Nowadays, it’s easy to credit some of Queen’s most influential songs as some of their most famous hits, including their breakthrough 1975 single, “Bohemian Rhapsody”, or their 1977 rock anthem, “We Will Rock You.”
However, it’s worth remembering that their first chart-topping single in the U.S. came with the release of their ’50s-inspired 1979 release, “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.”
Inspired by the peak years of Elvis Presley and his influential era of early rock and rollers, “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” wound up climbing to the top spot on Billboard’s Hot 100, becoming the band’s first certified hit in the U.S. by February 23, 1980, as reported by Discovering Music.
With how popular the tune quickly grew to be by the start of the 1980s, it’s amazing to think that Freddie Mercury actually ended up writing the song in under 10 minutes while enjoying a bath in a German hotel room.
“I wrote the song languishing in my bath at the Munich Hilton,” Mercury said in the Billboard Book of Number One Hits, by Fred Bronson (via Discovering Music). With inspiration striking in the middle of the bath, Mercury wound up hopping out of his tub and fleshing out the melody with his guitar and piano.
“We arranged [it] at band rehearsals the following day with me trying to play rhythm guitar,” Mercury explained. “Everyone loved it, so we recorded it. The finished version sounded like the bathroom version. It’s not typical of my work, but that’s because nothing is typical of my work.”
Of course, “Crazy Little Thing” provided Queen with another pivotal release that continued their rise to international sensations. Today, it’s fondly remembered as one of the band’s greatest hits, achieving the same level of fame as “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Killer Queen,” “Another Bites the Dust” and “Don’t Stop Me Now.”
This story was originally published by Parade on Feb 27, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.