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Will any other band get as lucky as QUEEN?
Let's face it, for some reason, the rock band Queen has always received "special treatment" from radio stations. I don't know what it was, but I'll give two major examples:
1) In 1978, they released the single We Are The Champions, and the B-side was We Will Rock You, and it was a smash hit at #4. Yet radio stations took this a step further - to Queen's benefit - and played the B-side first, followed by the A-side. Always. Always. That meant that Queen got two back-to-back songs played at every rotation, while all other bands just got one song played. 2) In 1992, Bohemian Rhapsody hit #2 on the chart. It was a 16-year song by then, and had originally charted at #9 in 1976. Thanks to Wayne's World, the song (and the band) received a second life. Now how many songs can you recall re-charting and doing better than the first time, and not being re-recorded or updated? Right, I didn't recall any either. With this said, will any other classic rockers ever achieve this kind of "special treatment?" |
1. Both songs are extremely short, and combined are the length of an average song.
2. Wayne's World was huge. That scene went down in history. And the song was new to audiences going to see it. It is a brilliant song that didn't get a whole lot of airplay before that. At the time, hair metal was dying and grunge was taking over, so it was a nice refreshing change from those to genres. |
Re: Will any other band get as lucky as QUEEN?
Originally posted by Buttmunker Now how many songs can you recall re-charting and doing better than the first time, and not being re-recorded or updated? |
Re: Re: Will any other band get as lucky as QUEEN?
Originally posted by Groucho "Twist and Shout" by The Beatles. |
And to avoid other misconceptions:
Stand By Me #4 in 1961 #9 in 1986 Unchained Melody #4 in 1966 #12 in 1990 |
Re: Will any other band get as lucky as QUEEN?
Originally posted by Buttmunker Let's face it, for some reason, the rock band Queen has always received "special treatment" from radio stations. I don't know what it was, but I'll give two major examples: ... 2) In 1992, Bohemian Rhapsody hit #2 on the chart. It was a 16-year song by then, and had originally charted at #9 in 1976. Thanks to Wayne's World, the song (and the band) received a second life. Now how many songs can you recall re-charting and doing better than the first time, and not being re-recorded or updated? Right, I didn't recall any either. ... |
hey all radio stations play "heartbreaker" and "livin lovin maid" back to back all the time.
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You could argue that any band who hits it big and gets a lot of airplay is lucky.
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It has nothing to do with luck to be recognized for making good music. And frankly, the use of the term "special treatment" is a little offensive to fans of this band, or any other band for that matter, who makes, or has made in the past, music that influences others for years to come. The only "bands" I see nowadays receiving "special treatment" are these no-talent, corporate-concocted, pretty-boy/girl pieces of crap who come and go from both airplay and our memory within the span of approximately six months...then all they're remembered for is being one-hit-wonders.
Queen's music is still loved, bought and played after 30 years. So are The Beatles, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, Hendrix, and dozens of other artists from the 60's and 70's, on hundreds of classic rocks stations across America and probably the world. Where's the "special treatment"? |
"Dream On" by Aerosmith was turned into a hit years after being released.
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I have never heard another band get the same treatment as Queen did with We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions. Okay, once in awhile you'll have Two-For-Tuesday marathons, but that isn't the same! The Doors, for example. On their album "Morrison Hotel," they have Peace Frog that blends into Blue Sunday, but you never hear Blue Sunday on the radio. Because it wasn't a hit? Well, We Will Rock You was a B-side, and it wasn't intended to be a single at all, and wasn't intended for radio airplay. But some DJ decided to play it this way, and it caught on with another radio station, then another, then another, until it finally became the staple.
If, on any radio staion in America, you hear We Will Rock You on the radio, you know to expect We Are The Champions. It's a certainty in life, the one certainty in life you can count on til the day you die! This gives Queen about, what? 6 minutes worth of airplay each time, as opposed to just 3 for every artist (depending on the length of the song, of course, but I'm just judging this based on the 3-minute single). I would call that "special," wouldn't you? |
Now how many songs can you recall re-charting and doing better than the first time, and not being re-recorded or updated? Right, I didn't recall any either. "Old Time Rock n' Roll" by Bob Seger did much better on the charts 5 years later thanks to it being played in a memorable scene in Risky Business. |
Originally posted by Coral This happens quite often. "Old Time Rock n' Roll" by Bob Seger did much better on the charts 5 years later thanks to it being played in a memorable scene in Risky Business. Old Time Rock And Roll made its peak in 1978, and did not re-chart any higher than its original position (I think its original position in '78 was #22, but I could be wrong on that count). |
I don't think I understand the big deal here. How about the Cars "Moving in Stereo" into "All Mixed Up"? Not singles (that I'm aware of), but I hear them played together when they are played.
Anyway, ... so Queen had a weird success story with those two songs 25 years ago... big whoop. |
Originally posted by Buttmunker Well, We Will Rock You was a B-side, and it wasn't intended to be a single at all, and wasn't intended for radio airplay. But some DJ decided to play it this way, and it caught on with another radio station, then another, then another, until it finally became the staple. If, on any radio staion in America, you hear We Will Rock You on the radio, you know to expect We Are The Champions. It's a certainty in life, the one certainty in life you can count on til the day you die! This gives Queen about, what? 6 minutes worth of airplay each time, as opposed to just 3 for every artist (depending on the length of the song, of course, but I'm just judging this based on the 3-minute single). I would call that "special," wouldn't you? |
I give up. Moderator! You can close this thread. Lost cause.
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Yeah, I would say that trying to convince everyone to join your vendetta against a 30-some-year-old band and a 20-some-year-old pair of songs is definitely a lost cause.
So Queen has two songs that are forever associated with one another, and that will most likely always be played back to back... SO WHAT?!? Sounds like Queen has caused you some kind of personal injury for having been over-exposed to their music against your will. Might want to contact an attorney. Have a great day. :) |
Originally posted by The_Infidel Yeah, I would say that trying to convince everyone to join your vendetta against a 30-some-year-old band and a 20-some-year-old pair of songs is definitely a lost cause. Sounds like Queen has caused you some kind of personal injury for having been over-exposed to their music against your will. Might want to contact an attorney. Have a great day. :) |
"Special treatment", and now "narrow-minded". Now you've got two things to explain. Please help us understand how I've been narrow-minded by trying to figure out what your problem is with this band.
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Originally posted by The_Infidel It has nothing to do with luck to be recognized for making good music. And frankly, the use of the term "special treatment" is a little offensive to fans of this band, or any other band for that matter, who makes, or has made in the past, music that influences others for years to come. The only "bands" I see nowadays receiving "special treatment" are these no-talent, corporate-concocted, pretty-boy/girl pieces of crap who come and go from both airplay and our memory within the span of approximately six months...then all they're remembered for is being one-hit-wonders. Queen's music is still loved, bought and played after 30 years. So are The Beatles, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, Hendrix, and dozens of other artists from the 60's and 70's, on hundreds of classic rocks stations across America and probably the world. Where's the "special treatment"? Bravo, The_Infidel :beer: |
Originally posted by Buttmunker I have neverWell, We Will Rock You was a B-side, and it wasn't intended to be a single at all, and wasn't intended for radio airplay. But some DJ decided to play it this way, and it caught on with another radio station, then another, then another, until it finally became the staple. This gives Queen about, what? 6 minutes worth of airplay each time, as opposed to just 3 for every artist (depending on the length of the song, of course, but I'm just judging this based on the 3-minute single). I would call that "special," wouldn't you? Oh...lest it be called into question...I am a Queen fan. I've liked them ever since "Ice, Ice Baby". |
Originally posted by Rogue588 Post of the WEEKEND. Bravo, The_Infidel :beer: Here's mud in your Seven Seas of Rhye. |
It wasn't really luck. The songs just go together; some DJ somewhere played them together and it caught on to the point you can't imagine one without the other. No special treatment was necessary ("special treatment" makes it sound like some pro-Queen conspiracy, which I'm sure did not exist). Rypro gave another example of this with his Zeppelin example. There may be more (for example, I think neither is a single, but Funeral For a Friend is often played b/b with Candle in the Wind) , I'm sure there will be more .
BTW, not really what you asked, but lots of songs have had successful B-sides, sometimes more successful than the A side. Cecil gave me a few examples. The Straight Dope" A few musical geniuses were incapable of writing a second-rate song, and both sides of their singles became hits. For example, the Beatles made the top ten with both sides of "I Want to Hold Your Hand"/"I Saw Her Standing There," "We Can Work It Out"/"Day Tripper," and "Penny Lane"/"Strawberry Fields Forever." Likewise, Aretha Franklin had top-ten hits with both sides of "The House That Jack Built"/"I Say a Little Prayer," the Coasters did the same with "Young Blood"/"Searchin'," and the Everly Brothers managed it with "Bird Dog"/"Devoted to You." The champ, however, is Elvis Presley, who had the only single in the history of rock 'n' roll with two number-one sides--"Don't Be Cruel" and (time's up!) "Hound Dog." So it's probably best we refer to these not as A and B sides, but rather A and A prime. Even more interesting are single releases for which the A side sank like a stone while the B side went to the top of the charts. One classic example is "Surfer Joe" b/w "Wipe Out" by the Surfaris. "Wipe Out" was a throwaway song recorded in two takes, but the opening "witch laugh" by Surfaris manager/producer Dale Smallin made the tune unforgettable. "Surfer Joe" peaked at number 62, while "Wipe Out" rose to number 2. Bob Shannon and John Javna's book Behind the Hits tells a slightly different tale about "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" by Steam. Gary DeCarlo, then working as a solo artist, recorded four songs for Mercury, all of which were deemed potential A sides. But some B sides were needed too, so DeCarlo went back to the studio. He and buddies Dale Frashuer and Paul Leka decided to rework a tune they'd written years earlier called "Kiss Him Goodbye." Figuring it needed a chorus, Leka began noodling at the piano, singing na na na na, na na na na in the time-honored manner of all songsmiths waiting for lyrical inspiration to strike. But no better words were forthcoming, and the trio turned the song over to the record company with the na na's intact. To their amazement, Mercury decided to release the tune as an A side on its Fontana label. DeCarlo and friends considered the song an embarrassment and didn't want their names associated with it, so the nonexistent group Steam was invented to take the blame. DeCarlo's four original A sides, including the flip side of "Na Na," "It's the Magic in You Girl," went nowhere. But "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" reached number one, sold more than a million copies, and years later became the unofficial theme song of the Chicago White Sox, whose fans sing it whenever an opposing pitcher or team has been dispatched. |
Originally posted by Rogue588 [Oh...lest it be called into question...I am a Queen fan. I've liked them ever since "Ice, Ice Baby". |
Hey, wait a second. Ice Ice Baby contains a sample of a Queen song, which gained a second popularity because of Vanilla Ice! Queen once again received special treatment! It is a conspiracy!!!
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