• A. Led Zeppelin
  • B. Queen
  • C. Pink Floyd
  • D. The Rolling Stones

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This British band was known for their theatrical performances and their charismatic frontman with a unique voice. The singer died in 1991 from AIDS-related complications.

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The correct answer is B. Queen. “Bohemian Rhapsody” was released on October 31, 1975 as part of the album “A Night at the Opera” and became a worldwide hit. The song was written by singer Freddie Mercury and ran for a whopping 5 minutes and 55 seconds – extremely long for that time. Many radio stations initially refused to play it due to its length, but thanks to the enthusiasm of DJ Kenny Everett, it became a mega-hit anyway. The song reached number 1 in the British charts for six weeks and received another boost in 1992 after Freddie Mercury’s death and the release of the film “Wayne’s World,” in which it was prominently featured.

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“Bohemian Rhapsody” is one of the most remarkable compositions in rock history due to its unique structure. The song consists of several sections: an a cappella intro, a ballad section, an opera-like middle section with multi-layered harmonies, a hard rock passage, and a soft outro. The recordings took place in five different studios and lasted three weeks – extraordinarily long for that time.

Mercury never explained the exact meaning of the lyrics, which has led to endless speculation. Some believe it is autobiographical and deals with his struggle with his sexuality, while others see it as pure fantasy without deeper meaning.

The music video for “Bohemian Rhapsody” is considered one of the first true music videos and inspired the founding of MTV. The iconic images of the four band members – Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon – with their faces lit from different angles, were inspired by a photo from their album “Queen II.”

In 2018, a biographical film of the same name was released about the life of Freddie Mercury and the band Queen, starring Rami Malek in the lead role. The film won four Oscars, including Best Actor for Malek’s impressive portrayal of Mercury.

The song has more than 1.6 billion streams on Spotify and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2004. In 2021, it was declared the most streamed song from the 20th century. Brian May once revealed that more than 180 vocal overdubs were needed to create the opera section, causing the recording tape to become almost transparent from all the overdubbing.

“Bohemian Rhapsody” proves that rules in pop music are meant to be broken – no chorus, no standard structure, almost six minutes long, and yet one of the greatest hits of all time.