It was officially revealed this week that Bohemian Rhapsody is the most-streamed song recorded and released in the 20th century.
The Queen epic was released more than four decades ago in 1975, on their breakthrough fourth album, A Night at the Opera.
UMG (Universal Music Group) made the announcement on Monday, adding that the song accumulated more than 1.6 billion plays across all streaming platforms. Because of that, it also became the world’s most-streamed classic rock song of all time.
READ MORE: ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ cast members reveal how they transformed into Queen
Bohemian Rhapsody was the first Queen song to ever hit the U.S. Top 10. It also spent nine weeks on top of the U.K. charts, two as the No. 1 Christmas single.
The song has since returned to the mainstream, first in 1992, thanks to the iconic headbanging scene in the cult-classic, Wayne’s World and once again this year, after the release of the Queen biopic which respectively pays tribute by sharing the same name.
Bryan Singer‘s Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) became the highest grossing music biopic in history after only five weeks.
The remarkable feat was recognized firstly by the chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group, Lucian Grainge.
“Bohemian Rhapsody is one the greatest songs by one of the greatest bands in history,” he said. “We are thrilled to see it still inspiring new fans around the world more than four decades after its release.”
“[This] incredible achievement is a testament to the enduring brilliance of Queen,” Grainge added.
READ MORE: ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ review: Queen movie has high notes and low notes
Between YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music and various other platforms, Bohemian Rhapsody’s numbers surpassed the previous record holder.
Nirvana now sits as No. 2 with their 1991 grunge anthem, Smells Like Teen Spirit. Its numbers currently sit at 1.5 billion.
This was bound to please Queen fans across the globe. Here’s how some of the diehards paid tribute to the legendary karaoke anthem:
Bohemian Rhapsody was the most searched song and movie on Google in 2018.
Guns n’ Roses‘ Sweet Child O’ Mine and November Rain take position No. 3 and 4, while A-ha’s Take on Me rounds out the Top 5 list.
As of this writing, Queen has sold more than 300 million records worldwide.
READ MORE: Queen announces North American ‘Rhapsody’ tour with Adam Lambert
Queen announced its return to the stage next year with the Rhapsody tour.
Guitarist Brian May, drummer Roger Taylor and singer Adam Lambert will reunite once more in North America to deliver their “most ambitious” show yet.
There will be two Canadian shows in Vancouver and Toronto. Tickets are now on sale and available through the official Queen website.
The Rhapsody Tour Canada 2019
July 10 — Vancouver, B.C. @Rogers Arena
July 28 — Toronto, Ont. @Scotiabank Arena
adam.wallis@globalnews.ca