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We Will Rock You

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This article is about the Queen song. For the song by Helix, see Rock You. For the musical play, see We Will Rock You (musical). For the concert video, see We Will Rock You (video).

"We Will Rock You"
Song
A-side"We Are the Champions"
"We Will Rock You"
Song
B-side"Megamix
Keep On Movin' (The Five-A-Side Mix)"

"We Will Rock You" is a song written by Brian May and recorded and performed by Queen for their 1977 album News of the World.[1] Rolling Stone ranked it number 330 of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2004,[2] and the RIAA placed it at number 146 on its list of Songs of the Century. In 2009, "We Will Rock You" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[3][4]

Other than the last 30 seconds containing a guitar solo by May, the song is generally set in a cappella form, using only stomping and clapping as a rhythmic beat. In 1977, "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions" were issued together as a worldwide top ten single.[5] Soon after the album was released, many radio stations began playing the songs back to back without interruption.[6]

Since its release, "We Will Rock You" has been covered, remixed, sampled, parodied, referenced and used by multiple recording artists, TV shows, films and other media worldwide.[7][8]

History

This song and its well-known partner "We Are the Champions" were written in response to an event occurring in the 1977 British Tour.[9] The band had played a gig at Stafford's Bingley Hall, and, says Brian May:[10]

'We did an encore and then went off, and instead of just keeping clapping, they sang "You'll Never Walk Alone" to us, and we were just completely knocked out and taken aback – it was quite an emotional experience really, and I think these chant things are in some way connected with that.'

One version was used as the opening track on their 1977 album News of the World. This version consists of a stomp-stomp-clap-pause beat, and a power chorus, being somewhat of an anthem. The stamping effects were created by the band overdubbing the sounds of themselves stomping and clapping many times and adding delay effects to create a sound like many people were participating. The durations of the delays were in the ratios of prime numbers, a technique now known as non-harmonic reverberation.[11] A tape loop is used to repeat the last phrase of the guitar solo three times as opposed to Brian May playing it three separate times on the recording.[12]

When performed live, this version is usually followed by "We Are the Champions", another of the album's hits, as they were designed to run together.[5] The songs are often paired on the radio and at sporting events, where they are frequently played.[5] They were the last two songs Queen performed at Live Aid in 1985.[13] The songs are also paired back to back on the album, and they are still played together to this day on American classic rock radio stations.

Queen also performed "We Will Rock You" in another arrangement (known as the "fast version"), which featured a faster tempo and a full guitar, bass and drums backing track throughout. The band would often open their live sets in the late 1970s and early 1980s with this version, as captured on their 1979 Live Killers double album, on Queen Rock Montreal (2007), and on the Queen on Fire - Live at the Bowl album released in 2004.

The "fast version" is available in a studio performance. In 1977, it was recorded for John Peel's show on BBC Radio 1. This version is on the 1992 Italian bootleg CD "Queen – We Will Rock You" (On Stage CD 12018). It is part of a longer cut that starts out with the slow version. In 2002, the fast version was officially released on a promo single distributed by the tabloid The Sun. The "fast" BBC studio version can also be found on The Best of King Biscuit Live Volume 4 and online at Wolfgang's Vault. Between the two versions, there is a brief cut of a female voice discussing Brahmanism, used in a BBC Radio documentary. The "stomp, stomp, clap" sounds were later reused in the Queen + Paul Rodgers song "Still Burnin'".[14]

Five & Queen Version

"We Will Rock You" is the fifth and final single from British boyband Five's second studio album, Invincible. Released on 17 July 2000, the song features 2 members of Queen: Brian May on guitar and Roger Taylor on drums; however, they do not sing any vocals on the track. Freddie Mercury had died in November 1991, nearly a decade before this version's release and John Deacon also retired from public life in 1997 three years before it.

The song charted at number 1 on the UK Singles Chart, making it Five's second number-one single, and their ninth consecutive top-ten hit.[15]

Tracklisting

UK CD1
  1. "We Will Rock You" (Radio Edit) – 3:08
  2. "Keep on Movin'" (The Five-A-Side Mix) – 3:32
  3. "We Will Rock You" (Video) – 3:08
UK CD2
  1. "We Will Rock You" (Radio Edit) – 3:08
  2. "Invincible Megamix" (Including "We Will Rock You") – 4:19
  3. "Invincible Megamix" (Video) – 4:19
UK Cassette single
  1. "We Will Rock You" (Radio Edit) – 3:08
  2. "Keep on Movin'" (The Five-A-Side Mix) – 3:32
  3. "Invincible Megamix" (Including "We Will Rock You") – 4:19
European CD single
  1. "We Will Rock You" (Radio Edit) – 3:08
  2. "Invincible Megamix" (Without "We Will Rock You") – 3:43
  3. "We Will Rock You" (Video) – 3:08

Chart performance

Band (year) Country Peak
position 		Country Peak
position 		Country Peak
position 		Country Peak
position 		Country Peak
position 		Country Peak
position 		Country Peak
position
Five & Queen (2000) Australia 3 Austria[16] 2 Belgium[16] 17 Ireland[17] 6 New Zealand[16] 29 Switzerland[16] 18 The Netherlands[16] 15
Queen (2003) France[18] 10 Switzerland[18] 49
KCPK (2003) Austria[19] 16 Belgium[19] 10 France[19] 2 Switzerland[19] 16

Cover versions

1990s

2000s

Live cover performances

1990s

2000s

Remixes

Sampling

1990s

2000s

  • 2002: Detroit-based rapper Eminem sampled the "stomp-clap" on his album The Eminem Show for the song "Till I Collapse".
    • 2004: He also sampled it on his song "Puke" from Encore.
    • 2010: The song "Cinderella Man" from Recovery, features the "stomp-clap" beat.
  • 2005: Edson & Hudson sampled the "stomp-clap" on their hit "Galera Coração".
  • 2003: Kid Rock samples the song on "Hillbilly Stomp" from his self-titled album. The song uses banjos, dobros and slide guitar to make it sound unique.
  • 2006: American Industrial Metal band Revolting Cocks used the sampled "stomp-clap" for the song "Revolting Cock au Lait" and its shorter version "RevColution Medley", both of them from the album Cocked and Loaded.
  • 2007: Bon Jovi used the song as intro of their song "Summertime" in all the Lost Highway Tour.
  • 2009: Japanese Rock band Garnet Crow sampled the "stomp-clap" in their song "Doing All Right."

2010s

Parodies and references to the song

Appearances in other media

  • The song is featured in a pre-opening credit sketch at the beginning of a Cheers episode from 1990 called 'Severe Crane Damage'.[49]
  • The song is prominently (and anachronistically) featured in the film A Knight's Tale as a crowd chant.
  • The song is featured in the music video games Donkey Konga, Pro Evolution Soccer 2 and Lego Rock Band. For some reason, the stomp-stomp-clap part is listed as notes on Lego Rock Band, although that might be just so everyone can play, as the only parts otherwise would be Mercury's lyrics and Brian May's solo. It is also featured in the video game DJ Hero as part of a mashup with Daft Punk's "Robot Rock."
  • The song is featured in commercial promotions for the 2010 Disney XD Original Series Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil.
  • The song was used often as a crowd chant, on the UK TV show Gladiators.
  • Sol Badguy from the video game series Guilty Gear wears a headband that reads "Rock You", one of several Queen references in the series.
  • Diego Sanchez used this as his entrance song at UFC 95 and The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale.
  • In the Drake & Josh episode "The Storm", near the end of the episode, Helen tells all the girls to pat twice repeatedly. Then, she tells the men to clap when the girls pause. After the "stomp stomp clap" is derived, Helen starts singing the first verse of the song while Drake does the second verse and Craig & Eric do the third.
  • The beat of the song was used in an election ad by NDP candidate Jack Layton which attacked Stephen Harper for allowing alleged abuses by big business.
  • The song was used in the commercial of TEAM Unity for the 2007 Philippine Senatorial Elections.
  • Manny Pacquiao used this as his entrance song in the match against Oscar De La Hoya.
  • A family in a Wal-Mart commercial sing the song.
  • In Friends episode "The One Where Ross Moves In", Ross created a "customized" message for an answer machine that is basing on the song, the lyrics was changed to 'we will we will call you back'.
  • A cover version is featured in the video game Madden NFL 11.
  • The song is used in 2011 Super Bowl commercial for Kung Fu Panda 2. In the commercial, the footage of a battle is cut to the beat of the song such as each opening stomp accompanies a blow by the characters. Furthermore, the lyrics displayed on screen have the pun of "We will, we will, wok you," as Po wields a large wok on each hand against multiple assailants.
  • In the "Elementary School Musical" episode of South Park, during a school basketball game the audience sings the song.
  • Domino's Pizza used a modified version (changing the lyrics to "Gotta Be, Gotta Be Domino's") for a series of commercials between 1994 and 1996.
  • At WrestleMania XXVII, Chris Masters and Yoshi Tatsu performed a brief humorous version of the chorus with Masters' pectorial muscles moving up and down to the beat in a parody of American Idol.
  • The "stomp stomp clap" beat appeared in commercial of Regular Show on Cartoon Network.
  • In the Disney film The Mighty Ducks, the crowd at the Ducks game chants a variant which goes "We will quack you".
  • In the former Sentosa attraction, Magical Sentosa. A song from its soundtrack, It`s My World employs the "stomp-stomp-clap" beat replacing the stomp with a hyperbeat and clap with either a backbeat or a stomp at its chorus.
  • In a Taco Bell commercial, a group of men imitate the beat of the song by slamming their elbows on the table and taking a bite of their crunchy taco. They then go "We will, we will" to an annoyed female customer who replies "Stop doing that." The commercial ends with one guy telling the other that he has cheese on his face, with another calling him a "big disgrace".

References

  1. ^ News of the World – Queen Allmusic Retrieved 22 January 2011
  2. ^ "The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 16 June 2009.
  3. ^ Grammy Hall of Fame Award Grammy.org Retrieved 21 April 2011
  4. ^ Queen enter Grammy Hall of Fame BBC News Retrieved 21 April 2011
  5. ^ a b c We Are the Champions: Song Review All Music Retrieved 21 January 2011
  6. ^ "12-Inch Single Joins 2 Queen Hits" Billboard 17 December 1977: 72
  7. ^ "We Will Rock You" Still Most Popular Sporting Event Anthem Retrieved 11 July 2011
  8. ^ Greatest Rock Songs Retrieved 11 July 2011
  9. ^ Queen interview: Brian May on We Will Rock You Absolute Radio. Retrieved 18 December 2011
  10. ^ Interview with Tom Browne for BBC Radio One, broadcast Christmas Eve and Boxing Day 1977
  11. ^ May, Brian (22 September 2007). "STAMPING ON PIANO'S?". Bri's Soapbox. Retrieved 4 August 2010.
  12. ^ "Queen's Brian May Rocks Out To Physics, Photography". Fresh Air. NPR. 3 August 2010. Retrieved 6 August 2010.
  13. ^ Peter Stanford (24 September 2011). Queen: their finest moment at Live Aid. The Telegraph. Retrieved 15 May 2012
  14. ^ The Cosmos Rocks Queen Online. Retrieved 11 July 2011
  15. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums. London: Guinness World Records Limited
  16. ^ a b c d e Charts Five+Queen 2000
  17. ^ The Irish Charts
  18. ^ a b Charts Queen 2003. Retrieved 28 July 2011
  19. ^ a b c d Charts KCPK 2003.
  20. ^ We Will Rock You by Warrant. joMusic.net. Retrieved on 2011-08-19.
  21. ^ We Will Rock You – Viper. Youmix.co.uk (30 June 2010). Retrieved on 2011-08-19.
  22. ^ Linda Ronstadt Albums. Softshoe-slim.com. Retrieved on 2011-08-19.
  23. ^ DJ Hurricane – Don't Sleep CD Album. Cduniverse.com (3 April 2001). Retrieved on 2011-08-19.
  24. ^ WWRY Singles. Queencollector.com. Retrieved on 2011-08-19.
  25. ^ Dance Dance Revolution Extreme @ amazon.com
  26. ^ Britney Spears Beyonce Pink-We will rock you Yahoo! Retrieved 22 January 2011
  27. ^ Stan Walker's Official Site. Stanwalker.com.au. Retrieved on 2011-08-19.
  28. ^ Queen Concertography 1992–2011. Ultimatequeen.co.uk. Retrieved on 2011-08-19.
  29. ^ Video's van Rock & metal: Axl Rose (Freddie Mercury cover) -We Will Rock You(Live Wembley). Facebook. Retrieved on 2011-08-19.
  30. ^ U2 ZOO TV Tour – U2 on tour. U2gigs.com. Retrieved on 2011-08-19.
  31. ^ "Há 18 anos, Nirvana realizava show histórico em São Paulo". Folha de S. Paulo (in Portuguese). 16 January 2011.
  32. ^ Alanis Morissette Concert Setlist at Estadio Obras Sanitarias, Buenos Aires, Argentina on 26 October 1996 Setlist.fm. Retrieved 16 March 2012
  33. ^ We Will Rock You (Live) | Robbie Williams Song – Yahoo! Music. New.music.yahoo.com. Retrieved on 2011-08-19.
  34. ^ Celine Dion: Taking Chances World Tour: The Concert HMV. Retrieved 20 August 2011
  35. ^ Katy Perry Performs "We Will Rock You" to Intro Russell Brand MTV Retrieved 22 January 2011
  36. ^ Koda Kumi 10th Anniversary -FANTASIA- in Tokyo Dome. YesAsia.com. Retrieved 15 May 2012.
  37. ^ My Chemical Romance joined by Queen's Brian May at Reading Festival NME. Retrieved 27 August 2011
  38. ^ 'The Voice': Christina Aguilera, Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, Cee Lo Green Perform Queen Medley The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 16 March 2012
  39. ^ "Olympics Closing Ceremony: Jessie J Joins Queen For 'We Will Rock You' Performance". Capital FM. Retrieved 19 August 2012
  40. ^ Daft punk vs. Queen – Robot Rock vs. We Will Rock You – Video, Musik hören & Statistiken bei Last.fm. Lastfm.de. Retrieved on 2011-08-19.
  41. ^ Wisniewski, Dan. (14 March 2011) Queen’s "I Want It All/We Will Rock You" Mash-up featured on Sucker Punch Soundtrack | mxdwn.com News. Mxdwn.com. Retrieved on 2011-08-19.
  42. ^ Sucker Punch Soundtrack: Queen "I Want It All"/"We Will Rock You" Mash-Up ft. Armageddon Aka Geddy **mp3** « Raw Drive- The Vice President of Soul. Rawdrive.com (2 March 2011). Retrieved on 2011-08-19.
  43. ^ Sterdan, Darryl (22 August 2010). "Album Review: Teenage Dream". JAM! Music. Canadian Online Explorer. QMI Agency. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
  44. ^ http://defglam.com/2011/06/29/music-beyonce-dreaming-japan-bonus/
  45. ^ Rainbird, Ashley (18 April 2011). "Lady Gaga to collaborate with Queen guitarist Brian May". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
  46. ^ Jonathan Buckley (1999). "Rock: the rough guide". p.883. Rough Guides, 1999
  47. ^ Avenue Q responds to Muppets Bohemian Rhapsody | What's a Boy To Do. Chicagonow.com. Retrieved on 2011-08-19.
  48. ^ The Rock sings Queen's We Will Rock You on Raw Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 16 March 2012
  49. ^ Video on YouTube
Preceded by UK number one single (Five version)
23 July 2000 – 30 July 2000 (1-week) 		Succeeded by
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