We Will Rock You facts for kids
Quick facts for kids "We Will Rock You" |
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One of the French single picture sleeves
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| Single by Queen | ||||
| from the album News of the World | ||||
| A-side | "We Are the Champions" | |||
| Released | 7 October 1977 | |||
| Genre | Arena rock | |||
| Length | 2:02 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) | Brian May | |||
| Producer(s) |
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| Queen singles chronology | ||||
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"We Will Rock You" is a super famous song by the British rock band Queen. Brian May, the band's guitarist, wrote it for their 1977 album News of the World. This song is known all over the world for its catchy beat and powerful chorus.
Rolling Stone magazine once listed it as one of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time." It was also added to the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2009, which is a big honor!
What makes "We Will Rock You" so special is its unique sound. For most of the song, you only hear stomping and clapping as the rhythm. It's almost like an a cappella song, meaning it's mostly voices and body sounds, with no instruments until the very end. The last 30 seconds feature an amazing guitar solo by Brian May.
In 1977, "We Will Rock You" was released with another famous Queen song, "We Are the Champions," as a single. Many radio stations would play both songs right after each other because they fit so well together.
Since it came out, "We Will Rock You" has been used everywhere! You can hear it in movies, TV shows, and commercials. It's also become a huge hit at sports events around the world. Its simple rhythm makes it perfect for crowds to stomp and clap along.
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How the Song Was Made
The idea for "We Will Rock You" came after a special moment at a Queen concert. The band was playing in Stafford, England, during their "A Day at the Races Tour."
After their show, the audience started singing a song called "You'll Never Walk Alone" to the band. Brian May said this was a very emotional experience. It made Queen want to create a song that fans could sing and participate in, just like a stadium chant.
The Famous Beat
The version of "We Will Rock You" on the News of the World album starts with its famous "stomp-stomp-clap-pause" beat. This beat makes the song feel like a powerful anthem.
To create the sound of many people stomping and clapping, the band used a clever trick. They recorded themselves stomping and clapping many times. Then, they layered these sounds on top of each other. They also added special effects to make it sound like a huge crowd was participating.
Playing It Live
When Queen performed "We Will Rock You" live, they usually played it right before "We Are the Champions." These two songs were designed to go together. They are often played as a pair at sports events and on the radio.
Queen even played these two songs as the last part of their famous performance at Live Aid in 1985.
There was also a "fast version" of "We Will Rock You." This version had a quicker beat and used all the band's instruments. Queen often used this faster version to open their concerts in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Making the Music Video
The music video for "We Will Rock You" was filmed in 1977. It was shot in the backyard of Roger Taylor's (Queen's drummer) new house in England.
In the video, you can see the band members pretending to sing and stomping their feet on the frozen ground. They even wore gloves while clapping! Roger Taylor said it was "absolutely freezing cold" when they filmed it. They only needed three takes to get the video just right!
Who Played What?
Here are the band members who helped create this amazing song:
- Freddie Mercury – He sang the main parts and the background vocals. He also did hand claps and foot stomping.
- Brian May – He played the electric guitar and sang background vocals. He also did hand claps and foot stomping.
- Roger Taylor – He sang background vocals and did hand claps and foot stomping.
- John Deacon – He did hand claps and foot stomping.
Images for kids
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In Spanish: We Will Rock You para niños
