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"Another One Bites the Dust" is a 1980 funk-rock song from the English rock band Queen, written by bassist John Deacon and was a worldwide crossover hit (hitting number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, hitting #2 on the R&B charts, and the Disco Top 100). In the band's native UK, the song peaked at #7. The song is Queen's best selling single and their biggest hit to date, with sales of over 7 million copies. The track is on the album The Game (1980). In 1998, it was remixed and re-released by Wyclef Jean, Pras Michel and featured Free's rap vocals.

History

The bass line was inspired by the song "Good Times" by the Disco group Chic. In an interview with New Musical Express, Chic co-founder Bernard Edwards stated, "...that Queen record came about because that Queen bass player... spent some time hanging out with us at our studio".

Recording sessions were produced by Reinhold Mack at Musicland Studios in Munich, and consisted of Deacon playing almost all the instruments: bass, piano, rhythm and lead guitars and handclap percussion. Roger Taylor added a drum loop under protest and Brian May did some noises with his guitar and an Eventide Harmoniser. There are no synthesizers used in the song: all effects are created with pianos, guitars, and drums, with subsequent tape playback performed in reverse at various speeds. Finally, some sound effects were run through the Harmoniser for further processing. The effect of the Harmoniser can be heard clearly in the "swirling" nature of the sound immediately before the first lyric. Taylor did not like the song, but Freddie Mercury strongly believed in it and added some ideas. During the mix the road crew suggested it as a single but the band didn't like the idea until Michael Jackson recommended it after a concert (this was confirmed by Roger Taylor and Brian May on the U.S. radio show In the Studio with Redbeard that spotlighted the album The Game on one episode).

The song garnered Queen its only Grammy nomination, for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. The band lost to Bob Seger's album Against the Wind.

The music video was filmed at Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas.

Alleged backmasking

A common urban legend surrounding the chorus is that, when played in reverse, it contains the messages "it's fun to smoke marijuana" and "start to smoke marijuana". The song can be heard in reverse here.it dosen't really say that. it's just the way it sounds backwards

Cover versions

In 1998, Wyclef Jean along with Pras Michel, Canibus, and Free and remixed the song using a new instrumental track and samples from the actual song for the 1998 movie Small Soldiers. This version also appeared on Queen's compilation Greatest Hits III released in 1999. It was remixed again in 2006 by The Miami Project.It was a cover version again in 2007 by Lily Allen and Wyclef Jean reaching No 1 in the British charts,only the second time a Queen song covered by another artist after McFly has topped the charts.

Charts

See also

• List of best-selling singles in the United States

References

1. http://www.superseventies.com/sw_goodtimes.html
2. RIAA. Gold & Platinum.

• 1980 singles
• Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles
• Queen (band) songs