I've Paid My Dues

I have a half black, half white outfit just like Freddie's in this video.  Well, sadly, our "Queen November" is wrapping up today.  The Excellent 80's sincerely hopes you've enjoyed the plethora of Queen videos that we've presented over the last 30 days.  Just like we did on day one, we are dipping back into their greatness from the 70's.  From 1977 it's one of the greatest and most recognizable power ballad anthems of all-time.  Here they are with "We Are the Champions"...

"We Are the Champions"
Single by Queen
from the album News of the World
B-side	"We Will Rock You"
Released	7 October 1977
Format	7", CD single
Recorded	1977
Genre	Rock
Length	2:59
Label	EMI (UK) Elektra (US)
Writer(s)	Freddie Mercury
Producer	Queen, assisted by Mike Stone

I Just Can't Handle It

Today's Queen video has been featured in The Excellent 80's before, but it was a #1 hit for the band in the U.S. back in 1980 so I'm inclined to present it again as part of our "Queen November" we have going on here.  Written as a tribute to Elvis Presley here is Queen with "Crazy Little Thing Called Love"...

"Crazy Little Thing Called Love"
Single by Queen
from the album The Game
B-side	Spread Your Wings (live) or We Will Rock You (live)
Released	5 August 1979
Format	Vinyl record (7" / 12")
Recorded	June - July 1979
Genre	Rockabilly[1]
Length	2:42
Label	EMI, Elektra (US)
Writer(s)	Freddie Mercury
Producer	Queen and Mack

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak:  #1

And Another One Does, And Another One Does

Wearing the all-important red sweat band, donning a sweet yellow tank top, and sporting a sweet white baseball cap with horns, Freddie Mercury sings the iconic 1980 Queen song "Another One Bites the Dust"...

"Another One Bites the Dust"
Single by Queen
from the album The Game
B-side	"Don't Try Suicide" (US) "Dragon Attack" (UK)
Released	22 August 1980
Format	7" vinyl
Recorded	1980
Genre	Funk rock[1]
Length	3:36
Label	EMI, Elektra (US)
Writer(s)	John Deacon
Producer	Queen, Mack

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak:  #1

Radio Ca-Ca?

It's been 21 years since Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury passed away due to the AIDS virus.  It doesn't seem like that long honestly, but the years go by faster and faster.  From 1984, here is a song that reached #1 in the UK and #16 in the U.S.  The video was also nominated for video of year at the MTV video awards.  The song was apparently inspired by Roger Taylor's son when he uttered the words "radio ca-ca" while listening to a bad song on the radio.  Here is Queen with "Radio Ga Ga"...

"Radio Ga Ga"
Single by Queen
from the album The Works
B-side	"I Go Crazy"
Released	23 January 1984
Format	Vinyl record (7", 12")
Recorded	1983
Genre	Rock
Length	5:44 (Album/video version) 4:23 (US radio edit) 6:53 (12" extended version) 6:01 (12" instrumental version)
Label	EMI / Capitol
Writer(s)	Roger Taylor‎
Producer	Queen and Mack

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak:  #16
UK peak:  #1

You Got Mud On Your Face

Back to the late 70's today as we continue on with our "Queen November" featuring the best of Queen from the 80's and late 70's.  Get your stomp and clap on for today's two minute track that was later issued together with "We Are the Champions" as a worldwide top ten single.  Soon after the album came out, a lot of radio stations began playing the songs back to back without interruption.  I want to get you pumped up for some feasting tomorrow!  So, here is "We Will Rock You"...

"We Will Rock You"
Single by Queen
from the album News of the World
A-side	"We Are the Champions"
Released	7 October 1977
Format	7"
Genre	Hard rock
Length	2:01
Label	EMI (UK), Elektra (US)
Writer(s)	Brian May
Producer	Queen, assisted by Mike Stone

This song also brings to memory one of my favorite openings from one of the best TV shows of all-time - Cheers...

Pressure Pushing Down On Me

Even though today's video doesn't even feature Freddie Mercury or David Bowie, it features a lot of stock footage of traffic jams, explosions, riots, kissing and more.  Here is Queen with David Bowie - no it's not Vanilla Ice - with "Under Pressure"...

"Under Pressure"
Single by Queen and David Bowie
from the album Hot Space
B-side	Soul Brother
Released	26 October 1981
Format	7" vinyl / 12" / CD single
Recorded	Mountain Studios, Montreux, July 1981
Genre	Rock
Length	4:02
Label	EMI, Elektra
Writer(s)	Queen and David Bowie
Producer	Queen and David Bowie

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak:  #29
UK peak:  #1

One Man, One Goal, One Mission

From their "A Kind of Magic" album in 1985, here is Freddie and the boys morphing from their 1975 pose on the "Bohemian Rhapsody" video into current day pose of the same beginning their song "One Vision"...

"One Vision"
Single by Queen
from the album A Kind of Magic
B-side	Blurred Vision
Released	November 4, 1985
Format	Vinyl record (7", 12")
Recorded	September 1985
Genre	Hard rock
Length	4:02 (Single version) 6:28 (12" 'extended vision') 5:11 (Album version) 4:38 (Classic Queen version)
Label	EMI / Capitol
Writer(s)	Queen (Music: Roger Taylor/Queen, Lyrics: Queen)
Producer	Queen and Mack

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak:  #61
UK peak:  #7

I Want to Break Free

Who wants to see the late, great Freddie Mercury dressed like a housewife today?  OK, so maybe it's not a pretty picture, but this 1984 song was a solid effort from Queen despite the video being banned by MTV at the time.  That banning probably led to the low record sales of this single in the U.S., but it was still went all the way to #3 in the UK.  Rolling on with our "Queen November," here is Queen with "I Want to Break Free"...

"I Want to Break Free"
Single by Queen
from the album The Works
B-side	"Machines (or 'Back to Humans')"
Released	2 April 1984 (UK)
Format	Vinyl records (7", 12"), CDs (3", 5")
Recorded	1983
Genre	Rock
Length	3:20 (Album version) 4:21 (Single mix) 7:16 (Extended mix)
Label	EMI, Capitol, Toshiba
Writer(s)	John Deacon
Producer	Queen and Mack

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak:  #45
UK peak:  #3

You Got Red Lips

As our "Queen November" rolls along we take you back to 1982 and Queen's "Hot Space" album.  Queen decided to funk it up a little bit with this song which was a song that was received more highly in the U.S. (peaking at #11) than it was in the UK (peaking at #25).  That was a rarity, and so was this type of single from Queen.  Here is the video featuring lots of half naked people for "Body Language"...

"Body Language ↑⇇"
Single by Queen
from the album Hot Space
B-side	"Life is Real (Song for Lennon)"
Released	19 April 1982
Format	Vinyl record (7" / 12")
Recorded	1982
Genre	Rock
Length	4:29
Label	EMI, Elektra
Writer(s)	Freddie Mercury
Producer	Queen and Mack

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak:  #11
UK peak:  #25

Just An Alley Creeper, Light On His Feet

Here's Queen during Freddie Mercury's battle with AIDS in 1989.  He would die two years later.  Despite being ill at the time, Mercury looks good in this video.  It's a rockin' good time from Queen's 13th studio album called "The Miracle."  Here they are with the lead single from that album called "I Want it All"...

"I Want It All"
Single by Queen
from the album The Miracle
B-side	"Hang on in There"
Released	2 May 1989
Format	7" vinyl, 12" vinyl, CD single,Compact Cassette
Recorded	1988
Genre	Hard rock
Length	4:41 (album), 4:01 (single)
Label	Parlophone, Capitol
Writer(s)	Brian May
Producer	Queen, David Richards

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak:  #50
UK peak:  #3

Who Wants to Live Forever

Also from their album "A Kind of Magic," it's the Queen song featured in "Highlander," called "Who Wants to Live Forever"...

"Who Wants to Live Forever"
Single by Queen
from the album A Kind of Magic
B-side	"Killer Queen" "Forever" (12" single only)
Released	September 15, 1986
Format	Vinyl record (7"/12")
Recorded	1985 – 1986
Genre	Rock
Length	5:15 (Album version) 4:00 (Single version) 4:57 (Greatest Hits II version)
Label	EMI
Writer(s)	Brian May
Producer	Queen and David Richards

UK peak:  #24

80's Movie Weekend

I never saw this weekend's 80's fantasy action flick  It stars some dude named Christopher Lambert and judging from his acting in the trailer below we know why he never made it big-time as an actor.  But, the movie does also star the one and only Sean Connery, so it has that going for it.  Also going for it is that the movie featured many songs written and performed by the band Queen that showed up on Queen's "A Kind of Magic" album released in 1986.  And because we are featuring many of the hits of Queen here in the Excellent 80's, it's only fitting to feature this movie this weekend.  It's the movie "Highlander"...

the trailer...

Highlander
Original style-A poster[1]
Directed by	Russell Mulcahy
Produced by	Peter S. Davis E.C. Monell William N. Panzer
Screenplay by	Gregory Widen Peter Bellwood Larry Ferguson
Story by	Gregory Widen
Starring	Christopher Lambert Sean Connery Clancy Brown Roxanne Hart
Music by	Queen Michael Kamen
Cinematography	Gerry Fisher
Editing by	Peter Honess
Studio	Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment Highlander Productions Limited
Distributed by	20th Century Fox
Release date(s)	March 7, 1986(United States) August 29, 1986(United Kingdom)
Running time	110 minutes (Theatrical Cut) 116 minutes (Director's Cut)
Country	United States United Kingdom
Language	English
Budget	$16 million
Box office	$12,885,193[2]

Check out the awesome 80's graphics for Queen which put together this song for the film.  Here they are with their video for "A Kind of Magic"...

"A Kind of Magic"
Single by Queen
from the album A Kind of Magic
B-side	"A Dozen Red Roses for My Darling" "Gimme the Prize (Kurgan's Theme)" (USA)
Released	17 March 1986
Format	7"/12" vinyl single
Recorded	1985 – 1986
Genre	Rock
Length	4:25 (Album version) 3:37 (CD bonus track: "A Kind of 'A Kind of Magic'") 6:23 (12" extended version) 4:10 (Original Highlander version)
Label	EMI, Capitol
Writer(s)	Roger Taylor
Producer	Queen and David Richards

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak:  #42
UK peak:  #3

Thunderbolts and Lightening, Very Very Frightening

I realize today's song is from 1975, but if The Excellent 80's is truly going to honor the band Queen this month, then we can't really leave this video and song out.  That's right, The Excellent 80's is making this a "Queen November" where we will feature many of Queen's greatest songs and videos (mostly from the 80's, but we'll dip into the 70's if we feel like it).

Let's kick it off with the song that was a U.S. top 10 hit in 1975, but really exploded into popularity when two dudes named Wayne and Garth incorporated it into their movie in 1991 (see below).  At the time, it was the most expensive single ever made and still remains very elaborate to this day - here is Queen with "Bohemian Rhapsody"...

"Bohemian Rhapsody"
Original cover of the UK single release
Single by Queen
from the album A Night at the Opera
B-side	"I'm in Love with My Car"
Released	31 October 1975
Format	7" vinyl
Recorded	1975: Rockfield Studio 1 Roundhouse SARM (East) Scorpio Sound
Genre	Rock
Length	5:55
Label	EMI, Elektra, Parlophone,Hollywood
Writer(s)	Freddie Mercury
Producer	Roy Thomas Baker, Queen

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak:  #9
UK peak:  #1

And in case you need a refresher from the great Wayne and Garth...