The Queen song Brian May called “the antithesis” of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
With ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, Queen successfully created a song transcending music, language barriers and generations. Not only is it the most famous track from their acclaimed back catalogue, but it single-handedly redefined pop music, breaking away from all the traditional blueprints and taking on a life they could never have anticipated.
To provide context to the success of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, the track has sold more than ten million copies in the United States alone. Furthermore, in the United Kingdom, the single remains the third best-selling song in history, shifting over 2.6 million units. It has also been streamed close to 2.4 billion times on Spotify, founded decades after ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ became an international hit.
Although Queen have a host of beloved songs in their arsenal, the fame of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody‘ is a cut above the rest. While no artist, Queen included, would be frustrated at one of their creations selling millions of copies, guitarist Brian May would have liked for the love to have been shared with some of their lesser-known songs.
‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ appeared on the band’s 1975 album, A Night At The Opera, which included ‘I’m In Love With My Car’ and ‘You’re My Best Friend’. While the entire record is cherished in the Queen community, May is particularly fond of ‘The Prophet Song’, which he believes is “the antithesis” to their most well-known track.
During a conversation with Vulture, May said: “There’s a million things I wish, in a sense, had gotten a lot of attention. I suppose ‘The Prophet’s Song’ prevails the most. It was the antithesis of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and on the same album. We always thought they were both major works, but ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ got picked up by radio, and it became the flagship song. Only a few people who are very into the depths of Queen through the years are really aware of what ‘The Prophet’s Song’ means.”
He continued: “I’m not going to say I’m unhappy because it’s okay. It really is. The people who are into that stuff are very into it. They understand it, and they get it. They would regard ‘The Prophet’s Song’ as much of an encyclopedia of Queen as ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ was on the other side. That isn’t anywhere near a billion streams. It just sits on an album there, and people who really want to get into Queen are aware of what that was and what it is.”
When in the studio, artists can rarely successfully predict what will become a hit, and on paper, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ was destined to become a rarity, beloved by their hardcore fanbase. Essentially, as Freddie Mercury once revealed, it’s three songs combined into one, which isn’t a typical formula for a pop song. ‘The Prophet Song’ is equally unconventional, but ultimately, there was only room for one to receive radio play and sell millions of copies. However, instead, it has to settle for cult classic status rather than a best-seller.
