On This Day in 1977, Queen Released Their Signature Song That Science Would Later Dub One of the Catchiest of All Time

A song description like the “catchiest of all time” is always going to have a bit of hyperbole behind it, but a 1977 signature song by Queen is one notable exception. From television and film to sporting events to anywhere humans are singing along together, the double A-side singles from Queen’s sixth album, News of the World, are still ubiquitous decades after their original release.

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In true collaborative fashion, vocalist Freddie Mercury and guitarist Brian May split the songwriting credits on the double A-side. Mercury wrote “We Are the Champions”, and May wrote “We Will Rock You”. The songs are often paired together, juxtaposing the melodic balladry of Mercury’s track with the rough-and-tumble, stomping beat of May’s. Both songs have found their way onto the charts in the decades that followed, performing well upon first release and enjoying Top 20 placements with reissues and pop culture resurgences.

To say the 1977 double-sided single by Queen is one of the catchiest of all time wouldn’t be an outlandish take. But a 2011 study out of Goldsmiths University in London and the University of York actually confirmed it, scientifically speaking.

Study Dubs This Signature Queen Song One of the Catchiest of All Time

Queen’s 1977 signature song, “We Are the Champions”, never technically made it to the very top of the charts. But in 2011, researchers confirmed what most of us already knew. Despite not reaching No. 1, the song is incredibly catchy and universally known, at least on a melodic level. University of York researcher Dr. Alisun Pawley observed nightclub attendees in Newcastle, collecting data from 1,100 occurrences of clubbers singing together to determine “five core elements that triggered people’s inclination to sing,” per the university.

Pawley found those elements to be “prominent use of a high chest voice, increased vocal effort, a male singer, a greater clarity of consonants, and little use of vocal embellishments.” Freddie Mercury’s vocals on “We Are the Champions” fit the bill, making it the most sing-along-able song of the study.

“Every musical hit is reliant on maths, science, engineering, and technology,” co-researcher Dr. Daniel Müllensiefen said. “From the physics and frequencies of sound that determine pitch and harmony to the hi-tech digital processors and synthesizers, which can add effects too, makes a song more catchy. We’ve discovered that there’s a science behind the sing-along and a special combination of neuroscience, maths, and cognitive psychology can produce the elusive elixir of the perfect sing-along.”

After a particularly responsive reception at a concert in Birmingham, Queen decided to start writing songs specifically to prompt audience participation. Both Mercury and May wrote “We Are the Champions” and “We Will Rock You”, respectively, with that in mind. And ever since October 7, 1977, the world has been proving them right each time they stomp, clap, and belt along to, “Weeeee are the champions, my frieeeends.”

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