We Are the Champions
Queen's unifying anthem for victories and audience participation.
Written by lead singer Freddie Mercury, "We Are the Champions" is a song by the British rock band Queen, released from their sixth album *News of the World* in 1977. The song was a worldwide success, reaching number two in the UK, number four on the US Billboard Hot 100, number three in Canada, and the top ten in many other nations. In 2009, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and was voted the world's favourite song in a 2005 Sony Ericsson poll. Mercury began writing the song as early as 1975 but initially deemed it unsuitable for the band's current album; it was not recorded until 1977. He intended the song for audience participation, stating that "We" in the title refers to everyone singing it. Brian May called the track "unifying and positive," and the band wanted to get crowds waving and singing. Musically, it is built on Mercury's piano part, with Roger Taylor on drums and John Deacon on bass. May overdubbed guitar sections that build to a solo played simultaneously with the final chorus. The lead vocal is demanding and strident, with Mercury's highest point being a C5, both belted and in falsetto. The single's B-side was "We Will Rock You," and the two songs were often played consecutively at Queen concerts and on radio. The music video was filmed at the New London Theatre on 6 October 1977, directed by Derek Burbridge, with Mercury performing in a half-black, half-white Harlequin outfit. The song has become an enduring anthem for sporting victories, first used by Team Canada's 1978 World Field Lacrosse Championship team. In 2011, a team of scientific researchers concluded it was the catchiest song in pop music history. A Raw Sessions version was released on 7 October 2017 for the album's 40th anniversary, featuring previously unheard takes and the original recorded length with two extra choruses.
- artist
- Queen
- album
- News of the World
- songwriter
- Freddie Mercury
- genre
- Arena rock
- peak_chart_position_UK
- 2
- peak_chart_position_US
- 4
Lore & Background
The song embodies numerous elements of arena rock, with Brian May stating, "We wanted to get the crowds waving and singing. It's very unifying and positive." Musically, it is based on Mercury's piano part, with Roger Taylor and John Deacon providing drums and bass guitar backing. May overdubbed guitar sections, building to a solo played simultaneously with the last chorus. Mercury employed complex harmony, including major and minor 6th, minor 7th, minor 11th, half-diminished, and diminished chords, and the choruses featured four-part vocal harmonies. The lead vocal is demanding and strident, with a highest point of C5 both belted and in falsetto. The single featured "We Will Rock You" as its B-side, and the two songs were often played consecutively at Queen concerts and on radio broadcasts. An alternate version starting in monochrome before blasting into color was broadcast on BBC's Top of the Pops 2.
Reader's Guide
“We Are the Champions” was written by Freddie Mercury as early as 1975 but set aside until the band recorded it for their 1977 album *News of the World*. Mercury composed the song with audience participation in mind, stating that the “we” in the title refers to everyone singing it. Brian May described the track as unifying and positive, noting the band wanted to encourage crowds to wave and sing along. Musically, the piece is built around Mercury’s piano part, with Roger Taylor on drums and John Deacon on bass. Brian May added guitar sections that begin subtly and build to a solo played simultaneously with the final chorus. Mercury employed complex harmonies, including major and minor sixth, minor seventh, minor eleventh, half-diminished, and diminished chords, with the choruses featuring four-part vocal harmonies. The lead vocal is demanding and strident, reaching a C5 both belted and in falsetto. The song’s B-side was “We Will Rock You,” and the two were often played consecutively at the close of Queen concerts and on radio broadcasts. The first sports team known to celebrate a world championship victory with the song was Team Canada’s 1978 World Field Lacrosse Championship team. It has since become a global anthem for sporting victories, used at events such as the 1994 FIFA World Cup and after the Buffalo Bills’ 2021 NFL playoff win. In 2011, researchers concluded it was the catchiest song in pop music history, citing a combination of neuroscience, math, and cognitive psychology behind its sing-along appeal. The song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2009 and voted the world’s favourite in a 2005 Sony Ericsson poll. A Raw Sessions version was released in 2017 for the album’s 40th anniversary, featuring previously unheard takes and the original longer length with two additional choruses.
Did You Know?
- The song was written with audience participation in mind; Mercury said 'We' refers to everyone singing it.
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