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Credit: Far Out \/ David Bailey \/ Alamy \/ Original Poster<\/p>\n
Fri 2 October 2026 1:15, UK <\/p>\n
On the face of it, the world was Queen\u2019s<\/a> oyster when they released \u2018Another One Bites the Dust\u2019 in 1980.<\/p>\n It was the disco funk revolution that bridged the gap between 1970s glamour and the synth streak of the \u201880s. Many bands might have faltered at the prospect of trying to sonically morph while staying inherently true to themselves, but that would never happen when Freddie Mercury and co had something to do with it. <\/p>\n In that sense, we could more or less wrap this piece up here, couldn\u2019t we? The song became Queen\u2019s defining anthem, their best-selling hit, sold 22million copies, and they all sailed off into the sunset. Except, even if you only know the slightest thing about the band\u2019s story, you would realise that this was never exactly the case.\u00a0<\/p>\n For one, as much as it was the moment when they were at the peak of their commercial success, it was also the start of the downward spiral to frayed tensions and outright brawls<\/a>. It was only two years later, in 1982, that Brian May admitted that \u201cwe hated each other for a while\u201d. That wrath and ire had to start in earnest somewhere. <\/p>\n Yet even though \u2018Another One Bites the Dust\u2019 was painted as the crown jewel, perhaps when you looked closer, you could see the cracks and imperfections starting to show, even then. Although subtle, there was a series of signs which demonstrated that Queen could never quite be the royalty they wanted to be, always bringing them back down to Earth and clipping their wings. <\/p>\n It began with the fact that, famously, John Deacon wrote the bass line <\/a>inspired by Chic\u2019s \u2018Good Times\u2019. However, \u2018inspired\u2019 may not have been how Chic saw it, in place of blatant plagiarism. The band\u2019s Bernard Edwards said, \u201cThat Queen record came about because that Queen bass player\u2026spent some time hanging out with us at our studio\u201d. That he didn\u2019t even bother to learn his name probably spoke volumes. <\/p>\n Then, after the song was released, came the all-important Grammy Awards, where Queen found themselves nominated for \u2018Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal\u2019 on account of their monster hit, but lost to Bob Seger\u2019s generational opus, \u2018Against the Wind\u2019. Gracious losing faces were at the ready, but they still had to keep using them. <\/p>\n Further reading: From The Vault<\/p>\n Because the most bitter blow came a year later, when Queen got the news that \u2018Another One Bites the Dust\u2019 was to be used in an iconic film franchise soundtrack. They\u2019d already had their big Hollywood moment with Flash Gordon, and were about to get their tuxedos back out of the wardrobe for the premiere, when they were told that, actually, the direction of Rocky III had gone with Survivor\u2019s \u2018Eye of the Tiger\u2019 instead. <\/p>\n Individually, each of these incidents didn\u2019t amount to a significant kick in the teeth, but combined, they did create something of an unlucky streak for Queen, at a time when they were supposedly meant to be on top of the world. Of course, life isn\u2019t going to be all sunshine and rainbows, yet it just goes to show that even when a song sells 22,000,000 copies, there can always be something to still tear it down<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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<\/a> The Far Out Classic Rock Newsletter<\/p>\n