The song Bohemian Rhapsody is a TERRIBLE song, amirite?

This is exactly what the record label said about it the first time they heard it. They refused to release it. They had to fight more than once to release it eventually. I think it was such a hit because it was so different. No one had fit 4 songs into one rock opera before. Personally, it's not my favorite, but I do think it's a banger in the right circumstances. It is creative and forward thinking. Freddy is a magician.

by dorianbradtke 4 months ago

It's also the only song to hit #1 on the charts in 2 non adjacent decades. In the 70s when it was released, and in 1991 when Freddie died.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

Not because he died. It's because of Wayne's World.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

Yup, I remember that was suddenly popular again after that film.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

"No one had fit 4 songs into one rock opera before." The Who did. "A Quick One While He's Away" is a mini-opera.

by Anissaspinka 4 months ago

Also, not rock opera per se, but Abbey Road side B feels relevant

by Dear_Ant4774 4 months ago

No one had fit 4 songs into one rock opera before Frank Zappa - Brown Shoes Don't Make It from 1966, about 10 "songs" in one rock opera. He'd make even more complex one-song operas since then. also I guess Good Vibrations by Beach Boys from the same year had been labeled as "pocket opera"

by Anonymous 4 months ago

Suzy creamcheese, oh, baby, now What's got into ya?

by Anonymous 4 months ago

So you will in fact not be doing the fandango?

by Anonymous 4 months ago

Yes, I can hear you, Clem Fandango.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

You would be able to convince me to do this after like 10 beers.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

Beelzebub has a devil put aside for this one

by rosenbaumalexan 4 months ago

And then you will see Thunder bolts and lightning very very frightening.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

Do be frightening

by Anonymous 4 months ago

But that's kinda what defines many songs as great isn't it? It comes on at the bar or a party and everyone sings along and has fun with it. Even if the music itself isn't amazing, some songs just have that effect.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

Give the William Shatner version a listen. It's hysterical.

by TonightDue 4 months ago

Saying you listen to heavy metal, Then immediately complaining about people shouting nonsense words and phrases hahaha. I'm a big metal head too by the way, but what the f are mastodon talking about haha

by Anonymous 4 months ago

Yeah the op has to be like 13. Metal wouldn't exist without bohemian rhapsody imo

by Anonymous 4 months ago

Considering bohemian rhapsody came out after the major original metal bands debuted I dont think this is the case

by Anonymous 4 months ago

That's just because you are experiencing time linearly, bro. Open your mind to the possibilities. You can trust me, I am about to invent the self-help book in about 3000 BCE

by Anonymous 4 months ago

Not sure if I'd go that far, given that Bohemian Rhapsody was written years after Black Sabbath's first record was released.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

Queen may not be responsible for metal, but the argument can be made that they're responsible for thrash with Stone Cold Crazy.

by cummeratacortne 4 months ago

That's a dumb opinion as metal was already around before bohemian rhapsody was written. If anything Queen wouldn't exist without metal

by renemante 4 months ago

lol what

by Morrisschroeder 4 months ago

Metal wouldn't exist without bohemian rhapsody ?

by Anonymous 4 months ago

Dude metal was on like it's 3rd wave before Queen even formed 😂

by Anonymous 4 months ago

Goddamn i love mastodon

by Anonymous 4 months ago

XD

by Anonymous 4 months ago

I know everyone is dogging on OP, but i would like to offer a different perspective. I didn't like Bohemian Rhapsody for the longest time. This was because it doesn't fit neatly into one single vibe. It's not a song you put on when you want to get pumped, it's not a song you put on when you're happy, it's like it's own roller coaster of emotions. If you look at OP's complaints, they are exactly why I and so many people like the song. Bohemian Rhapsody has so many different melodies and they all flow together so well that it takes you on a journey. When you approach the song with that lens, you see why everyone thinks it's a masterpiece. I'm not really that into rock, but it's one of my favorite songs.

by Flaky_Dig 4 months ago

That's it! It's not background music or a vibe-enhancer, it's a piece of art to be appreciated on its own. Or not!

by Anonymous 4 months ago

Good take, i can see your point.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

Add to that the effort to record it. This was pre digital. They were pushing against limits of what they had. The solo voice are all overdubs by Freddy, synced and recorded on multitracks that was not an effect on mic. What went into that song then is simple by today's systems but crazy complex then.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

As unpopular as it gets. It's a masterpiece.

by Express_Balance_242 4 months ago

Queen are a band when you get a bunch of highly talented, sophisticated, and educated individuals together. Probably why they are regarded as one of the best bands to have ever existed due to the genius of songs like Bohemian Rhapsody. The fact that it is layered and branches a few genres so effortlessly, along with its sale numbers, proves that, objectively, it is one of the best song ever produced.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

And I bet most of the people putting it down love music made with auto tune. So consider the source and pat yourself on the back for discriminating between authentic talent and hacks.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

Queen is a band

by Anonymous 4 months ago

How pretentious.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

Yeah I think the telltale sign is him saying that the second act of the song is just "people saying random words." OP obviously didn't piece together the story in the song

by Yoststevie 4 months ago

nah we're going to have to strap you down and make you listen to it, sorry op. /s

by Anonymous 4 months ago

XD That would actually be torture to me. I'd tell you all government secrets within 15 minutes.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

What if we brought a bunch of people to sing along?

by Professional_Buy6420 4 months ago

3 minutes and you'd know the name of my brother's dog's favorite chewtoy

by Anonymous 4 months ago

I'd just keep it going because you'd give me such useless information. At least 3 hours.

by Professional_Buy6420 4 months ago

Sophisticated? You claimed a song with no tempo changes whatsoever changes tempo too much. It doesn't even change time signatures, the ending bit is just 4/4 with a swing. You can just say "I dpn't like this song" without revealing the wrongness underlying your opinion.

by Due-Citron-2915 4 months ago

you know where you are! that's a paddling!

by Wittingcandice 4 months ago

My favorite song? I think i'd have to go with either nightmare from avenged sevenfold or the pot by tool. But they are really ducking close!

by Anonymous 4 months ago

Agreed, I don't get the hype. Honestly it kind of annoys me when I hear it.

by ConstantActivity 4 months ago

THANK YOU, i hate it when it gets played on parties, when you have kind of a dancing vibe going on. This gets put on, BOOM dancing gone

by Anonymous 4 months ago

thats the people playing its fault its not for dancing

by Awkward-Committee 4 months ago

Exactly! It's an overhyped song

by ConstantActivity 4 months ago

Definitely and unpopular opinion

by Alarming_Falcon 4 months ago

I can more or less get where you're coming from but it's always funny to me when people that don't know how to critique music try to do so. The music is just weird Huh?? What does this even mean?

by Anonymous 4 months ago

It follows the framework of a rhapsody. I hate songs that just waltz around all the time. All they do is blah, blah, blah…

by One-Celebration 4 months ago

definitely unpopular i guess

by Anonymous 4 months ago

One of the greatest, most creative songs of all time.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

Whenever I hear an opinion like this about music that goes beyond the simplistic 4/4 with a I V vi IV chord progression I must always ask what kind of music they do like. And why is it hip hop, pop, or country?

by Upset_Initiative_741 4 months ago

Literally any other queen song is better than it in my opinion. Like the song literally named literally after their band, killer queen, is an actual jam while somehow bohemian rhapsody is somehow more popular than it

by Anonymous 4 months ago

I know right. Give me ANY other queen song.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

Don't think of it as a song. It's an experience.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

Its a bad experience

by Anonymous 4 months ago

Haha, just man...wow. Nice.

by Apprehensive_Ebb5820 4 months ago

Tbh i always used to think it was crazy overrated. Nowadays I don't mind it so much. The only thing i disagree with really that you say is the tempo changing being a problem.

by velva61 4 months ago

anyway the wind blows doesnt really matter to me, to meeeeeeeee

by Longjumping-Pride820 4 months ago

I agree! I'm like "eh it's okay" but not this absolutely amazing song a lot of other people make it out to be. And I think it got a major boost in the 90's from "Wayne's World" But I agree when it comes on the radio, I'll switch the station.

by Manley89 4 months ago

I like Queen, and that's not even my favorite Queen song

by evaschmidt 4 months ago

Look, I hate the song, except some parts, but it's definitely not bad. It's a style you're not used to.

by Inevitable-Chance531 4 months ago

I hate it aswell and I love pretty much every single genre of music (apart from some heavy metal). Everytime it comes up I feel my ears cringing

by barrowsgregg 4 months ago

Yes, they dont even fit or flow even a little bit

by Anonymous 4 months ago

There are a ton of popular songs I never felt. I guess I was in the right place and time to truly enjoy Bohemian Rhapsody to its fullest. It was blissful and moving in a strange way. The Muppets will always be the greatest. Freddie Mercury was okay too, I guess.

by Bernardo20 4 months ago

I am a fan of Queen but I agree. I don't think it's terrible, but they have much better songs that are less popular and that's a shame imo

by Anonymous 4 months ago

All those features that you qualify as negative I classify as incredibly positive and unique and that make it a masterpiece. Some of your remarks show that you don't really understand the piece. Maybe that's one of the reasons you don't like it.

by ExpressionScared 4 months ago

"I listen to heavy metal" explains a whole lot

by Anonymous 4 months ago

I used to think exactly the same so I know ehat you mean. I just tolerate it now. I still don't like it, but I can respect it artistically.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

"Galileo" comes from the Latin "Galilaeus," meaning "of Galilee," a region in the Bible where Jesus lived, which is why "Galileo Figaro Magnifico" can be translated as magnify the Galian's image," or a cry to the heavens for help. Since the song is about a man who has killed a man and about to pay for it. The song references god (bismillah- in the name of god), this makes sense to me. But I could be wrong, I wasn't there. I just read it like poetry and don't see it as idiotic.

by Forward_Drawer_211 4 months ago

I don't care for it much either, but a lot of your reasoning for disliking it (randomness, tempo changes, length, etc.) are common in just about everything I listen to. What do you think of progressive metal, or bands like Tool, Faith No More, or Primus?

by Anonymous 4 months ago

You just described all the reasons its awesome.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

It's certainly overplayed, probably overrated, but terrible overall? Certainly a hot take. It sounds like you don't like songs that switch abruptly. Do you also hate Good Vibrations or Paranoid Android? How about the band Mr Bungle? I'd use a metal example but I can't think of anything that switches styles much. Maybe Orion? I am pretty sick of Bohemian Rhapsody, although I do love Brian Mays guitar solo, very catchy and singable. Queen has similar songs that I personally prefer and are not as overplayed, like Innuendo.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

I havent heard any heard any of the stuff you mentioned. Might give them a listen and check back in.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

Isn't the song all about Freddy selling his soul to the devil for fame? That's why it's up and down and all over the place…

by Charming_Bed 4 months ago

I can't even imagine the boring ass "heavy metal" you're listening to. Sounds like an infinitely bad time to me.

by Alycefeil 4 months ago

Is it meant to be from a play, that's what it sounds like

by Enid31 4 months ago

Agreed. I hate it. It's also dark and unpleasant.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

Don't agree with any of these reasons but I would never choose to listen to Bohemian Rapsody or Queen

by Anonymous 4 months ago

The aspects you listed as negatives are the reasons why it's so loved. Weird how that works!

by Anonymous 4 months ago

This is a go to unpopular opinion for me. I have a conspiracy theory that I missed a day of school as a child when everyone was taught that you're supposed to pretend to like this song despite how dumb it is.

by lilliana64 4 months ago

This is definitely an unpopular opinion. Good job OP

by Then-Policy 4 months ago

You just don't like Rock Opera and that's okay

by ThisSwordfish2722 4 months ago

Yeah, it's not my thing either. I hate it the most at karaoke though. I don't care if people love it and listen to it on their own, but don't force it on me 😂

by Anonymous 4 months ago

What makes music good? is it a whole bunch of techno-jargon that people by and large don't care for? or is the piece's ability to satisfy the masses? I'd argue the second is a lot more important, you can take issue with musical theory all you want, but i'd say if theory doesn't respect reality then the theory is wrong.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

Queen is an annoying and overrated band. Just my opinion.

by Visible_Process 4 months ago

It showcases the blending of the different singers, and each one's vocal range and their ability to harmonize so perfectly!I love it!

by Anonymous 4 months ago

Ah, a man of culture.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

OMG I've always hated this song. My friends mock me and all sing in unison at me whenever it comes on at the bar. I just got a take it tho cuz apparently others like it. (I still don't believe they actually like it. I think they just like the experience of everyone singing together)

by Fit_Design1061 4 months ago

Thank you!!! I hate this song with a passion. I turn it off every time it comes on the radio and hate it when groups of people think they're cool by singing along amd knowing all the words.

by East_Direction3026 4 months ago

Yeah its a weird song.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

Yeah I agree. Enjoyed Queen as a kid because my parents were extremely strict as to what we were allowed to listen to and that somehow made the cut. After a while I got burnt out on them, then an ex that was obsessed with Queen made me hate them

by renemante 4 months ago

The hard rocking part is perfection. I think it's a brilliant song. Glad to see a truly unpopular opinion.

by Eheathcote 4 months ago

It has complexity which is why some people don't understand it.

by Gilbertokassulk 4 months ago

This is the music equivalent to "I did not care for the godfather" Bohemian rhapsody is a good song but it definitely insists upon itself.

by Outside_Zucchini3954 4 months ago

its about the emotion and vibes. MAMAAAA OOOOOOOOOHH

by DryCarpenter4823 4 months ago

You. Keep. Bohemian. Rhapsody. Outta. Your. Nasty. Mouth!

by Anonymous 4 months ago

You're welcome

by Anonymous 4 months ago

I agree 100% such a bad song

by Anonymous 4 months ago

Well this is certainly unpopular. And sad.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

I never listened to it before so I decided to give it a try now. Not my cup of tea, but most vocal songs aren't my cup of tea anyway.

by Striking-Persimmon 4 months ago

If it doesn't include vocals it's a musical piece not a song

by Anonymous 4 months ago

It's not random - it's a take on Faust

by Total-Addition-3641 4 months ago

I mean it quite literally is a piece of art.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

I dislike the "art"

by Anonymous 4 months ago

It's a brilliant song made by a brilliant band, the fact that you and i hate it with a passion (i actually do hate it) won't change that

by Jealous-Bid 4 months ago

Some people can't understand poetry and that's okay

by Pameladurgan 4 months ago

You can't change the station fast enough if you're driving and hear that song come on the radio.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

Exactly

by Anonymous 4 months ago

Yeah, can confirm this person just doesn't understand why this song is great lol.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

All the things you're bitching about are exactly the things that make it a timeless masterpiece

by Competitive-Olive186 4 months ago

There were lots of squares that didn't like this song when it came out. You're not special. 👎

by CounterClassic6395 4 months ago

This song is awful. You are correct.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

I agree. It's a different song, and interesting for what it is, I just don't enjoy listening to it.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

"It just swicthes tempo all the time." Yeah, I hate songs that aren't 4/4.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

BLASPHEMER!!!

by margaretta83 4 months ago

youre just uncultured

by stehrhipolito 4 months ago

This has to be a trap, right? Or rage bait? !

by keiratremblay 4 months ago

Then you're going to love Jethro Tull's ' A Passion Play ' - a whole album consisting of one song

by Efficient_Caramel148 4 months ago

Do you happen to run a record label by any chance?

by Anonymous 4 months ago

It's a great song, but I'm sick of hearing it.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

This song gets a pass because of Wayne's World, but man Queen sucks, never got them at all.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

It's a good Song it's just the stupid opera mid song that ruins it

by Wyman20 4 months ago

I'm assuming you're not a musician because if you were this would be an embarrassing take

by collinsjuanita 4 months ago

Good god I hate this song too

by Kmertz 4 months ago

It's meant to be terrible and insane which is why people love it

by ThisSearch 4 months ago

At least you know that no one agrees with you

by DepartureBorn 4 months ago

That's ok, you be boring.

by Francesca71 4 months ago

As a 32yo, I'm just tired of hearing it. One of the most overplayed songs ever. It's not terrible really but it's time to let it go.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

I read what you said, but all I heard was, "I hate having fun and friends!"

by Agile_Imagination 4 months ago

I don't think it's a terrible song. But, like all popular music, it's been overplayed to the point that I'm sick of it. It does nothing for me anymore. Of course, there are plenty of other great songs that radio, TV, movies etc. has ruined for me.

by maynard60 4 months ago

Beelzebub has a devil put aside for you

by Defiant-Landscape 4 months ago

It's poorly constructed and has little rhyme or reason. I don't know why it ever got popular. That being said, I'm a metalhead too and I will sing the entire thing anytime it comes on, including the annoying guitar solo. Guess it works!

by Anonymous 4 months ago

That's nuts, because almost every metalhead I know loves this song

by Anonymous 4 months ago

Thank you! Been sayin this for years

by Anonymous 4 months ago

I am of the same unpopular opinion

by Anonymous 4 months ago

Objectively incorrect

by CupEducational5761 4 months ago

So do you just not like beat switches or songs that go beyond bridge - chorus - bridge - chorus - end?

by Demond02 4 months ago

It's not for everyone. What I don't get is the switch in tempo you described. My brother metal music does this ALL the time. The "breakdown" in most metal songs is usually in half time or it switches tempos entirely. I've never understood this complaint and this isn't the only time I've seen it.

by Anonymous 4 months ago

How tf is a metal fan complaining about changing tempos? I'm guessing you hate Tool and Primus too.

by Minimum-Factor9382 4 months ago