(CelebrityAccess) – Universal Music Group (UMG) has announced that Queen’s iconic hit “Bohemian Rhapsody,” has officially become the world’s most-streamed song from the 20th Century, as well as the most-streamed Classic Rock song of all time.
Having originally appeared on the band’s 1975 album A Night at the Opera, “Bohemian Rhapsody” was Queen’s first Top 10 hit in the US. The song has now surpassed 1.6 billion streams globally across all major streaming services, in part thanks to the release of the Queen biopic of the same name, which has grossed almost $600 million at the global box office since debuting in late October.
Commenting on the news, Queen guitarist and founding member, Brian May, said: “So the River of Rock Music has metamorphosed into streams! Very happy that our music is still flowing to the max!”
Lucian Grainge, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group, which represents Queen’s catalog globally outside of North America added: “’Bohemian Rhapsody’ is one of the greatest songs by one of the greatest bands in history. We are so proud to represent Queen and are thrilled to see the song still inspiring new fans around the world more than four decades after its release. My congratulations to Queen and [longtime manager] Jim Beach on an incredible achievement that is a testament to the enduring brilliance of Queen.”
Songs trailing close behind “Bohemian Rhapsody” include Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” which sits at No. 2 with 1.5 billion streams, Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child O’ Mine” and “November Rain,” which take up spots 3 and 4 respectively, and A-ha’s 1985 hit “Take On Me,” which holds the No. 5 spot.
Queen has sold more than 300 million albums worldwide.
