What are Queen’s 5 Biggest U.S. Hits?

Queen possessed a knack for crossing over to the pop charts like few rock bands of its era. Perhaps that’s because they were a band that weren’t afraid to dive into any genre that happened to appeal to them, instead of being restricted to what was normally expected of a rock band.

It also helped that all four members of the group could write a hit, which gave them more grabs at the brass ring. Here are the five Queen songs that did the best on the U.S. charts.

5. “Body Language” (No. 11 in 1982)

We’re guessing this is the one song on this list that might surprise you a bit. “Body Language” might not have shown the same kind of staying power as some of the Queen evergreens that missed the cut. (For just one example, their David Bowie duet “Under Pressure,” now an absolute staple of classic rock playlists and stations, only hit No. 29.) Nonetheless, this track written by lead singer Freddie Mercury does show off their versatility, as it dips effortlessly into the soul-funk realm on the strength of Mercury’s synth bass and emotive vocals.

4. “Bohemian Rhapsody” (No. 9 in 1975)

This one seems a bit surprising as well, as most people would consider it Queen’s signature song, yet several of their songs did better than it in the U.S. While it did rule the roost in the band’s native UK, the single barely scratched its way into the Top 10 stateside. In any case, Queen is deserving of every bit of praise it gets for the song, not just for the ambition of it (especially at a time when it could easily have sunk their career if it flopped), but also for its whimsy, a quality that too few of the band’s peers dared to show. Give them credit also for the video clip that presaged MTV.

3. “We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions” (No. 4 in 1977)

It’s kind of humorous to think that a lot of rock critics at the time were all up in arms about this two-fer single, completely missing that it was meant to be somewhat tongue-in-cheek. You also have to give credit to Queen for understanding there were untapped niches that could lead to a song’s enduring popularity. In this case, “We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions” fit snugly at the intersection of music and sports. There are thrilling moments throughout this bombastic pair, including Brian May’s guitar-weaving through the opening part, and the triumphant chord changes of the latter section.

2. “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” (No. 1 in 1980)

The 1980 album The Game represented the peak of Queen’s commercial peak in the U.S., and it’s their best LP from top to bottom, with even non-singles like “Dragon Attack” and “Sail Away Sweet Sister” standing out. Freddie Mercury wrote this song in barely as much time as it takes to perform it. But sometimes those are the best, because it feels like any fussiness in the lyrics might have toppled the charm of this simple but undeniable pleasure of a track. Mercury was doing his Elvis bit here, but as was usually the case when he sang, “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” ended up sounding fantastically Freddie.

1. “Another One Bites the Dust” (No. 1 in 1980)

In a band full of outsized personalities, bassist John Deacon was the retiring type when compared to his Queen brethren. (Literally, the retiring type, as he pretty much walked away from the band after Freddie Mercury’s death.) That’s why it’s somewhat surprising that this, the band’s biggest U.S. hit, came from his songwriting pen, considering it’s all about combative, in-your-face attitude. Deacon’s bass line is one that just screams hit single before any other instrument comes into play, and then Mercury sells it to the hilt with his gritted-teeth bravado on the vocal.

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