs with Billion plays before the movie..here, you also have to consider that FAR less songs had a billion in 2018 anyway, but still I think their most listened was Bites the Dust back then with 400M. It's severely understated how many new and younger fans the movie brought to the band.
This is so true, it's amazing what marketing can do to a song. A great example would be Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush, it was a minor hit at the time of its release yet after being used as a major plot point in Stranger Things' latest season, it suddenly turned into a global phenomenon topping charts in multiple countries and currently has close to a billion listens on Spotify.
Well, I believe the marketing only really started after Freddie's passing. I don't think they allowed their music to be licensed for ads and stuff like that when Freddie was still alive
So I dont get it, if your songs are used in sporting events that means you were good at marketing those songs? Lets take an example, song 2 by blur, that song was a big hit but it was completely random, they didnt market that song any more than releasing it as a single, so how was that song more heavily marketed than their other singles not played in sporting events?
A lot of those songs also end up in huge mainstream movies. Anthem rock works perfectly with action movies. Thunderstruck and Sweet Child of Mine are in constant use.
Totally agree that we old-timers (I'm 69) have not adopted Spotify. I own all those CDs (and records), and they have been uploaded to my computer and phone. I listen to them via Bluetooth. I know a lot of others in my generation who have done the same.
Stan, I'm 52. I have many of the albums from which the songs Rick spoke of on vinyl. I have mostly most of those on CD too. Now here's where it's weird (and mostly due to laziness) and I am positive I am not alone here. I subscribe to Spotify and guess what, I mostly listen to music that I already own (at least once!). I am burning money that I don't have.
Stan, this Saturday my life odometer will click over to 69...and I'm just wondering how much of an outlier I am. Because even though from my childhood through most of the '80s I played (and bought) the music of the day at home, in the car, etc., somewhere along the way (actually, pretty much 1990 on the dot), it all just ceased to be all that important (or compelling) anymore. So it's not that I'm not contributing to Spotify stream numbers because I'm older and playing that same music via "offline" media....it's that I'm simply not listening anymore.
On the note of bands that don’t allow their music on RUclips not being as relevant. Literally the only way I found out about a band like Tool was because of finding them on RUclips, whether it was people reacting to hearing their songs, their music videos, or even just the fan uploaded lyric videos, it was basically the only way someone like me could find out about them in high school before they ever uploaded their music to streaming services. Now they were my most listened to artist for 2022
For real, RUclips and Spotify are the best ways to discover bands and especially influencers talking about or using their songs, because that way you are exposed to them without even actively looking for it.
Yeah, I didn't know Tool even existed before Fear Innoculum was announced and it took over Twitter. And so many people I follow just happened to be a fan who went wild when that happened. I am so glad it happened though. It was my gateway to Progressive Rock/Metal, and 3 years later it's my favourite and Top 3 most played genre
That Freddie Mercury biopic really helped them out a lot because before then in my high school a lot of people didn't listen to Queen and then after that movie came out so many people started listening to them at least in my area
I'm actually surprised more bands like Pink Floyd, The Beattles, Led Zepplin, etc that are blockers haven't stopped blocking yet. The fact that Dreams was propelled into one of the most played songs ever because of a Tik Tok video should have been enough to wake them up.
If Pink Floyd sells their catalog for a vast sum of money I would imagine the new owners would want to do more to promote it. Or else it doesn't seem like a good investment. I just saw Dr Strange and they used Interstellar Overdrive in it.
@@prism8289 Because neither of those bands had any serious issues, and for the most part, stayed out of the limelight. You can't make money off 4 media quiet guys (PF) and lead private lives while very popular like you can queen, which had a clearly gay front man, who died of aids.....Much more of a story to milk out of that. Pink floyd? Not so much, they haven't really been a band since 1996, some would argue 1983 with the leaving of roger waters. Led Zeppelin stopped being a band really in 1979. Just ain't much to talk about, really. Like whats a Pink floyd story? 4 architect students get together to make a band, one goes crazy on drugs after 3 years, then in comes new shy guy, they make good songs...then...uhm...some bitching and whining in 1984, and end of movie?
We Will Rock You is about to become the 5th Queen song to have 1 billion views on Spotify, with Bohemian Rhapsody almost at 2 billion. Absolutely insane
The biggest reason I'm into Queen as much as I am is because they made their music available on RUclips early on. I didn't appreciate the Beatles until they started doing the same more recently and then I dove into their catalogue and have great respect for them now.
This is a big factor that Rick didn't touch on. A lot of older artists didn't put their music on youtube right away, in fact, you'll see under most music videos for older songs the upload date is 2009, if i recall that was when Vevo (when that was a thing) launched. The Beatles didn't put most of their music on youtube until around 2018, so that was nearly a decade of a head start that a band like Queen for example would have.
I am pretty sure that the Beatles were available on RUclips in 2000s. But it is also true that in 2010s at some point (I don’t remember exactly which year) a lot of their music was removed from RUclips in US but was still available forthe rest of the world. However, Queen wrote a lot more anthem-esque hit songs that are suitable for all sorts of different public events etc. I really think that is the main reason why their popularity seems to overshadow other bands on Spotify. Obviously, this is easier said than done but it has a massive impact when measuring popularity in this particular way versus let’s say the amount of albums sold back in the day, number 1 hits or weeks spent on top of the charts etc.
Also a big contributing factor is that bands like the Beatles have had so many remasters, remixes and versions over the years that the listeners are split over several variations of the same song. For example, "Let It Be" has the original version, the remastered version, two different 2009 remasters, a 2015 remaster, the 2021 mix, the Super Deluxe version, two different "naked" versions, as well as some live recordings. Many of these songs have identical audio, but they appear as separate songs on Spotify which splits listeners.
“Let it Be” also has two “original versions”. The album and the single had different solos. So even more choice to listen to. Single version with the Leslie guitar being my personal favourite.
I may be wrong but films over the years "Highlander" "Flash Gordon" "Waynes World" and yes "Bohemian Rhapsody" have kept Queen in the limelight and given generations fond memories. Timeless stuff. Also helps if you write a few anthems that get used by various TV networks and sporting events, keeps it available to younger generations (who hopefully get over their Ed Sheeran phase)
My brother and sister are two completely different music consumers. She listens to her playlist on her phone via Bluetooth in her car. My brother still has a flip phone and carries around a giant case with CDs and his car has 5 CD carousel player. She's listening to current pop, he's listening to the soundtrack of the movie The Big Chill or Steve Miller Greatest Hits.1974-78. So what Rick says about the medium people choose has a lot to do with those numbers.
Queen also had diverse hits, I mean Bohemian Rhapsody is diverse on it's own, but they appealed to a wide range of people of many ages and listening habits. Punks like Queen, Goths like Queen, metalheads like Queen, pop fans like Queen and so on and so on.
In the Brian May interview with Rick, Brian answered basically to that effect, when Rick asked him why he thought Queen has stayed so popular. Brian acknowledged that they wrote about "everyday things" in many styles.
@@dazednconfused-r4o Most of the biggest metal bands lists Queen as an influence, especially early Queen albums. Queen created the first thrash metal song. Queen's classical style is closer to metal then many blues rock bands.
Queen for me, as people from younger generation is the one who introduced me to classic rock. They’re just too iconic with their hits, if not because of them i won’t know about Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, even post ‘65 Beatles.
I fell in love with Queen music back in the late 80s (I was born in 1977). This music is still with me. I listen to it, I sing it, I play it, I live it. God save the Queen!
As hard as they are capable of Rocking.. All of Queen's members understood the importance of pop music. They are very melodic and write simple..complicated.. catchy tunes. Rick is correct.. I can actually feel Jimi Hendrix starting to be forgotten and I love that guy
I'm 66 and I think the reason pre-1975 music is not killing it on streaming platforms is it is STILL being listened to on vinyl and CD! I tend to use Spotify to check out newer music, if I want to spin "Fragile" or "Abbey Road" I throw on a vinyl or CD.
Curious... do you only listen to older music at home? Obviously, we've never been able to spin vinyl on the go. Also, I just bought a new car. They don't come with cd players anymore. So music choices are either streaming via your phone or satellite radio.
@@VeloVagabond My car is 2014 with a CD player, and I expect it to be my last car. If I did replace it, I would make damn sure it had a CD player. That would be my choice.
@@fastcakes I'm the same age as you John and everytime I venture out to listen to "new" music it ends up like Marlon Brando's visit to Matthew Broderick's dorm in "The Freshman"-"So, this is college. I didn't miss nothin'"
@@VeloVagabond I'm a year older than John and my car has an integrated cassette player! 🤣 I plug in my Creativd Labs Zen mp3 player via one of those cassette converters! Love my Zen (hate anything Apple), it has hundreds of Classic Rock, Metal, Pop etc albums on it, no subscription, no streaming, no ads... and easier to use than a CD player!
Very nicely explained there at the end about songs pre 1975 not having the streaming numbers. I am part of that problem. In the 1990s I replaced all my vinyl with CDs. The about 2010 I ripped all those hundreds of CDs to my Mac and started listening to that music through iTunes on an iPod and now an iPhone. In fact, my 12 year old iPod is playing right now on my 12 year old ipod docking stereo! None of those plays count as a stream!
Exactly. I have hundreds, probably in the low thousands, CDs, SACDs, DVDA, Blu Ray Audio and even DTSCD ripped to my computer that I listen over my sound system regularly. Most of which I actually paid for!
The thing about Queen is it was sophisticated chords and vocal harmonies like Yes or early Genesis. But unlike those, where topics were often mythology or fanciful poetry, Queen covered subjects that related to everyone. You're my best friend, I love my car, my girlfriend's a rip, I'm partying my rear off so don't stop me, we are the champions. I mean it was the 70s and we we're all stoned. Who wouldn't love a six part harmony vocal bouncing from your left to right speakers. Dude!
I love early Genesis but as far as vocal harmonies I think they are nowhere near Queen. You might get the occasional song where Phil harmonizes with Peter, or on Trespass (pre-Phil) you might hear the other guys sing very simple 3-part harmonies on Dusk, but that's it.
Yes, Queen covered subjects that related to everyone, including anyone who ever shot a man in the head and then debated with devils whether they should go to hell or not.
You have a great point about The Beatles, and how long it took for them to get on Spotify. I believe their music started streaming in 2016, 2017 maybe? I remember how i could listen to full Beatle albums on RUclips but couldnt stream it in Spotify. Then when their music started streaming and then they became blockers.
I've been a life long Queen fan and the older I get, the more their music astounds me. I listen to tracks like Leroy Brown, Millionaire's Waltz or Ogre Battle and simply can't get my head around this level and variety of creativity. May's solo on Days of Our Lives, for me, is about as perfect a guitar solo as you can ask for. I'd love to hear Rick do an analysis of Brian May's playing.
Queen's Guitarist Brian May is absolutely a genius. First of all, how many Rock Guitarists have doctorate degrees in something as complex as astrophysics? Or, how many Rock Guitarists have Doctorate Degrees in anything!? Brian is also a person who understands every aspect of the sales and promotion of his products, one of which is Queen Music. He can go on 6 or 8 music radio stations a day and answer the same question on all six radio stations, about the fact that he (and his father) built the most famous guitar in the world, his Red Special Guitar that still is the primary guitar that he uses today over 50 years later, and do it in a manner that people listening think it is the first time he has ever answered that question! And he does it that way because he realizes that there is likely some person somewhere in radio land who has never heard the story and he wants to give the same respect that to that listener that a listener may have gotten 50 years, and 10,000 interviews ago. He has also learned over the years that unlike in the 70's, when Rock Musicians seldom smiled, that in his 70's, that the person who always snarls, turns other's off, so even though he suffers bouts of depression from time to time. that you will seldom see a current picture of him where he isn't smiling! Being a genius, he is constantly innovating, and he hires people who are innovators. He has his hands in everything, set design, no one knows more about sound than Brian May, promoting on every possible on-line avenue, you name it, and at the same time as he is doing all of this he is into a multitude of other activities! Stereoscopic Photography, NASA and Astrophysics, People and Animal RIghts. and just about every tribute concert you can imagine! One could write a book on all of the things that Brian May has been involved with, and many authors have!!
You are aware there are 3 other band members, right? No one compares to Freddie for star power. As another person said, the whole band credits John for his financial genius, and his electrical engineering brain that came up with the Deaky amp. And Brian and others have often said that Roger has the promotional brain. He and Brian have always been the face of Queen for interviews, because Freddie and John didn’t like them. He was the one on top of the touring logistics. He came up with idea for more than one of the album covers. And he was the one (along with Jim Beach) that pushed forward and wrangled everyone for the Freddie Mercury Tribute concert.
Love your comment and also agree with the commenters to your comment 😂… although you did leave out Brian’s particular attachment to those adorable hedgehogs. ( which Brian loves as much as his Red Special )
@@matthewche Apparently a lot of singers and bands were not very smart. Queen were not the only ones to play there. I could name just some and the list would be to long. Nelson Mandella, a few yrs. after Freddie died, asked Brian & Roger to play a benefit for aids, in Cape Town, which they did. Maybe they realized their mistake and wanted to make amends. Queen took the most heat of all those that played there. This video is about music, but you bought it up, & I just wanted to respond without being political. I feel they paid for their wrong decision. You r entitled to ur opinion. Don’t know what this has to do with music & Spotify? Plus, always when mentioned, Queen is named, like there were no other artists that played there. If u don’t like the band, just say so. No big deal. Why bring up something that happened over 30 some yrs. ago and has nothing to do with the subject of this music channel??
Everyone saying Queen gets listened to more because their songs end up in things don't see the feedback loop that is implied. But what kicked off the feedback loop? The original quality of the music. Plain and simple. Good music gets used in media, more people listen to it, gets more popular, now it's popular AND good music so it gets used more, referenced more, etc. ad infinitum.
As an "older" listener and musician it is a shame that younger people aren't exposed to great musicians like Hendrix, SRV, CS&N - I grew up with this music and still am inspired to learn about their musicianship - until I studied music I was not even aware of the structure and composition of a lot of their music - I'm looking at my 70th birthday and am just starting to learn bass after years of playing drums due to these intracacies - I am once more inspired to pursue more learning - it's never too late to LEARN Thx for your spot
Congrats on picking up an instrument at 70 years old. I don't know if this will discourage you or inspire you, but if you like bass, you should look up Charles Berthoud on RUclips. He is amazing.
What is astounding about Queen is that their front man, Freddie Mercury, has been dead for over 30 years. Their songs are so amazing they can keep going on, and be so popular, this many years on.
I think it has much more to do with the record labels using it to build a brand than the music actually being amazing. They were good, but not even in the top 50 bands from their decade. I think that it comes down to smart marketing, having a distinct image and a bit of luck. When you see their t-shirts at every Walmart or target, you can pretty much bet that their objective is to use the band as a brand and constantly be reminding people of them. Idk, I feel that the most successful bands aren't, and weren't, nearly as talented as their marketing teams.
queen was just another band until the internet got a love boner for no reason. whats astounding is more that people still somehow dont recognize when they are part of a weird hivemob.
@@thatsmyassbrostop Bollocks! Maybe the 20-somethings, but not overall. BTW, that is the case for every name band, so your claim makes no sense. Do you really think the average young person knows Zeppelin's' catalog? Please. You're crossing swords with an OG.
Rick, In 1971 I co-wrote and recorded a song in my band “Air” from Michigan. In 2018, Kanye West sampled 10 seconds of my song for a track on Pusha T’s grammy nominated album “Daytona”. That track is called “If You Know You Know”, and last week, my buddy in California texted me that the Pusha track is now being used in a Pizza Hut commercial! Who knew? 😊
@@christopherlees1134 my guess is the lawyers make a list of what was sampled in the track and make contact with the owners of the rights to the sample and start playing a small royalty from the get go. Better pay a little every month now than wait tor the law suit including damages and penalties and intrest and lawyers fees in 3 years time.
I do have an answer for the older songs. My Dad, who's 74 now, made a playlist back in the day when he used ITunes a lot. Each list would have a year on it starting from 1952 up until 1974 maybe. Now that doesn't sound weird, right? Well, what my Dad ended up doing was he created a list on a Microsoft spreadsheet that listed every song in a particular year in the chronological order in which he remembers hearing them for the first time! He has a top 40 book that he used as a reference to ensure the dates were correct and everything. The reason he did this was not only to listen to them in the order in which he remembers them, but also because some versions of the songs aren't available on any streaming service.
That's where the resurgence of queen started...I didn't hear a peep about them from the mid 1990's-2011. Then all of a sudden people like their music again. They had like 4-5 good songs, and I bet you if I played a random queen song from any album, no one would know the name of the song. lol.
@@Adrian-wd4rn Funny. They did a multimedia laser show in the Munich planetarium in 2001, in 2002 their musical "We will rock you" premiered, which is STILL being performed internationally. That same year, May played with Roger Taylor at the Queen's Golden Jubilee. From 2004 onward, they toured as Queen + Paul Rodgers and published an album in 2008.
I honestly found Queen through watching pro wrestling in the early 80s as the Shreveport (Mid-South) promotion played “We Are the Champions” as their commercial outtro and their most popular wrestler, Junkyard Dog, entered the ring to “Another One Bites the Dust”. I found their K-Tel greatest hits tape at the store…and been an avid fan ever since.
What I find interesting is that, while the Beatles have no song with over 1 Billion plays, if you look at the total plays with all of their songs combined, they have almost as many plays as Queen has. Just because they have this huge amount of hit songs. They actually have 39 songs with over 100 Million plays. That's as much as many big modern artists have.
@@billygraham2132 I was born in 1980, and I definitely get it. Anyone who actually appreciates good music "gets" the Beatles. My children, all born after 2005 listen to the Beatles. On their own, not just because or when I'm around.
@@billygraham2132 I’m not a boomer and love the Beatles, my parents are boomers, I grew up listening to 60’s and 70’s music. My kids also listen to 60’s, 70’s and 80’s music because that’s what I like. Good music ensures.
Great music stands the test of time. I remember getting the Bohemian Rhapsody 45 for my 9th bday and playing it over and over again on my lil blue suitcase record player, just being mesmerized by this 6 minute masterpiece. Nearly 47 years later, it still holds up as one of the all-time classics.
Don't forget about Wayne's World in the early 90s. A lot of millennials, like my wife, grew up with that song because if that movie. I'm a later GenX person. That song was lost to me in my childhood. I became familiar with it as a teen when the movie came out.
Dude the popularity of Queen is far beyond the influence reach of wayne's world. This is a cult classic for a certain age group and mostly in america, but queen is a global phenomenon. Their appearance at the olympics and the charity shows certainly helped more.
@@Soldano999 Queen's influence certainly reaches beyond Wayne's World. But I think you're glossing over just how big Wayne's World made Queen, and Bohemian Rhapsody in particular back in 1992. It pushed a song that was approaching 20 years old at the time back to #2 on the charts and introduced a new generation to Queen's music. This time period, just before Freddie Mercury passed was a low point in Queen's popularity, and that movie completely revitalized their careers and has left Bohemian Rhapsody a cultural phenomenon to this day.
@@normie2716 I think you're not thinking big enough. As the other commenter has said, Wayne's World really _was_ popular... but mostly only in the US. I see myself as a sort of "movie person". I watch more of them than the average person and I try to keep my watchlist diverse, with movies from lots of time periods and countries. But I'm also Hungarian. And I've never seen Wayne's World. I _have_ heard of it, but most people around here don't even know that it exists. I've never heard anyone mention it, not irl and not on the internet. And yet, Queen is hugely popular in Hungary, among young and old. Even before the biopic. Even without WW. I'm not saying that my experience is representative of everyone where I'm from, but I do believe that people in the US vastly overestimate the effect of movies that are only cultural phenomenons over _there_ .
@@somethingclever8526 I believe what you say is true. Here in US, Wayne’s World bought Queen to younger generation of that time. But they were already well known globally and in other parts of the world. As an “older” fan, I knew who Queen were when Freddie was still with the band, but the BR movie did introduce a younger generation to the band & their music here in the US. Many knew of their songs such as “We Will Rock You, Another One Bites the Dust, but never realized it was Queen. Glad movie introduced their music to many. Hope they checked into their early catalogue of music, which is so great!!
This is where I jump into the deep end ... In spite of not being a great fan of Queen, I still find that their most successful/loved songs have this instant classic quality to them that make them sound as if Queen somehow tapped into the original motherlode of music. You know, that vein of music that once recorded makes you wonder why no one had created it already and ask "I swear I have heard this song before?" Except you never did. The first time hearing it you somehow felt it should have already existed, but it only came into being right now. Such a strange thing. These songs somehow seem to have some threads common with the fabric of the universe, like one of Plato's forms or ideas, having always been there and manifesting itself in our world with varying degrees of imperfection. Except that Queen grabbed the very idea itself and nailed it down on tape. That's how those songs feel to me. And again, in spite of not being much of a Queen fan, I cannot really name any other band that has been able to tap that vein with such regularity.
@@laurisaarinen1126 Oh, absolutely the Beatles and M.J. as well. I didn't mean only Oasis. In fact, I would add the Beach Boys, Billy Joel, and The Who. And not every single track they ever recorded. I don't think even Queen recorded a timeless expression of a platonic form every time out. But each of these bands or artists, at their best, tapped into something universal.
You're absolutely right. When artists constrict their exposure, whether through their own desire or through an overbearing label, people move on to other popular artists they can actually share with people.
Queen have been my favourite band since my adolescence, the band that actually made me completely fall in love in rock and music in general. They will forever hold a very special place deep in my heart and soul ❤
The melodies, the distinctive style, the fact that so many of them have become anthems and cultural touchstones, all contribute to their timeless quality. I was in a bar with people mostly in their 20s and early 30s (I'm almost 50), and "Sweet Caroline" came on. All of them did the "dum dum dum" and "so good, so good, so good" at the right places. None of them were even born when the song came out. Great song with great melody and great lyrics. Now that's a timeless song!
I first learnt about Queen the day Freddie died, i was ten at the time. I remember when the news came on the telly my older brother saying oh no!! I asked him what happened and he told me. From that day on the days that i didn't listen to Queen probably are about a hundred after 30 years I know them. They have a huge diversity in their music, the best live shows, all four of them wrote number 1 hits, they were smart people and above all they were really good guys as humans, they stick together until Freddie died and many times i think how lucky i am to have Queen as my favourite band, their music had, have and will have a huge impact in my life. Thank you Queen and greetings from Greece..
Rick, just want to express my admiration to your channel , you are doing great job for all music fans . Keep it up Mate ! Subject post is really interesting, tells us a lot about our generations ( I am born ‘71) . Best rgds from Poland/UAE( residentially work)
Bohemian Rhapsody was MASSIVE first time around in the UK. First really meaningful pop promo video too. I tried to record it on my cassette record for weeks from the radio. 🙂
It's also the record in UK history to be #1 twice selling over a million each time. Others have been #1 twice, but without selling a million both times.
Ah, the good old days, sat Infront of my boom box with the radio playing and the tape on Pause/Record, finger at the ready for when my song started or towards the end when the DJ starts talking. I still hear some of those songs today and half expect to hear a voice or jingle cut in like that cassette I listened to over and over again.
I’m 58, my 16 yr old daughter is very culturally savvy. Loves film noir, classic stuff and all the way up to Lana Del Ray. She loves Queen, sure, but really gets that the Beatles were the masters. She’ll go through all the periods of their stuff and comment on it. She loves George’s stuff the most and All Things Must Pass is her fave.
Great video! Thank you, Rick. I shared it with my students in our Technology and Innovation university class, because it helps us to see which cultural icons and songs are still relevant to today's high schoolers. Great stuff!
For most of my life I've always thought of Queen as the biggest band. I remember back in middle school we had the metal group, listening to bands like Iron Maiden, Metallica, In Flames... and all of us know at least a dozen queen songs. Then there was the pop group listening to Taylor Swift or whatever. All of them knew a dozen queen songs as well. There was also the hip hop kids who also all knew a dozen queen songs. I haven't experienced this with any other band and this was before Spotify took off.
Hell, what about Somewhere Over the Rainbow or White Christmas? Those are two of the most popular songs in the entire history of the West. Again it drives home my point that Spotify not equal the culture as a whole
None of they songs are the type that most people just regularly stick on a Spotify playlist to be listened to in various types of occasions to rack up the listening numbers
@@chrisnorman1902 Good point, I absolutely agree. That again shows Spotify doing Spotify-specific things that skew the list. Don't Stop Believin' or anything from Rumours can fit on almost any playlist ever made, so they do. And those "accidental" plays where the listener didn't actively choose to hear the song and may not even be paying attention in the slightest, are what drive the totals through the roof
It's songs you put on when you're by yourself, when you're with a partner, when you're with family, when you're with your friends, when it's more of a party, when it's a sports event, and so on. They rack up the listens. On most of they occasions people across the world isn't sticking on American Pie
I recently saw Queen and Adam Lambert in London at the o2. They played 24 songs that night. Not one of them was a disappointment. And If I have a chance to see them again I will not hesitate. Freddie wrote some beautiful songs.
Queen has managed to stay culturally relevant by having a new generation "discover" them periodically. My dad, a boomer, would play them on car trips. Wayne's World came out when I was in middle school. Bohemian Rhapsody came out a few years ago, and now my kids enjoy their music. I think it helps nothing sounds quite like them, even amongst their contemporaries.
@@richardcarroll9864 It's ok. everybody has their own tastes in music. I personally can't stand Bon Jovi or Journey, but a lot of people love them. I really love Queen and feel very fortunate that I got to see them play live twice in the 80's. Two of the best concerts I've been to, and I've seen pretty much everybody with a few exceptions.
It would be cool to see each group or artist's average plays across their discography. That would really paint a picture of their relevance and/or fandom
Just pick a band and look up their album sales. The info out there is rich. It crazy to see some bands relevance fall of the table verses band with staying power. Look up Hendrix’s sales. He lost his relevance when he was still alive. Look at his 3 studio albums total sales. I think most people are shocked when they find out how few albums he actually sold.
I also think that there’s a chunk of the Beatles and stones audience that just prefers physical records. The older folks have had em’ most of their life, and a good amount of the younger ones prefer their sound. Plus they have a little more personality than a phone.
I used to be that guy but after getting several voice controlled smart devices and apple car play it became clear that convenience always wins. I can just listen to whatever i want and where i want.
Rick you hit the nail on the head. I also wonder about the generational gap in which guys like you, myself and my friends worshipped albums. We saved lunch money for albums (music in general) and were completely invested in them for hours not caring about the world or dinner time. Different dynamic and not to be a fuddy duddy I miss it!! Please keep up the great work!! Also unless you want to chat me your bandit is looming.
At some point we have to come to terms that we were fortunate to live at one of the highpoints of Western Culture (films and music especially) and that we were actually taught appreciation of that culture. We don't have great taste simply because we are superior human beings- it was fostered and worthy work was in abundance.
Not all of it generational, I'm only 49 which isn't really that old, and I don't listen to Spotify. Many of these songs I hear on classic rock stations on the way to work. I don't need to hear them again. Some of them I hear too much (Don't Stop Believin'), and some I hear on music my work plays throughout the place so I don't want to hear again. I still listen to CD's in the car on occasion. I spent all that money on CD's I'm bound to get my money's worth. 🙂 I just don't have a use for Spotify. Why would I want to listen to music on my phone? I don't feel the need to be listening to music every second of the day, that can be annoying. My car stereo can't play music that way, my car is too old for that. MP3's is about the newest format I use. I guess I'm just technologically backwards.
@@xpindy I was influenced by my parents music Big Band. They had me later in life. I’m not sure how that influenced me other than an appreciation for instrumental music but I’m sure I carry it with me. Fostered! Oh, my point is the recordings are horrible! That changed in just a decade! Dave Brubeck sounds amazing! We are lucky to have so much available to us and it all mostly is sonically fantastic! Your comments are dead on!
@@jimmym3352 I will listen to Spotify if I’m working at home thru actual speakers. Always “new to me” stuff or an album or artist I’ve never heard of. Yeah, I don’t need to listen to the same old classic rock either! Maybe if I’ve been drinking. Lol
Beatles and Stones have such huge, high quality back catalogues that no single song is going to stand out so much. Some bands are just known for a handful of catchy hits and these will stand out individually much more. Although Queen definitely are the exception, they seem to have managed both.
Queen has like....5, maybe 6, good songs at best. They have more forgettable music than they do anything else. The Beatles, stones, Pink Floyd, led zeppelin have knock out after knock out for the most part. Hell, many of the artists I listed have top multiple 10 songs in single albums. Queen would release an album, have nothing of note on it, then release another with a single good song...Maybe 2...Then a bunch of drivel. etc. Queen is known for having 3 mega popular songs, a gay front man who died of aids, and that's roughly about it.
@@Adrian-wd4rn That’s not really a fair statement. Queen had many great songs, especially in their early catalogue. True they had only 5 or 6 major hits. Sad, you feel Freddie was mostly known for being gay & dying of aids. Whole band were multi talented musicians. Freddie really wanted to be remembered as a musician. And their early music was great. Many later bands cited their influence. But if u didn’t like them that is you opinion. People have different taste in music.
@@Lilah1754 Doesnt change the fact theyre only popular for a few songs, and if you played any other song from their catalogue, no one would know who tf it is.
@@Adrian-wd4rn Lots of later bands are only popular for a few songs. Early fans of Queen and their early albums know many of their songs, besides their major hits. True, as I commented earlier, a lot of younger fans from BR movie only know the hits. So many great songs like Sheer Heart Attack, Brighton Rock, & more are well known by many from their early albums. Just like many only know Beatles from their later hits, & not their very early music. It all depends on fans age. I only knew Queens major hits, but after seeing movie, checked into their early discography of music & was pleasantly surprised. All bands have something to offer & if you don’t like them that is your opinion. Not all have same taste in music.Have noticed a lot of U tube reaction channels have been checking into Queens earlier music, with positive reviews. Beatles, also. So maybe younger fans will get to know more of their great early music.
@@Adrian-wd4rnnah....their current set list is awesome and it’s still missing good stuff. 2 1/2 hr set. There are songs I wish they would put back in but to do that they have to take something else back out. But yeah I guess I couldn’t imagine them not doing bo rap.
Queen, AC/DC, Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin, Beatles, etc.---these are all great bands I listen to on a regular basis. The thing is, while I am not that old, I do not use Spotify. Instead, I have my CDs, and I rip them to files to use on my computers and MP3 players (including the one in my car) instead. So people like me, or older folks possibly in general, are not included in these numbers.
I'd love to see a top twenty of long epic songs with key and tempo changes. Like Bohemian Rhapsody and Mr. Bluesky or Scenes from an Italian Restaurant. I love those kind of songs. You can start with Zeps, Achilles Last Stand!!! :)
I'm glad you picked up the key point about the age group of Spotify listeners. Those two songs you mentioned with over 3 billion plays are songs I never even heard of. I'm 59.
If they had streaming in the 90s Nirvana, 2Pac, Mariah, Biggie, and U2 would have at least 5 diamond singles each. Some of the best song makers in history and are perennial billboard 200 charters 30 years after the fact.
This is what it means for something or someone to be "ahead of their time"; we use that phrase too often for things that die soon, and then there's effin' Queen, who are more widely appreciated now than they ever were in their own era.
For me Queen is complete… Powerful songs Storytelling Entertainment Musician craftsmanship Whatever occasion - you surely find good songs in Queens portfolio.
I'm always a little surprised not to see U2 in lists like these. They're the #2 grossing touring band and their music from the 80s and early 90s is freaking timeless.
@@djn48 Pollstar published a list of artists who have sold the most tickets over the past 40 years and U2 was #1 followed by Dave Matthews, the Stones and Springsteen. Matthews and Springsteen have nowhere near a billion plays of any song, so apparently there's little correlation between Spotify streams and popularity as a live act.
I agree that keeping these songs off of RUclips and other places where they could be discovered is really shooting themselves in the foot. I think exposure is huge and for younger people to be interested in this stuff they have to be aware of it first. Look how the songs on stranger things took off. People literally do not know about these older songs
Remember when people were saying Kanye was going to make Paul McCartney famous? That's a perfect example of what happens when artists block their music.
AC/DC was the band that really made me fall in love with rock. I saw them at Tinkey Park when I was 13. First show I ever went to. I think I had 20-30 of their cassettes at one time. I got kinda teased at school for liking them so much. Now you see AC/DC shirts everywhere lol. Angus is only one of the best blues guitarists that ever lived. And idk if it is true but I always heard Queen was the only rock band who’s members all graduated from a classical music university. It would make sense because their sound was one of a kind and their songs have a masterpiece sound like people who could read music knew knew the science of what was pleasing to the ear. Queen didn’t just write and produce songs. They arranged a piece.
I grew up in the '80s, but I was lucky to have a dad who was (and is) a great music fan. The music I grew up with spanned not just the music of that decade, but also the three to four decades before that and in addition my dad also introduced me to classical music. So, I learned to listen and admire different artists and different genres. From Timi Yuro to Queen, from the Rolling Stones (my dad was not much of a Beatles fan, I got that from my mom) to Pink Floyd, from the really old blues songs to hard rock. It was only much later that I discovered that he also has a taste for heavy metal music ;-) when he brought me Metallica's black album with the message "You should listen to this, it is really good". He was 54 at the time. I learned a lot from my dad, but to me that is the greatest takeaway I got from him.
I got into Queen when Wayne’s World came out, yeah i was one of those who got into them thru that movie as many did. I think the reason why they remain relevant is that they wrote four different types of music and all four of them wrote songs that went to number 1, it was like getting four different genres in each Queen album released. Seeing how popular they are these days makes me very happy, i feel very proud of them.
The people listening in the late 60’s early 70’s are used to having something tactile in their hands (look at some of Zappas’ early album covers) we couldn’t wait to get our hands on the vinyl and peruse the cover, now it’s all in the ether🎼🎶
Interesting to speculate about, although I do feel the Queen biopic really brought their music to a new a generation. Not only was it a great film, but it presented themes that are hugely popular nowadays. Struggling with sexual identity, coming out of the closet, struggling with loneliness, changing your identity to fit how you feel (Farrokh Bulsara, after all). The one thing I'd say a lot of the most highly played songs have in common however is the feeling of being an outsider, or an underdog. As for TikTok, it does wonders. Setting aside 'Dreams', it brought the love of sea shanties to the masses. I don't know how, I don't know why, but it's cool.
Let’s not forget songs’ appearances in other media like movies or even TV adverts. That functions to remind people about a song. I don’t seek out Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” but I hear it a couple times a year anyway.
I’m 24. When I was about 11 or 12 I first heard Bohemian Rhapsody on classic rock radio. Or at least that’s the first I remember hearing it. I was just starting to get into music properly at all, and I’d already heard a good few of the classics plenty on the radio, lots of Zeppelin, Stones, Mellencamp, Mac, etc. But I was drawn into Bohemian Rhapsody like sims never heard music before when it started, and then I burst out laughing hysterically during the operatic section, only to be greeted with the most headbanging moment ever put to tape when the heavy section hit, and it all finished up with a gong. I was in shock and awe. I’d never heard anything like it. Then as I gradually got more into music and Queen quickly became my favorite band, I started reading about the story behind the music, and it seemed so rich with meaning and perseverance and so honest. The radio and all the articles I read made it seem like Queen were just another band from the 70s indebted to the real titans like Floyd, Zeppelin, The Beatles, and The Stones, who would forever be the very greatest of all time. But as much as I loved those bands too, there was something about Queen that spoke to me in the present day, something direct and pure and free and somehow under appreciated about them and their story. It’s been really unbelievable since those days to watch as more and more of the world, and my own generation especially, seems to have had the same realization I was having in real time. Queen were the greatest, or at least right up there in the Pantheon, and very near it’s peak. It’s just amazing to me how they seem to have just gotten cooler and more mainstream as time has gone on, even in the last decade or so. Everyone loves Queen, or at least begrudgingly respects the craft.
Yeah there is something about Queen, it's like a molding of brilliance. The voice of freddy, the singular guitar, 4 people brilliantly songwriting. Also multi genre of ability. Opera, rock, R&B, techno, classical, etc. Love it.
In my humble opinion, Queen's success is down to the band ethos from the very inception of their writing and performing. They I think were making music for the people that didn't quite fit in with the other crowds. They made pop, rock, boogie, opera, soundtracks everything for everyone whether you're 8 or 80. I've never met anyone who doesn't like at least one Queen song, has there been a tribute concert since April 20th 1992 that big with that many artists ?
100% agree. also their breadth in songwriting is unparalleled... there's something for everyone. from the metalhead (stone cold crazy), pop (radio gaga, want to break free), ballad, gospel (somebody to love), classic rock (fat-bottomed girls), r&b and disco (another one bites), country (crazy little thing...), rock opera (you know!) i still remember getting into an argument with an old lady at a bar who insisted that crazy little thing called love was elvis!
Queen I hear every day on radio, in shops on tv shows. I haven't heard Hendrix on any format for years. Beatles you hear occasionally on British shows set in the 60s.
I am a huge Beatles fan (and love mostly 60s and 70s stuff)... and I have never used Spotify. I am sure there are LOTS of others like me. I recently read that Paul McCartney's live tour of 2019 was the highest grossing tour of that year. Seems pretty relevant.
Hey Rick, great video as always! My theory around these songs is that they often have something to offer for each part of your life, even childhood. What I mean by that is that when I'm driving my kids somewhere, and I let them listen in on Bohemian Rhapsody, then they love the a-capella part as well as when we all go crazy at the end with the guitar solo. For older people, they get more interested in the lyrics, the story behind it, the musical genius within: but even as a small kid of only 5 or 6 years old, there is something in there that makes it interesting for them. Same goes for some songs of Toto (Africa melody and drums), AC/DC (Thunderstruck intro is of course very fun for kids), and to refer to your list: AHA take on me has a very catchy synth-part that is very recognizable. I think that these songs stand out because it is something that all generations can enjoy, hence they keep being passed on. I think Nirvana might drop out again, because although I think it is incredible music, it isn't that appealing to my kids now (or not appropriate considering lyrics so I really would have to make an effort to introduce them later.
You've said what I was going to say. I grew up on 70's - 80's music, and played it around my daughter when she was growing up. She's in her 30's now, and listens more to "classic" rock (90's too) as she says she doesn't like a lot of the newer stuff.
Just learned an acoustic vocalization of Bohemian Rhapsody, and it is awesome to play any version of such musical talent! I wasn't born until 10yrs after the debut😜
The movie Wayne’s World was massive for Queen. It was my introduction to not only Bohemian Rhapsody, but as a young guitar player, the entire Queen songbook! I think I was 13 when WW was released.
I missed one. Guns N’ Roses sweet child of mine has 1.3 billion plays and came out in 1987
I think you missed at least 1 more: AC/DC Highway To Hell (1979) -- 1.05B Spins
@@zonachoke yes sir! AC/DC rocks!!!
Sweet child is such a monumental song.
You are reading my Mind Rick. I was how is this missing?
LINKIN PARK
Just back here to say that “Here Comes The Sun” finally hit 1 billion streams on Spotify!
Edit: “Come As You Are” by Nirvana finally hit 1 billion streams as well! And now it’s the second song to hit 1 billion streams by Nirvana.
I was going to comment on that!
yay.
anyone knows how "here comes the sun" become the most popular beatles song? I always thought "hey jude" or "let it be" were the most popular
Yup same I was gonna aswell. FINALLY!!!
Also bohemian rhapsody is >2 billion now
"Here Comes The Sun", "Come As You Are", "Have You Ever Seen The Rain", "Fortunate Son", "We Will Rock You", "Eye Of The Tiger" and "Losing My Religion" has hit 1 billion streams on Spotify ever since this video. I'm glad that people are still listening to these classic songs. There are a few others that are on their way to hit 1 billion which are "Dancing Queen", "I Wanna Dance With Somebody", "Sultans Of Swing", "Summer Of 69", "Nothing Else Matters", "Welcome To The Jungle" and "Paint It Black" all with more than 900 mil streams.
Highway to Hell has surpassed a billion streams too
enter sandman is at 1.133 Billion streams while nothing else matters is just shy of a billion
Creep by Radiohead is also at 1 billion.
Ain't No Mountain High Enough
Maybe it didnt 9 months ago?
"Here Comes the Sun" is on track to reach a billion streams (it currently has 880,389,517 streams). With that said, I think one of the reasons why not a single Beatles song has reached that milestone yet is because their catalogue wasn't put on Spotify until late 2015, relatively late compared to many of the major classic bands and artists.
And also the Beatles have over 60 songs with over 50 mil streams and have the most with 100 million
You sir are absolutely correct. A lot of those legacy bands were really late to the party so to speak.
Also i feel a lot of people are turn off by the absolute crime that was the mixing in the original versions of the song, also the various mixes may divide the streams all over the place.
I’m in the .01% of Beatles listeners…Spotify told me this on yearly recap. I’m definitely helping them get streams lol. They’re my overwhelmingly most streamed musician/band. I’m also only 22.
That is my pick for top Beatles song too.
It's healing.
As of now, Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody has surpassed 2 Billion streams on Spotify!
And yet I wouldn't even put in my top 5 Queen songs.
Not even sure I'd call it the best song on Night at the Opera.
@@exasperated Agreed tho. Sure it's iconic, but it outshines underrated gems like The Prophet's Song, whichiin my opinion is the best song in A Night At The Opera
Who Cares?? That just proves that there are 2 billion people with bad taste
@@exasperated very mid opinion but okay :)
It simply the best song of all times
I saw Led Zeppelin in concert in 1969 and 1970. I am 33 days older than Robert Plant. I have never used Spotify. So using Spotify as the yard stick certainly could be influencing the results. If you could measure how many songs have been ripped from a CD to a computer along with Spotify, then you would get more accurate results.
Yes, But spotify does gives you an indication of how these songs are doing with today's generation. That is what Mr. Robert is trying to highlight. The cultural influence these songs/artists have today.
Get your own website they say its the best but you don't get paid for it
@@deepakgodhia4415 I guarantee you those Queen fans are not today's generation. They are middle aged.
You can't measure that.
@@carmenl163 I guarantee you you are wrong.
I agree with that statement about blocking music. Prince is a great example. His music wasnt readily available for the longest time. And that def hurt his cultural relevancy.
Tool and the Beatles as well?
Can totally agree, as I didnt even know about Prince unitl late highschool, or after really
His music didn't start streaming until 2018 which was two years after his death. I have RUclips music and just checked his number of subscribers which is 1.74 million. That's not bad considering how late his music entered all the major platforms.
Prince's Spotify numbers are really weak compared to his contemporaries.
Prince also sucks.
Let’s not discount the power of being a sports anthem such as We Will Rock You and Thunderstruck! 😃
And, "We Are The Champions."
It's the only reason anybody knows who Gary Glitter is.
@@maxxpower3d6 That's a name I haven't heard in millennia.
you posted mine! def sport drives relevancy...
Probably helps being a feature in a big movie too
”Dancing Queen” by ABBA is almost at 1 billion streams as well and they have 28 million monthly listeners. Also a good example of a 70’s band that have been revived and kept relevant with musicals/movies and most recently the virtual concert event in London along with a new album release. Best pop band of all time for me!
EDIT: Now over 1 billion streams 🙌
To me, ABBA is up there with Queen and the Beatles as the greatest bands of all time. In my country, and in most countries around the world, ABBA is more popular and more recognised than the Beatles.
@@nirmalsukilolz from Germany
You can't go to a sporting event without hearing Queen or AC/DC. This exposes millenials and GenZ to the songs.
"Stadium rap" may be an untapped market.
and GnR
What I was going to add to comments on thunderstruck
This "sporting culture" is just in the US! Dont count so much on this, its not the reality of the entire world.
@@MegaRodrigo86 You're right. However in the US and Canada all across both countries these songs are played at every level from youth sports, to middle school, high school, college, to professional in every sport. That is not an insignificant audience. Then they are played on social media and the reach extends further.
What I love about Queen and The Beatles is that they both have many albums so there is always something to be discovered. You can listen to a song many times but then one day it just stands out and you can’t believe you’ve never paid attention before.
so true
Amen
I would say AC/DC songs got a massive boost in popularity by being heavily featured in the Iron Man movies. I think both "Back in Black" and "Thunderstruck" were used
And shoot to thrill
Thunderstruck is a drinking game and a fitness challenge. That’s why it’s outplayed even Back In Black
Iron Man?
Megamind!!!!!
😂
@@matthewvanrensburg3824COBRA KAI
put a song in a video game or in a movie and it gets a big boost.
Queen is a band that seems to be in between classic rock and modern rock, so they still can translate into the modern era. Their music is very dynamic; musically and vocally.
Wtf are you on about?
Ahm, no. Just no.
What does that mean, translate into the modern era?
@@JohnnyLaps What?
@@JohnnyLaps ??
I believe that the reason why Thunderstruck has 1 billion+ streams/listens/plays is due to its use in the Marvel Movies specifically Iron Man. So the way that popular culture uses those timeless songs can have a Poignant impact on the musicians and the generations of listeners.
Also the fact that it was a much bigger hit outside North America in the first place. I think that's what's catching him out about it.
I agree that smart licensing by the current rights holders is at least as important as how "timeless" the actual song is.
Maybe I'm biased, because the theme song for my hockey team (not the goal song, but before home games and after wins, always heard) the Tampa Bay Lightning would be its sports association, including movies.
"Thunderstruck" is barely older than the team and I can remember hearing the song during pregame warm-ups with the team skating around and the song is rocking.
I think had Spotify been out sooner, before team diversified, "Rock and Rock Part 2" (a.k.a. "Hey Song") would be in there.
What are y'all talking about? Thunderstruck wasn't in any Iron Man movies afaik? There are youtube edits (!) that use Thunderstruck with Iron Man (2?) scenes, but the movies used different AC/DC songs.
I think it was in varsit blues as well. That song is one that grabs you
It is also played in every stadium across America
I'm not surprised that Queen are still up to date. There is no other band like them. It's a combination of many things such as the best music catalog with a huge amount of unforgettable hits in different genres, probably the best singer and performer ever, their legendary live performances, their unbelievable artistic diversity, and the perfection of their songs, they were music video pioneers and the list can go on and on.....Queen are just part of our lives because of that not because of the movies.
Add to all that Queen, and especially Freddie, always performed with an immense amount of joy which is infectious. When an audience sees a performer enjoying the show, it is impossible to sit on your hands as a mere observer.
And Queen out of all these bands in this had the most diverse catalogue
A new school year just started and one of my young students who basically only loves KPOP came to me and said: "Professor, I have some news. I started listening to Queen." I was so happy to hear that.
Nice to hear!
There’s hope for them.
My 7yo daughter is a massive Queen fan. I was too around that age and I certainly played her lots of stuff, so did my wife so that helps. But her hunger to go onto Spotify and not only play the songs but dive into songwriting credits and lyrics really transcends our parental input. That's just the power of Queen's music. Super fascinating.
7 year old looking up songwriting credits? Wow, that kid is growing up fast!
That's amazing. As a Queen fanatic I approve your methods 😁
What's often overlooked is that Queen are really great at marketing their music too.
It's near impossible to go to any sporting event and not hear either Rock You/Champions/Bites The Dust. On top of that, their music is always being used in TV/movies/commercials too. Ofc we all know about Wayne's World but don't forget the zombie killing scene in Shaun of the Dead, set to Don't Stop Me Now. That very well could've played a part in turning what was a minor hit for them at the time into > 1 billion streams on Spotify
It's funny to me that even before I started listening to Queen, I already knew their biggest songs.
What you said, and also the Movie.
Queen didn't have any songs with Billion plays before the movie..here, you also have to consider that FAR less songs had a billion in 2018 anyway, but still I think their most listened was Bites the Dust back then with 400M. It's severely understated how many new and younger fans the movie brought to the band.
This is so true, it's amazing what marketing can do to a song. A great example would be Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush, it was a minor hit at the time of its release yet after being used as a major plot point in Stranger Things' latest season, it suddenly turned into a global phenomenon topping charts in multiple countries and currently has close to a billion listens on Spotify.
Well, I believe the marketing only really started after Freddie's passing. I don't think they allowed their music to be licensed for ads and stuff like that when Freddie was still alive
Wuss bag Music
So I dont get it, if your songs are used in sporting events that means you were good at marketing those songs? Lets take an example, song 2 by blur, that song was a big hit but it was completely random, they didnt market that song any more than releasing it as a single, so how was that song more heavily marketed than their other singles not played in sporting events?
A lot of those songs also end up in huge mainstream movies. Anthem rock works perfectly with action movies. Thunderstruck and Sweet Child of Mine are in constant use.
Sweet Child and a bunch of other GNR songs were on Thor,that's one of the reasons why it got so popular lately.
Totally agree that we old-timers (I'm 69) have not adopted Spotify. I own all those CDs (and records), and they have been uploaded to my computer and phone. I listen to them via Bluetooth. I know a lot of others in my generation who have done the same.
Stan, I'm 52. I have many of the albums from which the songs Rick spoke of on vinyl. I have mostly most of those on CD too. Now here's where it's weird (and mostly due to laziness) and I am positive I am not alone here. I subscribe to Spotify and guess what, I mostly listen to music that I already own (at least once!). I am burning money that I don't have.
I'm 58 and I don't see any benefit to Spotify. Maybe it's because I truly am lazy.😎😎
Stan, this Saturday my life odometer will click over to 69...and I'm just wondering how much of an outlier I am. Because even though from my childhood through most of the '80s I played (and bought) the music of the day at home, in the car, etc., somewhere along the way (actually, pretty much 1990 on the dot), it all just ceased to be all that important (or compelling) anymore. So it's not that I'm not contributing to Spotify stream numbers because I'm older and playing that same music via "offline" media....it's that I'm simply not listening anymore.
@@lennomenno spotify is overrated and quite literally hell if you dont have premium. Youll find most gems on youtube
I'm 48 year old and a premium Spotify suscriber since 2014 or so. I think Spotify is awesome and better by the day
On the note of bands that don’t allow their music on RUclips not being as relevant. Literally the only way I found out about a band like Tool was because of finding them on RUclips, whether it was people reacting to hearing their songs, their music videos, or even just the fan uploaded lyric videos, it was basically the only way someone like me could find out about them in high school before they ever uploaded their music to streaming services. Now they were my most listened to artist for 2022
Same here, i found out about Tool through a "vocal coach reacts" video about "Sober" Now i cant live without Tool
For real, RUclips and Spotify are the best ways to discover bands and especially influencers talking about or using their songs, because that way you are exposed to them without even actively looking for it.
Yeah, I didn't know Tool even existed before Fear Innoculum was announced and it took over Twitter. And so many people I follow just happened to be a fan who went wild when that happened.
I am so glad it happened though. It was my gateway to Progressive Rock/Metal, and 3 years later it's my favourite and Top 3 most played genre
Reminds me of the time I got introduced to prog rock & prog metal by 9GAG.
I feel so old. I’ve been listening to Tool since the album Ænima.
That Freddie Mercury biopic really helped them out a lot because before then in my high school a lot of people didn't listen to Queen and then after that movie came out so many people started listening to them at least in my area
Pretty sure wayne's world helped back in the day as well.
@@TheBigGetEven Only that one song, though.
@@philipcooper8297 Well the other trick is having Freddie Mercury on vocals
That was my first thought. After the movie you couldn't get away from the song.
I knew all of their hit songs but I didn't know the band before the biopic.
I'm actually surprised more bands like Pink Floyd, The Beattles, Led Zepplin, etc that are blockers haven't stopped blocking yet. The fact that Dreams was propelled into one of the most played songs ever because of a Tik Tok video should have been enough to wake them up.
Never had a problem with Pink Floyd blocking anything here in the UK
If Pink Floyd sells their catalog for a vast sum of money I would imagine the new owners would want to do more to promote it. Or else it doesn't seem like a good investment. I just saw Dr Strange and they used Interstellar Overdrive in it.
@@michaelbyrne8238 wow really?
There wasn’t a Hollywood movie about Pink Floyd or Zep.
@@prism8289 Because neither of those bands had any serious issues, and for the most part, stayed out of the limelight. You can't make money off 4 media quiet guys (PF) and lead private lives while very popular like you can queen, which had a clearly gay front man, who died of aids.....Much more of a story to milk out of that.
Pink floyd? Not so much, they haven't really been a band since 1996, some would argue 1983 with the leaving of roger waters. Led Zeppelin stopped being a band really in 1979.
Just ain't much to talk about, really. Like whats a Pink floyd story? 4 architect students get together to make a band, one goes crazy on drugs after 3 years, then in comes new shy guy, they make good songs...then...uhm...some bitching and whining in 1984, and end of movie?
We Will Rock You is about to become the 5th Queen song to have 1 billion views on Spotify, with Bohemian Rhapsody almost at 2 billion. Absolutely insane
I cannot believe We Are the Champions doesn’t have 1 billion views
The biggest reason I'm into Queen as much as I am is because they made their music available on RUclips early on. I didn't appreciate the Beatles until they started doing the same more recently and then I dove into their catalogue and have great respect for them now.
nope, its just because Freddie was gay and he died of AIDS. This is the same reason why we remember John F Kennedy.
This is a big factor that Rick didn't touch on. A lot of older artists didn't put their music on youtube right away, in fact, you'll see under most music videos for older songs the upload date is 2009, if i recall that was when Vevo (when that was a thing) launched. The Beatles didn't put most of their music on youtube until around 2018, so that was nearly a decade of a head start that a band like Queen for example would have.
What would you have done before the internet?
I am pretty sure that the Beatles were available on RUclips in 2000s. But it is also true that in 2010s at some point (I don’t remember exactly which year) a lot of their music was removed from RUclips in US but was still available forthe rest of the world. However, Queen wrote a lot more anthem-esque hit songs that are suitable for all sorts of different public events etc. I really think that is the main reason why their popularity seems to overshadow other bands on Spotify. Obviously, this is easier said than done but it has a massive impact when measuring popularity in this particular way versus let’s say the amount of albums sold back in the day, number 1 hits or weeks spent on top of the charts etc.
Also a big contributing factor is that bands like the Beatles have had so many remasters, remixes and versions over the years that the listeners are split over several variations of the same song.
For example, "Let It Be" has the original version, the remastered version, two different 2009 remasters, a 2015 remaster, the 2021 mix, the Super Deluxe version, two different "naked" versions, as well as some live recordings. Many of these songs have identical audio, but they appear as separate songs on Spotify which splits listeners.
By the end of the year "Here Comes the Sun" will reach the billion
“Let it Be” also has two “original versions”. The album and the single had different solos. So even more choice to listen to. Single version with the Leslie guitar being my personal favourite.
@@Dreyno I tought that too but actually spotify counts the listenings of all the versions.
I may be wrong but films over the years "Highlander" "Flash Gordon" "Waynes World" and yes "Bohemian Rhapsody" have kept Queen in the limelight and given generations fond memories. Timeless stuff. Also helps if you write a few anthems that get used by various TV networks and sporting events, keeps it available to younger generations (who hopefully get over their Ed Sheeran phase)
And Thunderstruck was in Iron Man which probably helped bump it up
Who wants to live forever anyways??
Plus Mighty Ducks for older millennial crowd.
I don't see why people have a problem with Ed Sheeran. Maybe with some of his latest hits, but some of his earlier albums (i.e. + and ×) are amazing
My brother and sister are two completely different music consumers. She listens to her playlist on her phone via Bluetooth in her car. My brother still has a flip phone and carries around a giant case with CDs and his car has 5 CD carousel player. She's listening to current pop, he's listening to the soundtrack of the movie The Big Chill or Steve Miller Greatest Hits.1974-78. So what Rick says about the medium people choose has a lot to do with those numbers.
Queen also had diverse hits, I mean Bohemian Rhapsody is diverse on it's own, but they appealed to a wide range of people of many ages and listening habits. Punks like Queen, Goths like Queen, metalheads like Queen, pop fans like Queen and so on and so on.
In the Brian May interview with Rick, Brian answered basically to that effect, when Rick asked him why he thought Queen has stayed so popular. Brian acknowledged that they wrote about "everyday things" in many styles.
I don't really think metalheads love Queen but ok
@@dazednconfused-r4o Most of the biggest metal bands lists Queen as an influence, especially early Queen albums. Queen created the first thrash metal song. Queen's classical style is closer to metal then many blues rock bands.
@@ZENOBlAmusic Black Sabbaths Symptom of The Universe is the first thrash metal song
@@facelessandnameless sorry, I meant to write the first thrash metal song, since that was what the comment to which I replied referring to
Queen for me, as people from younger generation is the one who introduced me to classic rock. They’re just too iconic with their hits, if not because of them i won’t know about Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, even post ‘65 Beatles.
I fell in love with Queen music back in the late 80s (I was born in 1977). This music is still with me. I listen to it, I sing it, I play it, I live it. God save the Queen!
Me to! Every day!
Being tactful, and funny. It is to late for the Queen; she passed away ...!
God didn't save the Queen, they died with Freddie. This week we saw the funeral he deserved.
As hard as they are capable of Rocking.. All of Queen's members understood the importance of pop music. They are very melodic and write simple..complicated.. catchy tunes. Rick is correct.. I can actually feel Jimi Hendrix starting to be forgotten and I love that guy
I'm 66 and I think the reason pre-1975 music is not killing it on streaming platforms is it is STILL being listened to on vinyl and CD! I tend to use Spotify to check out newer music, if I want to spin "Fragile" or "Abbey Road" I throw on a vinyl or CD.
Curious... do you only listen to older music at home? Obviously, we've never been able to spin vinyl on the go. Also, I just bought a new car. They don't come with cd players anymore. So music choices are either streaming via your phone or satellite radio.
@@VeloVagabond My car is 2014 with a CD player, and I expect it to be my last car. If I did replace it, I would make damn sure it had a CD player. That would be my choice.
@@fastcakes I'm the same age as you John and everytime I venture out to listen to "new" music it ends up like Marlon Brando's visit to Matthew Broderick's dorm in "The Freshman"-"So, this is college. I didn't miss nothin'"
@@fastcakes I hear you, brother. Same generation.
@@VeloVagabond I'm a year older than John and my car has an integrated cassette player! 🤣 I plug in my Creativd Labs Zen mp3 player via one of those cassette converters! Love my Zen (hate anything Apple), it has hundreds of Classic Rock, Metal, Pop etc albums on it, no subscription, no streaming, no ads... and easier to use than a CD player!
Very nicely explained there at the end about songs pre 1975 not having the streaming numbers. I am part of that problem. In the 1990s I replaced all my vinyl with CDs. The about 2010 I ripped all those hundreds of CDs to my Mac and started listening to that music through iTunes on an iPod and now an iPhone. In fact, my 12 year old iPod is playing right now on my 12 year old ipod docking stereo! None of those plays count as a stream!
Me too, Shemaniac! I ripped a bunch of cd's into mp3 and then downloaded more favs in the 90s or early 00s. I have never used a streaming service.
I'm with you there.
Exactly. I have hundreds, probably in the low thousands, CDs, SACDs, DVDA, Blu Ray Audio and even DTSCD ripped to my computer that I listen over my sound system regularly. Most of which I actually paid for!
Just a few days after this was released, Under The Bridge by rhcp hit a billion streams. This year marked it as thirty years old. :)
I am so happy that it did 😁
And RHCP still rocking sold out stadiums each night today! They will achieve the same legendary status as Queen for sure!
HS class of 92 here and it still brings up a huge range of emotion for me.
The thing about Queen is it was sophisticated chords and vocal harmonies like Yes or early Genesis. But unlike those, where topics were often mythology or fanciful poetry, Queen covered subjects that related to everyone. You're my best friend, I love my car, my girlfriend's a rip, I'm partying my rear off so don't stop me, we are the champions. I mean it was the 70s and we we're all stoned. Who wouldn't love a six part harmony vocal bouncing from your left to right speakers. Dude!
Woww
I love early Genesis but as far as vocal harmonies I think they are nowhere near Queen. You might get the occasional song where Phil harmonizes with Peter, or on Trespass (pre-Phil) you might hear the other guys sing very simple 3-part harmonies on Dusk, but that's it.
Queen's songs are also much shorter and always were always targeted at the singles charts
Yes, Queen covered subjects that related to everyone, including anyone who ever shot a man in the head and then debated with devils whether they should go to hell or not.
Genesis have their pop years like Queen but their pop hit songs aged worse than Queen for me
You have a great point about The Beatles, and how long it took for them to get on Spotify. I believe their music started streaming in 2016, 2017 maybe? I remember how i could listen to full Beatle albums on RUclips but couldnt stream it in Spotify. Then when their music started streaming and then they became blockers.
I've been a life long Queen fan and the older I get, the more their music astounds me. I listen to tracks like Leroy Brown, Millionaire's Waltz or Ogre Battle and simply can't get my head around this level and variety of creativity. May's solo on Days of Our Lives, for me, is about as perfect a guitar solo as you can ask for.
I'd love to hear Rick do an analysis of Brian May's playing.
@@JohnnyLaps Brighton Rock! He did do an in-depth interview with Rick, which was very good. Maybe you seen it?
Wow Rick, they sure blocked that Oasis video fast.
Which video?
I was hoping Rick would mention it.
Exactly! No Oasis video here! Move along now!
Which video?
Dang I didn’t get to finish it. 😮
Queen's Guitarist Brian May is absolutely a genius. First of all, how many Rock Guitarists have doctorate degrees in something as complex as astrophysics? Or, how many Rock Guitarists have Doctorate Degrees in anything!? Brian is also a person who understands every aspect of the sales and promotion of his products, one of which is Queen Music. He can go on 6 or 8 music radio stations a day and answer the same question on all six radio stations, about the fact that he (and his father) built the most famous guitar in the world, his Red Special Guitar that still is the primary guitar that he uses today over 50 years later, and do it in a manner that people listening think it is the first time he has ever answered that question! And he does it that way because he realizes that there is likely some person somewhere in radio land who has never heard the story and he wants to give the same respect that to that listener that a listener may have gotten 50 years, and 10,000 interviews ago. He has also learned over the years that unlike in the 70's, when Rock Musicians seldom smiled, that in his 70's, that the person who always snarls, turns other's off, so even though he suffers bouts of depression from time to time. that you will seldom see a current picture of him where he isn't smiling! Being a genius, he is constantly innovating, and he hires people who are innovators. He has his hands in everything, set design, no one knows more about sound than Brian May, promoting on every possible on-line avenue, you name it, and at the same time as he is doing all of this he is into a multitude of other activities! Stereoscopic Photography, NASA and Astrophysics, People and Animal RIghts. and just about every tribute concert you can imagine! One could write a book on all of the things that Brian May has been involved with, and many authors have!!
actually, john deacon was and is the financial genius of the band as May has said in interviews. he has looked after the bands investments for yrs
You are aware there are 3 other band members, right? No one compares to Freddie for star power. As another person said, the whole band credits John for his financial genius, and his electrical engineering brain that came up with the Deaky amp. And Brian and others have often said that Roger has the promotional brain. He and Brian have always been the face of Queen for interviews, because Freddie and John didn’t like them. He was the one on top of the touring logistics. He came up with idea for more than one of the album covers. And he was the one (along with Jim Beach) that pushed forward and wrangled everyone for the Freddie Mercury Tribute concert.
Love your comment and also agree with the commenters to your comment 😂… although you did leave out Brian’s particular attachment to those adorable hedgehogs. ( which Brian loves as much as his Red Special )
Brian May was so smart he thought playing Sun City was no big deal? Astrophysics might not teach you common sense.
@@matthewche Apparently a lot of singers and bands were not very smart. Queen were not the only ones to play there. I could name just some and the list would be to long. Nelson Mandella, a few yrs. after Freddie died, asked Brian & Roger to play a benefit for aids, in Cape Town, which they did. Maybe they realized their mistake and wanted to make amends. Queen took the most heat of all those that played there. This video is about music, but you bought it up, & I just wanted to respond without being political. I feel they paid for their wrong decision. You r entitled to ur opinion. Don’t know what this has to do with music & Spotify? Plus, always when mentioned, Queen is named, like there were no other artists that played there. If u don’t like the band, just say so. No big deal. Why bring up something that happened over 30 some yrs. ago and has nothing to do with the subject of this music channel??
Everyone saying Queen gets listened to more because their songs end up in things don't see the feedback loop that is implied. But what kicked off the feedback loop? The original quality of the music. Plain and simple. Good music gets used in media, more people listen to it, gets more popular, now it's popular AND good music so it gets used more, referenced more, etc. ad infinitum.
As an "older" listener and musician it is a shame that younger people aren't exposed to great musicians like Hendrix, SRV, CS&N - I grew up with this music and still am inspired to learn about their musicianship - until I studied music I was not even aware of the structure and composition of a lot of their music - I'm looking at my 70th birthday and am just starting to learn bass after years of playing drums due to these intracacies - I am once more inspired to pursue more learning - it's never too late to LEARN Thx for your spot
Congrats on picking up an instrument at 70 years old. I don't know if this will discourage you or inspire you, but if you like bass, you should look up Charles Berthoud on RUclips. He is amazing.
Check out super secret band from Pdx
🤘🤘
@@kodykindhart5644 you tube?
I'm one of the ''younger people'' and I hardly listen to anything that was recorded after 1990
It's even more shameful that they're not exposed to the music the way it should be heard, uncompressed, definitely not streaming or on RUclips LOL
Fleetwood Mac - Rumors was such a great album, truly. It's one of those that just transports you back to somewhere in time.
What is astounding about Queen is that their front man, Freddie Mercury, has been dead for over 30 years. Their songs are so amazing they can keep going on, and be so popular, this many years on.
I think it has much more to do with the record labels using it to build a brand than the music actually being amazing. They were good, but not even in the top 50 bands from their decade. I think that it comes down to smart marketing, having a distinct image and a bit of luck.
When you see their t-shirts at every Walmart or target, you can pretty much bet that their objective is to use the band as a brand and constantly be reminding people of them.
Idk, I feel that the most successful bands aren't, and weren't, nearly as talented as their marketing teams.
queen was just another band until the internet got a love boner for no reason. whats astounding is more that people still somehow dont recognize when they are part of a weird hivemob.
@@thatsmyassbrostop Totally wrong!
@@jeffreyg607 Nah. People who praise Queen can usually only name a few bands and just listen to radio songs. Often can't even name an album of theirs.
@@thatsmyassbrostop Bollocks! Maybe the 20-somethings, but not overall. BTW, that is the case for every name band, so your claim makes no sense. Do you really think the average young person knows Zeppelin's' catalog? Please. You're crossing swords with an OG.
Rick, In 1971 I co-wrote and recorded a song in my band “Air” from Michigan. In 2018, Kanye West sampled 10 seconds of my song for a track on Pusha T’s grammy nominated album “Daytona”. That track is called “If You Know You Know”, and last week, my buddy in California texted me that the Pusha track is now being used in a Pizza Hut commercial! Who knew? 😊
Hopefully you're making some money for that. Congrats, as much as people hate kanye he really is a musical genius.
How did you come to realize that 10 seconds of your very old song have been sampled? How would you even find out?
@@christopherlees1134 my guess is the lawyers make a list of what was sampled in the track and make contact with the owners of the rights to the sample and start playing a small royalty from the get go.
Better pay a little every month now than wait tor the law suit including damages and penalties and intrest and lawyers fees in 3 years time.
I do have an answer for the older songs. My Dad, who's 74 now, made a playlist back in the day when he used ITunes a lot. Each list would have a year on it starting from 1952 up until 1974 maybe. Now that doesn't sound weird, right? Well, what my Dad ended up doing was he created a list on a Microsoft spreadsheet that listed every song in a particular year in the chronological order in which he remembers hearing them for the first time! He has a top 40 book that he used as a reference to ensure the dates were correct and everything. The reason he did this was not only to listen to them in the order in which he remembers them, but also because some versions of the songs aren't available on any streaming service.
Thats cool, I'd love to see that spreadsheet... but yt doesnt allow links 😢
Wow! I love this 😍
woah cool surname
Freddie Mercury. Here was a guy who had been dead for decades who could still control a crowd at the opening of the London Olympics in 2012.
That's where the resurgence of queen started...I didn't hear a peep about them from the mid 1990's-2011. Then all of a sudden people like their music again. They had like 4-5 good songs, and I bet you if I played a random queen song from any album, no one would know the name of the song. lol.
@@Adrian-wd4rn Funny. They did a multimedia laser show in the Munich planetarium in 2001, in 2002 their musical "We will rock you" premiered, which is STILL being performed internationally. That same year, May played with Roger Taylor at the Queen's Golden Jubilee. From 2004 onward, they toured as Queen + Paul Rodgers and published an album in 2008.
I honestly found Queen through watching pro wrestling in the early 80s as the Shreveport (Mid-South) promotion played “We Are the Champions” as their commercial outtro and their most popular wrestler, Junkyard Dog, entered the ring to “Another One Bites the Dust”. I found their K-Tel greatest hits tape at the store…and been an avid fan ever since.
What I find interesting is that, while the Beatles have no song with over 1 Billion plays, if you look at the total plays with all of their songs combined, they have almost as many plays as Queen has. Just because they have this huge amount of hit songs. They actually have 39 songs with over 100 Million plays. That's as much as many big modern artists have.
Beatles are irrelevant to non-baby boomers. We weren’t there, we don’t get it.
@@billygraham2132 I was born in 1980, and I definitely get it. Anyone who actually appreciates good music "gets" the Beatles. My children, all born after 2005 listen to the Beatles. On their own, not just because or when I'm around.
@@billygraham2132 I’m not a boomer and love the Beatles, my parents are boomers, I grew up listening to 60’s and 70’s music. My kids also listen to 60’s, 70’s and 80’s music because that’s what I like. Good music ensures.
@@billygraham2132 There's nothing to 'get'. A song is either good or not.
@@billygraham2132 Good music has no age. People will hear it forever.
Queen top hits have 7 legendary guitar solos, diversity in musical arrangement, and of course "the voice" has no peers.
Great music stands the test of time. I remember getting the Bohemian Rhapsody 45 for my 9th bday and playing it over and over again on my lil blue suitcase record player, just being mesmerized by this 6 minute masterpiece. Nearly 47 years later, it still holds up as one of the all-time classics.
The Queen biopic definitely pushed it's plays. Also helps that they have had Adam Lambert performing live with them since 2011
Who?
Don't forget about Wayne's World in the early 90s. A lot of millennials, like my wife, grew up with that song because if that movie. I'm a later GenX person. That song was lost to me in my childhood. I became familiar with it as a teen when the movie came out.
Queen owes a great bit of gratitude to Wayne's World. That introduced them to a generation in iconic fashion at the lowest point of their popularity.
Dude the popularity of Queen is far beyond the influence reach of wayne's world.
This is a cult classic for a certain age group and mostly in america, but queen is a global phenomenon. Their appearance at the olympics and the charity shows certainly helped more.
@@Soldano999 Queen's influence certainly reaches beyond Wayne's World. But I think you're glossing over just how big Wayne's World made Queen, and Bohemian Rhapsody in particular back in 1992. It pushed a song that was approaching 20 years old at the time back to #2 on the charts and introduced a new generation to Queen's music. This time period, just before Freddie Mercury passed was a low point in Queen's popularity, and that movie completely revitalized their careers and has left Bohemian Rhapsody a cultural phenomenon to this day.
@@normie2716 I think you're not thinking big enough. As the other commenter has said, Wayne's World really _was_ popular... but mostly only in the US.
I see myself as a sort of "movie person". I watch more of them than the average person and I try to keep my watchlist diverse, with movies from lots of time periods and countries. But I'm also Hungarian. And I've never seen Wayne's World. I _have_ heard of it, but most people around here don't even know that it exists. I've never heard anyone mention it, not irl and not on the internet.
And yet, Queen is hugely popular in Hungary, among young and old. Even before the biopic. Even without WW.
I'm not saying that my experience is representative of everyone where I'm from, but I do believe that people in the US vastly overestimate the effect of movies that are only cultural phenomenons over _there_ .
@@somethingclever8526 I believe what you say is true. Here in US, Wayne’s World bought Queen to younger generation of that time. But they were already well known globally and in other parts of the world. As an “older” fan, I knew who Queen were when Freddie was still with the band, but the BR movie did introduce a younger generation to the band & their music here in the US. Many knew of their songs such as “We Will Rock You, Another One Bites the Dust, but never realized it was Queen. Glad movie introduced their music to many. Hope they checked into their early catalogue of music, which is so great!!
I don’t think so.
This is where I jump into the deep end ...
In spite of not being a great fan of Queen, I still find that their most successful/loved songs have this instant classic quality to them that make them sound as if Queen somehow tapped into the original motherlode of music. You know, that vein of music that once recorded makes you wonder why no one had created it already and ask "I swear I have heard this song before?" Except you never did. The first time hearing it you somehow felt it should have already existed, but it only came into being right now. Such a strange thing.
These songs somehow seem to have some threads common with the fabric of the universe, like one of Plato's forms or ideas, having always been there and manifesting itself in our world with varying degrees of imperfection. Except that Queen grabbed the very idea itself and nailed it down on tape.
That's how those songs feel to me. And again, in spite of not being much of a Queen fan, I cannot really name any other band that has been able to tap that vein with such regularity.
Oasis.
@@peterbrown9086 Oasis, really? Not by a longshot. If anyone, Beatles or Michael Jackson.
@@laurisaarinen1126 Oh, absolutely the Beatles and M.J. as well. I didn't mean only Oasis. In fact, I would add the Beach Boys, Billy Joel, and The Who. And not every single track they ever recorded. I don't think even Queen recorded a timeless expression of a platonic form every time out. But each of these bands or artists, at their best, tapped into something universal.
Queen's deep cuts are better than their songs that were released as singles. Love that band.
Re: music… yours is greatest most interesting comment.
You're absolutely right. When artists constrict their exposure, whether through their own desire or through an overbearing label, people move on to other popular artists they can actually share with people.
Right! Limiting overall access to the works will prevent the creation of NEW FANS. "Milking" existing fans will only go so far.
Queen have been my favourite band since my adolescence, the band that actually made me completely fall in love in rock and music in general. They will forever hold a very special place deep in my heart and soul ❤
The melodies, the distinctive style, the fact that so many of them have become anthems and cultural touchstones, all contribute to their timeless quality.
I was in a bar with people mostly in their 20s and early 30s (I'm almost 50), and "Sweet Caroline" came on. All of them did the "dum dum dum" and "so good, so good, so good" at the right places. None of them were even born when the song came out. Great song with great melody and great lyrics. Now that's a timeless song!
Gotta tell you RICK, at 62 I’m still a rock n roll junkie, and guitar player, but I am not a Spotify guy! Love your show!⭐️🙏⭐️🙏⭐️👍
Queen rules...Their songs are timeless and continue to be relevant when other bands of their generation have become more niche
The movie Waynes World helped Bohemian Rapsody to be elevated in the 90's and be loved by millions who otherwise may not have listened to Queen.
for sure
Yes!
I honestly believe that without that movie, Queen would not be what they are today.
No Freddie’s death elevated BR as it went to number one all over the world again.
I first learnt about Queen the day Freddie died, i was ten at the time. I remember when the news came on the telly my older brother saying oh no!! I asked him what happened and he told me. From that day on the days that i didn't listen to Queen probably are about a hundred after 30 years I know them. They have a huge diversity in their music, the best live shows, all four of them wrote number 1 hits, they were smart people and above all they were really good guys as humans, they stick together until Freddie died and many times i think how lucky i am to have Queen as my favourite band, their music had, have and will have a huge impact in my life. Thank you Queen and greetings from Greece..
Rick, just want to express my admiration to your channel , you are doing great job for all music fans . Keep it up Mate ! Subject post is really interesting, tells us a lot about our generations ( I am born ‘71) . Best rgds from Poland/UAE( residentially work)
Bohemian Rhapsody was MASSIVE first time around in the UK. First really meaningful pop promo video too. I tried to record it on my cassette record for weeks from the radio. 🙂
It's also the record in UK history to be #1 twice selling over a million each time. Others have been #1 twice, but without selling a million both times.
Ah, the good old days, sat Infront of my boom box with the radio playing and the tape on Pause/Record, finger at the ready for when my song started or towards the end when the DJ starts talking. I still hear some of those songs today and half expect to hear a voice or jingle cut in like that cassette I listened to over and over again.
I’m 58, my 16 yr old daughter is very culturally savvy. Loves film noir, classic stuff and all the way up to Lana Del Ray. She loves Queen, sure, but really gets that the Beatles were the masters. She’ll go through all the periods of their stuff and comment on it. She loves George’s stuff the most and All Things Must Pass is her fave.
Just as a curiosity, and given the competition at the time between The Beatles and The Beach Boys, what does she think of The Beach Boys?
@@richarddexter7641 I don’t think she has delved into beach boys, but I was more of a Beatles advocate when she was younger.
Great video! Thank you, Rick. I shared it with my students in our Technology and Innovation university class, because it helps us to see which cultural icons and songs are still relevant to today's high schoolers. Great stuff!
For most of my life I've always thought of Queen as the biggest band.
I remember back in middle school we had the metal group, listening to bands like Iron Maiden, Metallica, In Flames... and all of us know at least a dozen queen songs.
Then there was the pop group listening to Taylor Swift or whatever. All of them knew a dozen queen songs as well.
There was also the hip hop kids who also all knew a dozen queen songs.
I haven't experienced this with any other band and this was before Spotify took off.
Interesting list. I am surprised American Pie and Stairway to Heaven and a few others didn’t make it.
Stairway to heaven is hard to believe… same with a few GnR classics.
Hell, what about Somewhere Over the Rainbow or White Christmas? Those are two of the most popular songs in the entire history of the West. Again it drives home my point that Spotify not equal the culture as a whole
None of they songs are the type that most people just regularly stick on a Spotify playlist to be listened to in various types of occasions to rack up the listening numbers
@@chrisnorman1902 Good point, I absolutely agree. That again shows Spotify doing Spotify-specific things that skew the list. Don't Stop Believin' or anything from Rumours can fit on almost any playlist ever made, so they do. And those "accidental" plays where the listener didn't actively choose to hear the song and may not even be paying attention in the slightest, are what drive the totals through the roof
It's songs you put on when you're by yourself, when you're with a partner, when you're with family, when you're with your friends, when it's more of a party, when it's a sports event, and so on. They rack up the listens. On most of they occasions people across the world isn't sticking on American Pie
I recently saw Queen and Adam Lambert in London at the o2. They played 24 songs that night. Not one of them was a disappointment. And If I have a chance to see them again I will not hesitate.
Freddie wrote some beautiful songs.
Queen has managed to stay culturally relevant by having a new generation "discover" them periodically. My dad, a boomer, would play them on car trips. Wayne's World came out when I was in middle school. Bohemian Rhapsody came out a few years ago, and now my kids enjoy their music. I think it helps nothing sounds quite like them, even amongst their contemporaries.
I do not like them
@@richardcarroll9864 It's ok. everybody has their own tastes in music. I personally can't stand Bon Jovi or Journey, but a lot of people love them. I really love Queen and feel very fortunate that I got to see them play live twice in the 80's. Two of the best concerts I've been to, and I've seen pretty much everybody with a few exceptions.
@@richardcarroll9864 I believe u have said this already. Twice to be exact. We get the picture. You don’t like them.
@@Lilah1754 only old people like them.
@@richardcarroll9864 You are funny 😆!!
It would be cool to see each group or artist's average plays across their discography. That would really paint a picture of their relevance and/or fandom
Just pick a band and look up their album sales. The info out there is rich. It crazy to see some bands relevance fall of the table verses band with staying power.
Look up Hendrix’s sales. He lost his relevance when he was still alive. Look at his 3 studio albums total sales. I think most people are shocked when they find out how few albums he actually sold.
I also think that there’s a chunk of the Beatles and stones audience that just prefers physical records. The older folks have had em’ most of their life, and a good amount of the younger ones prefer their sound. Plus they have a little more personality than a phone.
I used to be that guy but after getting several voice controlled smart devices and apple car play it became clear that convenience always wins.
I can just listen to whatever i want and where i want.
Rick you hit the nail on the head. I also wonder about the generational gap in which guys like you, myself and my friends worshipped albums. We saved lunch money for albums (music in general) and were completely invested in them for hours not caring about the world or dinner time. Different dynamic and not to be a fuddy duddy I miss it!! Please keep up the great work!! Also unless you want to chat me your bandit is looming.
At some point we have to come to terms that we were fortunate to live at one of the highpoints of Western Culture (films and music especially) and that we were actually taught appreciation of that culture. We don't have great taste simply because we are superior human beings- it was fostered and worthy work was in abundance.
Not all of it generational, I'm only 49 which isn't really that old, and I don't listen to Spotify. Many of these songs I hear on classic rock stations on the way to work. I don't need to hear them again. Some of them I hear too much (Don't Stop Believin'), and some I hear on music my work plays throughout the place so I don't want to hear again. I still listen to CD's in the car on occasion. I spent all that money on CD's I'm bound to get my money's worth. 🙂 I just don't have a use for Spotify. Why would I want to listen to music on my phone? I don't feel the need to be listening to music every second of the day, that can be annoying. My car stereo can't play music that way, my car is too old for that. MP3's is about the newest format I use. I guess I'm just technologically backwards.
@@xpindy I was influenced by my parents music Big Band. They had me later in life. I’m not sure how that influenced me other than an appreciation for instrumental music but I’m sure I carry it with me. Fostered! Oh, my point is the recordings are horrible! That changed in just a decade! Dave Brubeck sounds amazing! We are lucky to have so much available to us and it all mostly is sonically fantastic! Your comments are dead on!
@@jimmym3352 I will listen to Spotify if I’m working at home thru actual speakers. Always “new to me” stuff or an album or artist I’ve never heard of. Yeah, I don’t need to listen to the same old classic rock either! Maybe if I’ve been drinking. Lol
Beatles and Stones have such huge, high quality back catalogues that no single song is going to stand out so much. Some bands are just known for a handful of catchy hits and these will stand out individually much more. Although Queen definitely are the exception, they seem to have managed both.
Queen has like....5, maybe 6, good songs at best. They have more forgettable music than they do anything else.
The Beatles, stones, Pink Floyd, led zeppelin have knock out after knock out for the most part. Hell, many of the artists I listed have top multiple 10 songs in single albums. Queen would release an album, have nothing of note on it, then release another with a single good song...Maybe 2...Then a bunch of drivel. etc.
Queen is known for having 3 mega popular songs, a gay front man who died of aids, and that's roughly about it.
@@Adrian-wd4rn That’s not really a fair statement. Queen had many great songs, especially in their early catalogue. True they had only 5 or 6 major hits. Sad, you feel Freddie was mostly known for being gay & dying of aids. Whole band were multi talented musicians. Freddie really wanted to be remembered as a musician. And their early music was great. Many later bands cited their influence. But if u didn’t like them that is you opinion. People have different taste in music.
@@Lilah1754 Doesnt change the fact theyre only popular for a few songs, and if you played any other song from their catalogue, no one would know who tf it is.
@@Adrian-wd4rn Lots of later bands are only popular for a few songs. Early fans of Queen and their early albums know many of their songs, besides their major hits. True, as I commented earlier, a lot of younger fans from BR movie only know the hits. So many great songs like Sheer Heart Attack, Brighton Rock, & more are well known by many from their early albums. Just like many only know Beatles from their later hits, & not their very early music. It all depends on fans age. I only knew Queens major hits, but after seeing movie, checked into their early discography of music & was pleasantly surprised. All bands have something to offer & if you don’t like them that is your opinion. Not all have same taste in music.Have noticed a lot of U tube reaction channels have been checking into Queens earlier music, with positive reviews. Beatles, also. So maybe younger fans will get to know more of their great early music.
@@Adrian-wd4rnnah....their current set list is awesome and it’s still missing good stuff. 2 1/2 hr set. There are songs I wish they would put back in but to do that they have to take something else back out. But yeah I guess I couldn’t imagine them not doing bo rap.
Rick you are a gracious, modest, funny, and bright host. Loved many of them aren't here anymore or can't hear anymore.
Queen, AC/DC, Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin, Beatles, etc.---these are all great bands I listen to on a regular basis. The thing is, while I am not that old, I do not use Spotify. Instead, I have my CDs, and I rip them to files to use on my computers and MP3 players (including the one in my car) instead. So people like me, or older folks possibly in general, are not included in these numbers.
Yeah, I agree. Rick did mention that, also.
I don’t use Spotify either. I used RUclips
I'd love to see a top twenty of long epic songs with key and tempo changes. Like Bohemian Rhapsody and Mr. Bluesky or Scenes from an Italian Restaurant. I love those kind of songs. You can start with Zeps, Achilles Last Stand!!! :)
One great thing about digital music is DJ's can string together several of these epic songs if they REALLY gotta go.
Your channel is super tight. Great information and very useful perspectives
Really enjoy your vids and opinions.., Thank you Rick..!
Please don’t ever quit RUclips, I need this type of content and you’re one of the best
I'm glad you picked up the key point about the age group of Spotify listeners.
Those two songs you mentioned with over 3 billion plays are songs I never even heard of.
I'm 59.
If they had streaming in the 90s Nirvana, 2Pac, Mariah, Biggie, and U2 would have at least 5 diamond singles each. Some of the best song makers in history and are perennial billboard 200 charters 30 years after the fact.
Singles? Boring. How about writing 40-60 minutes of quality songs every year or 2. That’s talent!!
This is what it means for something or someone to be "ahead of their time"; we use that phrase too often for things that die soon, and then there's effin' Queen, who are more widely appreciated now than they ever were in their own era.
For me Queen is complete…
Powerful songs
Storytelling
Entertainment
Musician craftsmanship
Whatever occasion - you surely find good songs in Queens portfolio.
I'm always a little surprised not to see U2 in lists like these. They're the #2 grossing touring band and their music from the 80s and early 90s is freaking timeless.
Just not one song in particular.
U2 are the #2 grossing touring band because they charge so much for tickets. Less tickets sold, but more money grossed overall 😉
@@djn48 Pollstar published a list of artists who have sold the most tickets over the past 40 years and U2 was #1 followed by Dave Matthews, the Stones and Springsteen. Matthews and Springsteen have nowhere near a billion plays of any song, so apparently there's little correlation between Spotify streams and popularity as a live act.
Ugh not a fan
@@djn48 u2 mostly do stadium tours......if your tours are stadium based you sell tonnes of tickets.
I agree that keeping these songs off of RUclips and other places where they could be discovered is really shooting themselves in the foot. I think exposure is huge and for younger people to be interested in this stuff they have to be aware of it first. Look how the songs on stranger things took off. People literally do not know about these older songs
Really, popularity is blocked for many old rock records by plain old capitalism.
@@KathleenMcCormickLCSWMPH
CORRECTION:
It's plain old greed!
@@KathleenMcCormickLCSWMPH has nothing to do with capitalism. These blocker people are just out of the loop.
Remember when people were saying Kanye was going to make Paul McCartney famous? That's a perfect example of what happens when artists block their music.
Kate Bush!!
AC/DC was the band that really made me fall in love with rock. I saw them at Tinkey Park when I was 13. First show I ever went to. I think I had 20-30 of their cassettes at one time. I got kinda teased at school for liking them so much. Now you see AC/DC shirts everywhere lol. Angus is only one of the best blues guitarists that ever lived. And idk if it is true but I always heard Queen was the only rock band who’s members all graduated from a classical music university. It would make sense because their sound was one of a kind and their songs have a masterpiece sound like people who could read music knew knew the science of what was pleasing to the ear. Queen didn’t just write and produce songs. They arranged a piece.
I grew up in the '80s, but I was lucky to have a dad who was (and is) a great music fan. The music I grew up with spanned not just the music of that decade, but also the three to four decades before that and in addition my dad also introduced me to classical music. So, I learned to listen and admire different artists and different genres. From Timi Yuro to Queen, from the Rolling Stones (my dad was not much of a Beatles fan, I got that from my mom) to Pink Floyd, from the really old blues songs to hard rock.
It was only much later that I discovered that he also has a taste for heavy metal music ;-) when he brought me Metallica's black album with the message "You should listen to this, it is really good". He was 54 at the time. I learned a lot from my dad, but to me that is the greatest takeaway I got from him.
I got into Queen when Wayne’s World came out, yeah i was one of those who got into them thru that movie as many did. I think the reason why they remain relevant is that they wrote four different types of music and all four of them wrote songs that went to number 1, it was like getting four different genres in each Queen album released. Seeing how popular they are these days makes me very happy, i feel very proud of them.
I’m a proud follower ❤
Diversity is strength!
The people listening in the late 60’s early 70’s are used to having something tactile in their hands (look at some of Zappas’ early album covers) we couldn’t wait to get our hands on the vinyl and peruse the cover, now it’s all in the ether🎼🎶
@@MagnusRouden
Me too!
Interesting to speculate about, although I do feel the Queen biopic really brought their music to a new a generation. Not only was it a great film, but it presented themes that are hugely popular nowadays. Struggling with sexual identity, coming out of the closet, struggling with loneliness, changing your identity to fit how you feel (Farrokh Bulsara, after all). The one thing I'd say a lot of the most highly played songs have in common however is the feeling of being an outsider, or an underdog. As for TikTok, it does wonders. Setting aside 'Dreams', it brought the love of sea shanties to the masses. I don't know how, I don't know why, but it's cool.
Let’s not forget songs’ appearances in other media like movies or even TV adverts. That functions to remind people about a song. I don’t seek out Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” but I hear it a couple times a year anyway.
Queen is simply awesome, that is why they have so many songs in this list!
Simple as that ✌🏼
I’m 24. When I was about 11 or 12 I first heard Bohemian Rhapsody on classic rock radio. Or at least that’s the first I remember hearing it. I was just starting to get into music properly at all, and I’d already heard a good few of the classics plenty on the radio, lots of Zeppelin, Stones, Mellencamp, Mac, etc. But I was drawn into Bohemian Rhapsody like sims never heard music before when it started, and then I burst out laughing hysterically during the operatic section, only to be greeted with the most headbanging moment ever put to tape when the heavy section hit, and it all finished up with a gong. I was in shock and awe. I’d never heard anything like it. Then as I gradually got more into music and Queen quickly became my favorite band, I started reading about the story behind the music, and it seemed so rich with meaning and perseverance and so honest. The radio and all the articles I read made it seem like Queen were just another band from the 70s indebted to the real titans like Floyd, Zeppelin, The Beatles, and The Stones, who would forever be the very greatest of all time. But as much as I loved those bands too, there was something about Queen that spoke to me in the present day, something direct and pure and free and somehow under appreciated about them and their story. It’s been really unbelievable since those days to watch as more and more of the world, and my own generation especially, seems to have had the same realization I was having in real time. Queen were the greatest, or at least right up there in the Pantheon, and very near it’s peak. It’s just amazing to me how they seem to have just gotten cooler and more mainstream as time has gone on, even in the last decade or so. Everyone loves Queen, or at least begrudgingly respects the craft.
Yeah there is something about Queen, it's like a molding of brilliance. The voice of freddy, the singular guitar, 4 people brilliantly songwriting. Also multi genre of ability. Opera, rock, R&B, techno, classical, etc. Love it.
Totally agree. No one like Freddy, unreal harmonies, crossing the genres, unreal.
@@danboruchowitz9803 Actually, their lack of a instantly identifiable sound was a criticism at the beginning .
It’s not like their the greatest band, not even top 10
The movie was huge for Queen. All of a sudden all my students wanted to learn Queen tunes.
The Queen’s Biopic just put spotlight into their Quality and talent. Without quality and Talent their music wouldn’t be here. Simple.
@@edirib2004 I couldn’t agree more. So yes, the movie was huge for Queen.
And it was a fantastic move with an Oscar performance by the guy who played Freddie, IMO
The movie wasn’t true in many areas but I loved it anyway… what in the world does that mean ? 😂😂😂
In my humble opinion, Queen's success is down to the band ethos from the very inception of their writing and performing. They I think were making music for the people that didn't quite fit in with the other crowds. They made pop, rock, boogie, opera, soundtracks everything for everyone whether you're 8 or 80. I've never met anyone who doesn't like at least one Queen song, has there been a tribute concert since April 20th 1992 that big with that many artists ?
100% agree. also their breadth in songwriting is unparalleled... there's something for everyone. from the metalhead (stone cold crazy), pop (radio gaga, want to break free), ballad, gospel (somebody to love), classic rock (fat-bottomed girls), r&b and disco (another one bites), country (crazy little thing...), rock opera (you know!)
i still remember getting into an argument with an old lady at a bar who insisted that crazy little thing called love was elvis!
Queen I hear every day on radio, in shops on tv shows. I haven't heard Hendrix on any format for years. Beatles you hear occasionally on British shows set in the 60s.
I know I heard All Along the Watchtower on the radio at my previous job last year.
I am a huge Beatles fan (and love mostly 60s and 70s stuff)... and I have never used Spotify. I am sure there are LOTS of others like me.
I recently read that Paul McCartney's live tour of 2019 was the highest grossing tour of that year. Seems pretty relevant.
Lots, I don't know too many people that use Spotify where I come from!
Hey Rick, great video as always! My theory around these songs is that they often have something to offer for each part of your life, even childhood. What I mean by that is that when I'm driving my kids somewhere, and I let them listen in on Bohemian Rhapsody, then they love the a-capella part as well as when we all go crazy at the end with the guitar solo. For older people, they get more interested in the lyrics, the story behind it, the musical genius within: but even as a small kid of only 5 or 6 years old, there is something in there that makes it interesting for them. Same goes for some songs of Toto (Africa melody and drums), AC/DC (Thunderstruck intro is of course very fun for kids), and to refer to your list: AHA take on me has a very catchy synth-part that is very recognizable. I think that these songs stand out because it is something that all generations can enjoy, hence they keep being passed on. I think Nirvana might drop out again, because although I think it is incredible music, it isn't that appealing to my kids now (or not appropriate considering lyrics so I really would have to make an effort to introduce them later.
You've said what I was going to say.
I grew up on 70's - 80's music, and played it around my daughter when she was growing up.
She's in her 30's now, and listens more to "classic" rock (90's too) as she says she doesn't like a lot of the newer stuff.
Just learned an acoustic vocalization of Bohemian Rhapsody, and it is awesome to play any version of such musical talent!
I wasn't born until 10yrs after the debut😜
The movie Wayne’s World was massive for Queen. It was my introduction to not only Bohemian Rhapsody, but as a young guitar player, the entire Queen songbook! I think I was 13 when WW was released.
very true, it was everywhere for a hot minute when that movie came out
"No stairway, denied!"