Why Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody Is Iconic & Timeless (Analysis) | The Daily Doug (Episode 460) 

John Deacon is one of my favorite bassists and complements this band perfectly.

The first part is not the four of them - it is only Freddie harmonizing with himself - and he is spot on - with the rhythm and he is in tune - no help from autotune or any other things - he was a phenomenon. Somewhere on RU-vid there is two different storys - one where Brian demonstrates how it was done - and the other is the technician that take us through it all - and pulls it apart so we can hear the layers. And Brian demonstrates how odd their "songs" is when they harmonize - and still in tune. Thank you for your reaction.

Doug's spontaneous headbanging moment was probably RU-vid Moment of the Year =)

Rick Beato interviewed Brian May, they discussed how they layered the vocals on this song. Rick can play isolated tracks, and does in that video.

One of the greatest albums of all time.. every song a masterpiece

This was released when I was in high school. When it came on the car radio, my younger brother and I would sing it at the top of our lungs, just like in Wayne's World. I would keep my Craig portable cassette recorder sitting on the car speaker so I could record songs like this.

I can’t remember exactly, but I think it was an interview with Brian May talking about Freddie introducing Bohemian Rhapsody to the band. Freddie had gone through the intro and rock part and then states “ … and her comes the operatic part”. The band apparently were stunned and probably questioned whether it should be part of the song. Obviously Freddie convinced the rest of the band, and as they say, the rest is history.

Some songs emerge so perfect and iconic that it's hard to believe they weren't already there all along and the musician/s merely provided the conduit for the song to enter our world.

a timeless classic that will live for the ages!

If there was a universal song, this would be it. Love my Freddie since high school!!!! Thanks

“They’ve got opera pegged” 😂😂 that cracked me up!

Wonderful review. Freddie looked so exotic at this time. I remember there really wasn't anything like him or the rest of Queen.

Queen has been my all time fav band since the 80's.

Waited for this, thank you Doug!

This was their make or break album, they were broke and if this album didn’t make it, they may have had to break up. It didn’t hurt that a famous DJ, Kenny Evert, played it 14 times over the weekend before it was released. Freddie said “songs are like fish & chips,paper, you eat it and throw it away. He never talked about the meaning of songs

You should also listen to Good Company which precedes Bohemian Rhapsody on the album. The section with the jazz band is all played on Brian May's guitar and, once you realise that, is one of the most mind blowing things you'll ever hear.

Cheers Doug. In a world of discovery reactions to this song (no bad thing) it's interesting to have someone analyse the song. This was my first introduction to Queen way, back in late 1975 and they hooked me into becoming a life long fan and gifted me a thread through my music collection which seemed to embrace a whole collection of styles and choices. I remember my parents wanting me to have a more diverse listening palette since I became obsessed with seeking out a Queen album with every birthday and Xmas gift voucher, but honestly I think I can probably thank them for being a band which managed to use the conduit of rock to give my ear the comfort to journey through a lot of different genres. Each album defied what you might expect from therm, particularly through the seventies, from the bombastic heavy rock of "Stone Cold Crazy", the delicate touch of "Nevermore", the ragtime silliness of "Bring Back That Leroy Brown".. albums which, as individual works of art, were so diverse it actually made it easy to accept whatever they wanted to throw out there and never less than entertaining when they did. I think that was the real magic behind Queen - few outfits are able to condense such a fan base with such a diverse catalogue. Looking to that legendary operatic section, whilst people were arguably quite rightly thrown by that section being planted in the middle of chart pop song with its ballad and heavy rock sections, it's perhaps not so surprising since they were no strangers to wild vocal harmonies at that point. I only came to realise this later on when I dug into the pre-"Night At The Opera" works over the following years. Still a brilliant song for its structural openness and flow.. quite remarkable (as we know anecdotally) that it managed to get released but arguably THE high profile objective lesson in humility to all music executives who might think they know what "it" is. I also remember Brian saying that the overdubs were so excessive that the tape itself began to become see through.. hehe.

Gees Louise, Doug. I BOUGHT this album in high school when it was released. Now you’re making me feel old. 😮

Thanks Doug for another great analysis. Queen has always been my inspiration throughout my life, since I first heard Queen while working the night shift on the radio blasting in the press room of the printing company, my first job out of high school. Today, I call them the "Master Manipulators of Emotions", so much so that I think that's why their music is so timeless, it never gets old because its always eating at your soul... My newest adjective for Freddie's iconic voice is "Eargasm".... such as "You Take My Breath Away," "Love of My Life," or "You and I"... whether he tickling the piano keys or belting out a banger, he's always been the consummate performer always aiming to please. Now, 31 years after his tragic death, his bandmates announce another "new" song to come out any day now (they said in Sept.) called "Face It Alone", which I am quite sure the entire world has been waiting to hear... Blessings to you and yours.

Thanks for this Doug, wonderful insights! A technical note: I have read that to create the very full sounding, lush harmonies, the three singers, Freddie, Brian and Roger, would start by singing the melody line in unison, roll the tape back, and overdub each harmony part in unison, giving the resulting harmonies very full body, and the mix of their three timbres creating a natural chorus effect. Indeed, brilliant.

The german band MADSEN released the song "Labyrinth" in 2010 (from the album of the same name). The song is an homage to Bohemian Rhapsody and is constructed in a similar way.

From the UK, back in 2013 my sister, nephew (from other sister) and myself had a holiday in Orlando, after a Universal visit we decided to have a meal at the Hard Rock, there is a person that goes round with an ipad connected to their 'jukebox' so you can select music to play in the restaurant, one of my choices was 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. When it started the whole restaurant stops eating and one by one starts singing along, by the 5th or 6th line the whole place was singing. The look on the servers faces indicated this was not a regular thing (can't have been the first time someone selected it) so must have been a day where all the other diners had really good music taste. With everything else in Orlando from 4 visits (with theme parks) this is still my highlight of all the trips. Great song.

Great observations at the end. Thanks Doug

This is part of the soundtrack of my youth. There was so much iconic music released in that era. Bohemian Rhapsody is one of those magical pieces of music that doesn't sound dated at all.

One of your most descriptive breakdowns of how a iconic song was constructed which is why it will last for ever.

I was 11, went on my first Boy Scout camping trip in 1975. Bohemian Rhapsody came on the radio, 2 brother (twins) jumped up on picnic tables and sang alternating parts. I was hooked!

A great review, Professor. I, especially, like how you've edited in a different frame for when you play the piano. It's a great way to break up the static nature of the reaction video structure. A great review! Best! J

Simply STILL the biggest band on the planet

Greetings from Nebraska Queen in bohemian rhapsody just shows how amazingly diverse their musical talent is. Their range is awesome. The song is like an experiment no chorus and was written as almost like a Mashup showing that range. Creatively amazing.

Like Doug, I was a 90s kid and learned of this song watching Wayne's World. When my Mom heard about it, to my surprise she went to the closet and pulled out her 45rpm single of it. My friends and I would rock out to the head banging part over and over on my Dad's stereo. Great memories!

Who wants to live forever is my personal favorite Queen song. Really shows how amazing Freddy Mercury was

This music has resonance for me particularly as I moved from prosaic Coventry to out-there London in 1975 and this was the soundtrack to a lot of new experiences. This was the music of all possibilities and fun too. Thank you Kenny Everett! (John Peel too.)

You looked really happy in this video

Thank you for your analysis. The only thing missing, which I had heard or read elsewhere, was the meaning of rhapsody and how it relates to the structure of the song.

Have a listen to the title track from their album 'Innuendo'. Another excellent piece of music that not nearly enough people know about. In fact, that entire album is magnificent. The final studio album before Freddies passing. "Bijou" is my favorite from that album.

I distinctly remember hearing (and seeing) this song for the first time, in 1975. There was a feast on the high school and on my bicycle I rode to a beautiful classmate to take her to the feast. I was invited inside, being shy, and on the television was TopPoP, a weekly pop music show. And then they showed the Bohemian Rhapsody video. The whole family there and me was flabbergasted, wondering what happened there. No romance that evening, alas, but nevertheless unforgettable.

How on earth did we, as a civilization, go from THIS to the radio music of today?? 😳

You should check out a spontaneous outburst of this song at a greenday concert by an audience of 40,000 plus, it impressed the band they video taped it. It was played before the band came onstage it's amazing really impressive.

The start is all Fred, if you listen he's doing all the singing..awesome.

Great reaction sir

The Wayne's World car ride is one of my favorite scenes from any movie.

That's the high lights of the movie..How Queen made the song Bohemian rhapsody

Hi Doug, Really enjoyed this episode! It's quite ok that you just wanted to enjoy the song, rather than overly explain it. As a suggestion for a future video, how about 'Gates of Babylon' by Rainbow? Cheers!

There are certain songs that somehow connects to the human condition and this is one of them. There is no way to explain it. Freddies passion, Mays guitar, Taylors drums and Decans bass with the vocals come together and create a magical moment in time. Its like a baseball player going 5 for 5 with 3 homeruns and 8 rbi's. Or a pitcher throwing a perfect game. How do you explain, analyze and then bottle that? You cant. Its amazing to me how these artists conceive and execute their ideas. Where does it come from? Even they cant explain it. This song will be listened to 500 years from now.

Really enjoyed your critique of the song.

Amazon has a t-shirt with the outline of a man waving his hands above he head, and a moose facing the man. The text reads "I see the silhouetto of a man, scare a moose, scare a moose." But does he somehow scare the squirrel?

Great video, Doug!

The greatest song ever written. IMO

the most import message in the song is:- Beelzebub has a devil for a sideboard for me - for me as true today as it was then

What's funny is that I grew up in the 70s listening to Queen, and was attending college in the 1990s when one of my young classmates came in one day gushing about this "new" song he'd heard in Wayne's World. I couldn't stop laughing as I told him it came out almost 2 decades earlier.

It’s funny how, at the time, I was 15 and still art school. Not a big music consumer. When Bohemian Rhapsody went up the charts I heard it, and didn’t know what was going on. It wasn’t immediately easy to listen to, with all its stops and starts, and differing movements, A Capella vocals and hard rock guitar. It was completely unlike anything else that had come before it. Chart songs were just the usual verse, chorus, verse, chorus at the time, and this song blew up the traditional notion of chartable records. I’m not a massive Queen fan. I like and appreciate them well enough, but it’s sure hard to imagine the music landscape without this monumental and historic song in it now.

Thanks, Doug, for that interesting discussion. I think most Americans only became aware of this song in 1992 in that movie. Here in the UK this song was at No 1 for nine weeks. And for me, great thought the track is, it's perhaps been played a few too many times over the years - so much so that it actually is `not my favourite Queen number. "My Fairy King" gets my vote!

I'm also part of the Wayne's World crew XD I wasn't in high school yet, and my parents never had any Queen cassettes in the collection (we also didn't have MuchMusic or MTV. That shit cost money). I think it was the first time I can remember being completely enamored by a song. And then in I believe 1998, one of the greatest and most iconic AMVs ever made... Animeshon Productions coupled a live performance of Bohemian Rhapsody with Neon Gensis Evangeilon.

when you said about this video clip bein parodied what came to my mind was the parody with the Muppets... xD

You need to check out the Bohemian Rhapsody cover by the Muppets - easily the best of all cover versions.

The live version at Montreal is awesome too!

From what I heard (a few years after the song first came out) was that Queen never performed this live all the way through - because it was so complex they couldn't and there were parts that were pre-recorded. I have heard that others have found a way to play a cover version live but by 'making a few changes' but nothing could ever match the original!

Bought A Day at the Races and A Night at the Opera at Tower Records on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood when they were released.

Gotta end in F. F is for Freddie.

Wasn't this also the first proper music video? They were on tour when it was released in the UK and couldn't appear on live TV to promote it.

I was 13 walking to school when my friend said to me 'Have you heard Queen's new single, it's brilliant'. I bought the single, wore it out and bought another and then wore the album out too. Happy days.

The wild thing that struck me about the opening is that the lighting makes Freddie's face look almost skeletal. He looks like a singing skull, which fits since he's singing about death.

The only thing I could think of is mentioning how Freddie adds a "delay" to the last 2 notes in the passing/bridge (have no idea if that's the correct term) between the 1st 2 verses. Like he hits the note 1/32 later...

If I have to label this masterpiece, I think the most remarkable thing is that it is the "most creative" song of all time. Who in 1975 could combine opera with hard-rock? At the same time as being totally disruptive. There was nothing like it. Only Queen.

Epic of epics☺️

Forgot about the Highlander soundtrack. Need to listen to that again.

As someone else has said you should watch Rick Beato’s What Makes This Song Great breaking down this song it is amazing there’s things in there that you don’t hear when you’re listening to it ❤

Doug if you would like to get inside info from Brian May how the song was constructed. Please see fantastic interview by Rick Beato. I found this really interesting.

The lyrics embody the main character of the Stranger by Camus, I've come to believe.

I NEVER lock myself into the concept of 'It shouldn't work' strictly. Music is so flexible in that there is the idea of mixing genres. There is no rule as far as I am concerned so I often love pusing boundaries, but only to a point. In many cases I am traditional but have never had a problem with adding something not related to the previous part.

Doug convinced Beelzebub that he had a devil put aside for me.

The original video including the stage part which I believe was done in a studio

Doug, if you're going to take a foray into Queen, I recommend a double shot. "Who Wants to Live Forever" is great, but I honestly think the cover by Dune (with vocals by Verena von Strenge) elevated it to another level. ....and...you were a HS freshman in '92?!?! A year AFTER I graduated?!?! OUCH......

Shout out to my fellow KU grad!

Great reaction

You're doing Queen? Now I'm Here .. (bit of a joke there...)

Masterpiece.

This song is one of the best song ever...

headbanging just great

Doug, I'd love for you to do a dive into the masterpiece that you have the lyrics for on your wall.... Lucky Man by Emerson, Lake, & Palmer

I'd love to hear your thoughts, Doug, on why this obvious classic only reached number 9 on its original release in the USA (conversely, it was number 1 in the UK for 9 weeks on initial release)

😎🎹🎤😎🎸. 😎🥁. 😎🎸

Doug, You Might like to check out the Angelina Jordan Cover of Bohemian Rhapsody. She performed it for her Audition at AGT:the Champions, in 2020 and Nailed it with her own arrangement (short in time because of talent show time limits!). Her Performance earned a "Golden Buzzer", but More Importantly, on Queen's Official Twitter Page They uploaded her version with the comment "WOW! What a Rendition!"... They ALSO Gifted to Angelina Performance Rights to Her Version of this Song. Even If You Don't react to her, You Owe it to yourself to Hear her Amazing and incredibly versatile Voice!

There's a documentary about Freddie Mercury that you can watch. I'm sure you can find it. It answers a lot of the questions you were asking.

Nice!

Faith no more - land of sunshine

Hi Doug! I'm portuguese and you should listen to the portuguese guitar, unique in the world and used in Fado wich is World Heritage and it's only sang in Portugal. Carlos Paredes was the father and the best guitar player of his generation. Please do a reaction to the song Frustração by Carlos Paredes.

So when are you reacting to the the italian group Rhapsody? Like its about time...

Party On Garth Party on Wayne

Speaking about opera, I'd love for you to present and analyse some real opera fragments some time... I know perhaps is not the intended target of the channel and perhaps such videos wouldn't attract many views, but even then, I think IMO it would be interesting to watch an analisys of more "serious" music in the channel. Speaking as a Verdi fan here :P

How about the first side of Queen II? Not as complex as side 2, but I prefer it.

Doug, great video, as always. I wanted to ask you a question that you probably have been asked a thousand times but I'm too drunk😉, sorry, busy at the moment to research. Is it at all possible for you to listen to new music and hear it without processing it in terms of musical theory? I would guess the answer is no but, so, do you ever experience music (new or known) purely emotionally or has your education and continued involvement in musical theory and practice made you incapable of experiencing music purely emotionally? I'm not trolling here. I am asking a genuine question to all listening. Does knowledge of the "rules" of music theory lower the emotional response to the music?

As a keyboardist I sometimes too just want to hear the song and the magic it provides rather than dissecting it although the yearn to learn is always there.

can you please do a reaction to the band Rhapsody on Fire with their song, the dark tower of abyss? They're like the Camelot metal in the metal world. thanks doug!

number 1 in the uk for 9 weeks re released after Freddie mercurys death returning to number 1 for 5 weeks

Doug, please react to Adulruna Rediviva by Therion, is like their own version of Opera Metal, I don't know for sure but I hope it Will like You. Greetings from Colombia!

U should really listen to this the melody is insane Orphaned Land - The Storm Still Rages Inside

great work as always! you should do a reaction to Black Rose by Thin Lizzy.

It goes back and forth between parody and dead serious.

Even the terrific guitar solo (one of the best of all time) Brian said it was created by Freddie