Classic Queen

Classic Queen
Greatest hits album by Queen
Released 3 March 1992
Recorded 1972–1990
Genre Rock
Length 75:10
Label Hollywood
Producer Roy Thomas Baker, David Bowie, David Richards, Mack and Queen
Queen chronology
Greatest Hits II
(1991)Greatest Hits II1991
Classic Queen
(1992)
Box of Tricks
(1992)Box of Tricks1992
Singles from Classic Queen
  1. "Bohemian Rhapsody / The Show Must Go On"
    Released: 6 February 1992 (USA)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic link
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[1]

Classic Queen is a 1992 compilation of songs by the British rock band Queen. It was issued to capitalise on the renewed popularity of Queen which was generated in the United States following the release of the movie Wayne's World.[2] The album reached number four on the US Billboard 200, and is certified three times platinum in the US, and five times platinum in Canada.[3][4]

Although critically acclaimed as an excellent compilation, it did not fit in with the previous Queen compilations. It overlapped both the 1981 Greatest Hits and the 1991 Greatest Hits II, and contained a few tracks not found in either of the previous releases; to remedy this situation, Hollywood Records re-released Greatest Hits in the US only, containing two different tracks from the 1981 release but designed specifically to complement Classic Queen.

Accumulated sales (Greatest Hits II and Classic Queen for the US and Canada combined) are in excess of 23 million worldwide. There is also a video cassette released, but long out of print.[5]

Around the same time in 1992, Hollywood Records re-released Greatest Hits in an effort to make it a companion collection with Classic Queen. The two compilations even have near-identical covers, with Greatest Hits having a red background, while Classic Queen has royal blue. Being that the two were seen as counterparts, many of Queen's biggest hits were left off of Classic Queen, such as "Another One Bites the Dust", "We Will Rock You", "We Are the Champions", "Somebody to Love" and "Don't Stop Me Now", since they appear on Greatest Hits.

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."A Kind of Magic" (from A Kind of Magic, 1986)Roger Taylor4:23
2."Bohemian Rhapsody" (from A Night at the Opera, 1975)Freddie Mercury5:59
3."Under Pressure" (unique mix, originally from Hot Space, 1982)David Bowie, Queen4:03
4."Hammer to Fall" (single version of track from The Works, 1984)Brian May3:40
5."Stone Cold Crazy" (from Sheer Heart Attack, 1974)Queen2:15
6."One Year of Love" (from A Kind of Magic, 1986)John Deacon4:28
7."Radio Ga Ga" (from The Works, 1984)Taylor5:48
8."I'm Going Slightly Mad" (from Innuendo, 1991)Queen (Mercury), Peter Straker (uncredited)4:21
9."I Want It All" (single version of track from The Miracle, 1989)Queen (May)4:01
10."Tie Your Mother Down" (from A Day at the Races, 1976)May3:45
11."The Miracle" (unique edit, from The Miracle, 1989)Queen (Mercury, Deacon)4:24
12."These Are the Days of Our Lives" (from Innuendo, 1991)Queen (Taylor)4:14
13."One Vision" (edit, from A Kind of Magic, 1986)Queen4:38
14."Keep Yourself Alive" (from Queen, 1973)May3:45
15."Headlong" (from Innuendo, 1991)Queen (May)4:38
16."Who Wants to Live Forever" (from A Kind of Magic, 1986)May5:15
17."The Show Must Go On" (from Innuendo, 1991)Queen (May)4:31
Total length:75:10

Charts

Country Chart Certification Sales
United States 4 3× platinum[3] 3,000,000
Canada 5× platinum[4] 500,000

References

  1. Rolling Stone Album Guide
  2. Billboard 25 July 1992 p.8. Billboard. Retrieved 30 May 2011
  3. 1 2 RIAA – Gold and Platinum Archived 4 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Recording Industry Association of America Retrieved 17 June 2011
  4. 1 2 Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA): Certification Results Archived 1 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 17 June 2011
  5. Queen Album: Classic Queen MTV. Retrieved 30 May 2011
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