Queen has reached another major digital milestone as the band’s iconic hit “Don’t Stop Me Now” has officially surpassed 1 billion views on YouTube.
The achievement makes the song the second Queen video to join YouTube’s Billion Views Club, following “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
“Don’t Stop Me Now” Reaches 1 Billion Views
Written by Freddie Mercury, the track was originally released in 1979 and included in the band’s seventh studio album, Jazz
Although it wasn’t initially one of Queen’s biggest chart hits, its reputation and popularity have grown significantly over the decades and became a staple of classic rock playlists, sporting events, movies (Shaun Of The Dead), television shows (it was used for a trailer for the popular singing competition American Idol) and countless commercials including ads for Toyota, Amazon, L’oreal, and Pfizer.
A Timeless Queen Classic
The song’s journey from a late-1970s album track to a billion-view YouTube sensation illustrates the remarkable longevity of Queen’s catalog.
Aside from this latest accomplishment, the song was also voted the third favorite Queen song by Rolling Stones readers in 2014. The TV show Top Gear also declared the track the “Greatest Driving Song of All Time.” It might have been one of the lesser songs in Queen’s catalog, but after Adam Lambert reintroduced it to their live set, “Don’t Stop Me Now” became a popular live performance.
Guitarist Brian May admitted he was not initially a fan of the song since it seemed to celebrate original frontman Freddie Mercury’s lifestyle. He added that the song was released during a difficult period in Mercury’s life when he was “taking lots of drugs and having sex with lots of men.”
May is now totally on board with the song, especially after finding out it’s given a lot of listeners great joy. “I had to give in. It’s a great song – there’s no way around it.”
Watch the music video below.
Queen – Don’t Stop Me Now (Official Video)