"Don't Stop Me Now"
UK single picture sleeve
Single by Queen
from the album Jazz
B-side
Released26 January 1979[1]
RecordedAugust 1978
StudioSuper Bear Studios (Berre-les-Alpes, France)
Genre
Length
  • 3:29
  • 3:34 (with long-lost guitars version)
  • 3:38 (...revisited version)
Label
Songwriter(s)Freddie Mercury
Producer(s)
Queen singles chronology
"Bicycle Race" / "Fat Bottomed Girls"
(1978)		 "Don't Stop Me Now"
(1979)		 "Mustapha"
(1979)
Audio sample
  • file
  • help
Music video
"Don't Stop Me Now" on YouTube

"Don't Stop Me Now" is a song by the British rock band Queen featured on their 1978 album Jazz that was released as a single in 1979. Written by lead singer Freddie Mercury, it was recorded in August 1978 at Super Bear Studios in Berre-les-Alpes (Alpes-Maritimes), France, and is the twelfth track on the album.[5]

The song also appears on the band's 1981 compilation album Greatest Hits. In June 2011, as part of Queen's 40th anniversary celebrations, an old take of the song containing more guitar parts was included on the bonus EP of the re-released and remastered Jazz album.[6][7] Featuring in films, commercials, and television shows, the song has grown in popularity in the decades since its release.[8] Bobby Olivier of Billboard attributes its initial rebirth to its appearance in the 2004 cult classic zombie apocalypse film Shaun of the Dead.[8] In 2014, Rolling Stone readers voted it their third-favourite song by Queen.[9]

Background

The song was written by Freddie Mercury during the sessions for Jazz. The band felt they were "getting better at having a good time" and the lyrics reflect this.[10] Musically, the song builds on Mercury's piano playing, with John Deacon and Roger Taylor providing a bass guitar and drums backing track. The song also provides an example of Queen's trademark style of multitrack harmony vocals for the chorus lines.[11]

An alternative version of the song, with a harder, guitar-driven arrangement, appeared on Bohemian Rhapsody: The Original Soundtrack issued in 2018, billed as "Don't Stop Me Now... Revisited".[12]

Reception

The single reached number 9 in the UK charts but only number 86 in the US; as the album was a top-10 hit, the song got some airplay on U.S. album-oriented rock stations despite its low chart ranking as a single. Despite this, the song has grown in stature with time and has been popularised not only by consistent airplay, but by its use in advertisements, television programmes and films, and through cover versions. It has subsequently become one of Queen's most popular songs.[13][14][15] The song was voted as the third-best Queen song by readers of Rolling Stone, who noted that "time has also been very kind to it and it's widely seen now as one of the group's best works."[16] The single also has reached platinum status in the United Kingdom. In a March 2019 Billboard article titled, "The Evolution of Queen's 'Don't Stop Me Now': How a Minor Hit Became One of the Band's Most Beloved (And Inescapable) Songs", Bobby Olivier wrote,

"You might have noticed a new commercial promoting the new season of American Idol. It was a 90-second music video featuring a dozen or so bright-eyed contestants, all of whom gleefully belted lines from a beloved song that has felt particularly ubiquitous as of late. No, it wasn't "Shallow," or "Thank U, Next"—it was Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now," a classic-rock energizer that has, in the last six months alone, also been featured in commercials for Toyota, Silk almond milk, Amazon and L'Oreal. In the latter spot, Camila Cabello lip-syncs to the 41-year-old song as she dances and applies her lipstick. "Don't Stop Me Now" is not only one of the band's most treasured cuts, but one of the most popular songs of its entire era. On Sunday, March 3, it eclipsed 500 million plays on Spotify—nearly double that of any Rolling Stones, U2 or Led Zeppelin song on the service."[8]

Alexis Petridis of The Guardian wrote that the "astonishing" song "may be Queen's greatest song of all". He felt it was "a direct product of [Mercury's] hedonism and promiscuity: an unrepentant, joyous, utterly irresistible paean to gay pleasure-seeking. You find yourself wondering if its title might not have been aimed at his censorious bandmates."[17] Mike Orme of Stylus Magazine ranked it the 7th-greatest penultimate track on an album, calling it Queen's "most flamboyant and energetic single" and commenting: "Essentially three and a half minutes of Freddie Mercury jacking the mike from the rest of the world, the song offers him a chance to let us know just how much fun he's having in the spotlight."[18] Billboard praised Brian May's guitar solo and also stated that the song was "less gimmick laden" than Queen's previous single from Jazz, "Bicycle Race"/"Fat Bottomed Girls", "while still retaining the brazen braggadocio of Freddie Mercury's lead vocals."[19] Cash Box said it has "vocal dramatics and varied arrangements by Mercury" and "beautifully layered vocals and regal guitar work from May".[20] Record World called it a "fast paced tune with that easily identifiable Freddie Mercury lead vocal and Brian May guitar."[21] The television show Top Gear voted it the Greatest Driving Song Ever.[22]

Criticism

Despite its popularity, Brian May was not originally a fan of the song as he felt it was celebrating the hedonistic and risky lifestyle of Mercury, which he thought was threatening.[10] He added that he struggled with the lyrics at the time, because it was about a difficult period in Freddie's life when the singer was "taking lots of drugs and having sex with lots of men".[23][24] However, after hearing the song being played at weddings, parties and funerals, he has come to appreciate it as representing "great joy".[25]

Music video

The video for the song was directed by J. Kliebenstein and filmed at the Forest National, Brussels, Belgium on 26 January 1979.[26]

Live performances

Viewed at the time of release as one of the lesser songs in the Queen canon, it was only performed live during 1979, with the last performance in the Crazy Tour.[27] On the studio version, Brian May's only guitar playing is in his guitar solo, but on live versions performed on the band's 1979 Jazz and Crazy tours, May would also play rhythm guitar throughout the rest of the song to give more of a rock feel. A live version of the song features in the band's 1979 album Live Killers.[28]

Queen reintroduced the track to their set in the 2010s with Adam Lambert and it is now a popular live favourite.[25][11]

Personnel

Queen:

Charts

Chart Peak
position		 Peak
year
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[29] 23 1979
Germany (Official German Charts)[30] 35
Ireland (IRMA)[31] 10
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[32] 14
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[33] 16
UK Singles (OCC)[34] 9
US Billboard Hot 100[35] 86
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[36] 37 2009
Portugal Digital Songs (Billboard)[37] 7 2014
France (SNEP)[38] 68 2015
Australia (ARIA)[39] 53 2018
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[40] 38
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[41] 13
Hungary (Single Top 40)[42] 15
Italy (FIMI)[43] 54
Japan (Japan Hot 100)[44] 37
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[33] 97
Portugal (AFP)[45] 65
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[46] 27
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[47] 77
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[48] 52
UK Rock & Metal (OCC)[49] 1
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[50] 7
Japan (Japan Hot 100)[51] 32 2019

Year-end charts

2019 year-end chart performance for "Don't Stop Me Now"
Chart (2019) Position
France (SNEP)[52] 134
Hungary (Single Top 40)[53] 81
Portugal (AFP)[54] 166
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[55] 99
US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard)[56] 25
2022 year-end chart performance for "Don't Stop Me Now"
Chart (2022) Position
UK Singles (OCC)[57] 99

Revisited version

Chart (2019) Peak
position
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[58] 30

Sales and certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[59] 5× Platinum 350,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[60] 2× Platinum 180,000‡
Germany (BVMI)[61] Gold 250,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[62] 3× Platinum 150,000‡
Japan (RIAJ)[63]
2011 release 		Gold 100,000*
Portugal (AFP)[64] 3× Platinum 120,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[65] 4× Platinum 2,400,000‡
United States (RIAA)[66] 4× Platinum 4,000,000‡

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

McFly version

"Don't Stop Me Now" / "Please, Please"
Single by McFly
from the album Motion in the Ocean
Released17 July 2006 (2006-07-17)[67]
Length
  • 3:20 ("Don't Stop Me Now")
  • 3:09 ("Please, Please")
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
McFly singles chronology
"Ultraviolet/The Ballad of Paul K"
(2005)		 "Don't Stop Me Now" / "Please, Please"
(2006)		 "Star Girl"
(2006)

In 2006, English band McFly covered "Don't Stop Me Now" and released it as a double A-side single with original track "Please, Please". The release, titled "Don't Stop Me Now" / "Please, Please", was the first single from their third album, Motion in the Ocean. It premiered on BBC Radio 1 on 7 June 2006. The double A-side entered the UK Singles Chart at number one on 23 July 2006, knocking "Smile" by Lily Allen off the top spot. It also reached number 15 in Ireland.

Charity

Some of the money from any version of the single went to Sport Relief and as a result their version of "Don't Stop Me Now" was played across the BBC's sport programmes, including highlights from the 2006 FIFA World Cup. It also was the theme for the "Sport Relief Mile", which McFly also took part in. Judd also travelled to India for Sport Relief with a collection of other British celebrities including presenter and comedian Nick Hancock and radio DJ and presenter Chris Evans. Whilst out in India, Harry took part in a cricket tournament, travelling across India's poorest areas and playing with everyone from the kids to the professionals, all in aid of Sport Relief.

Track listings

UK CD1[68]

  1. "Don't Stop Me Now"
  2. "Please, Please" (radio version)

UK CD2[69]

  1. "Please, Please" (single version)
  2. "Don't Stop Me Now"
  3. "5 Colours in Her Hair" (US version)
  4. "5 Colours in Her Hair" (live from Arena Tour)
  5. "5 Colours in Her Hair" (live video)
  6. "Harry in India for Sport Relief"

UK DVD single[70]

  1. "Please, Please" (audio)
  2. "Don't Stop Me Now" (audio)
  3. "I've Got You" (US version)
  4. "I've Got You" (US movie video)
  5. "Please, Please" (video)
  6. Behind the scenes at the "Please, Please" video shoot

Charts

Other versions

Cover versions include:

References

  1. ↑ Hung, Steffen. "Queen – Don't Stop Me Now". hitparade.ch.
  2. ↑ Guarisco, Donald A. "Don't Stop Me Now – Queen". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 April 2018. ...it starts with Mercury singing over flowery piano lines and soon builds into stomping pop-rocker anchored by rumbling piano lines ... The end result was a smart fusion of pop hooks and rock energy...
  3. ↑ Prato, Greg. "Live Killers – Queen | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  4. ↑ House, Denis (23 November 2018). "The Show Must Go On". The Sentinel-Echo.
  5. ↑ Jazz – Don't Stop Me Now Ultimate Queen. Retrieved 2 July 2011
  6. ↑ Queen Greatest Hits, Vols. 1 & 2 Allmusic. Retrieved 12 July 2011
  7. ↑ Jazz (Remastered) Queen Archived 17 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine iTunes. Retrieved 12 July 2011
  8. 1 2 3 "The Evolution of Queen's 'Don't Stop Me Now': How a Minor Hit Became One of The Band's Most Beloved (And Inescapable) Songs". Billboard. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
  9. ↑ "Readers' Poll: 10 Greatest Queen Songs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  10. 1 2 Blake 2010, p. 223.
  11. 1 2 "Don't Stop Me Now". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
  12. ↑ "Bohemian Rhapsody [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
  13. ↑ Official: Top 25 karaoke songs The Telegraph. Retrieved 28 May 2011
  14. ↑ Queen interview: Brian May on Don't Stop Me Now Absolute Radio. Retrieved 21 December 2011
  15. ↑ Don't Stop Me Now Tops HMV Lyric Poll Queen Online. Retrieved 21 December 2011
  16. ↑ "Readers Poll: 10 Greatest Queen Songs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  17. ↑ Petridis, Alexis (24 October 2018). "Guaranteed to blow your mind: the real Freddie Mercury". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  18. ↑ Orme, Mike (27 April 2007). "Top Ten Favorite Penultimate Songs". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on 5 December 2008. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  19. ↑ "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard Magazine. 3 February 1979. p. 86. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  20. ↑ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 3 February 1979. p. 18. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  21. ↑ "Record World Single Picks" (PDF). Record World. 3 February 1979. p. 84. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  22. ↑ Blake 2010, p. 225.
  23. ↑ Eames, Tom. "The Story of... 'Don't Stop Me Now' by Queen". Smooth Radio. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  24. ↑ Poisuo, Pauli (28 January 2019). "True stories behind popular Queen songs". Grunge. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  25. 1 2 "Brian May on why he hated the Queen song "Don't Stop Me Now"". Far Out. 22 September 2022. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
  26. ↑ "Queen Promo Videos". Ultimatequeen.co.uk. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  27. ↑ Queen live on tour: Crazy tour Queen Concerts. Retrieved 2 July 2011
  28. ↑ Live Killers Allmusic. Retrieved 12 July 2011
  29. ↑ "Queen – Don't Stop Me Now" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  30. ↑ "Queen – Don't Stop Me Now" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  31. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Don't Stop Me Now". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  32. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 11, 1979" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  33. 1 2 "Queen – Don't Stop Me Now" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  34. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  35. ↑ "Queen Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  36. ↑ "Queen – Don't Stop Me Now". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  37. ↑ "Portugal Digital Songs: June 07, 2014". Billboard. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  38. ↑ "Queen – Don't Stop Me Now" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  39. ↑ "ARIA CHART WATCH #500". auspOp. 24 November 2018. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
  40. ↑ "Queen – Don't Stop Me Now" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  41. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 201847 into search. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  42. ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  43. ↑ "Queen – Don't Stop Me Now". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  44. ↑ "Queen Chart History (Japan Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  45. ↑ "Queen – Don't Stop Me Now". AFP Top 100 Singles.
  46. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 201847 into search. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  47. ↑ "Queen – Don't Stop Me Now" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  48. ↑ "Queen – Don't Stop Me Now". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  49. ↑ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  50. ↑ "Queen Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  51. ↑ "Queen Chart History (Japan Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  52. ↑ "Top de l'année Top Singles 2019" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  53. ↑ "Single Top 100 – eladási darabszám alapján – 2019". Mahasz. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  54. ↑ "Top AFP – Audiogest – Top 3000 Singles + EPs Digitais" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  55. ↑ "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2019". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  56. ↑ "Hot Rock Songs – Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  57. ↑ "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2022". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  58. ↑ "Queen Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  59. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2020 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  60. ↑ "Danish single certifications – Queen – Don't Stop Me Now". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  61. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Queen; 'Don't Stop Me Now')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  62. ↑ "Italian single certifications – Queen – Don't Stop Me Now" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 21 October 2019. Select "2019" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Don't Stop Me Now" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
  63. ↑ "Japanese digital single certifications – Queen – Don't Stop Me Now" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved 20 December 2021. Select 2021年11月 on the drop-down menu
  64. ↑ "Portuguese single certifications – Queen – Don't Stop Me Now" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  65. ↑ "British single certifications – Queen – Don't Stop Me Now". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  66. ↑ "American single certifications – Queen – Don't Stop Me Now". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  67. ↑ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 15 July 2006. p. 23.
  68. ↑ Don't Stop Me Now / Please, Please (UK CD1 liner notes). McFly. Island Records, Universal Records. 2006. 1703585.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  69. ↑ Please, Please / Don't Stop Me Now (UK CD2 liner notes). McFly. Island Records, Universal Records. 2006. 1703586.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  70. ↑ Please, Please / Don't Stop Me Now (UK DVD single liner notes). McFly. Island Records, Universal Records. 2006. 1703675.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  71. ↑ "Hits of the World: Eurocharts". Billboard. Vol. 118, no. 31. 5 August 2006. p. 67.
  72. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Don't Stop Me Now / Please Please". Irish Singles Chart.
  73. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  74. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  75. ↑ "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2006". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  76. ↑ "Foxes sings Queen's Don't Stop Me Now in Doctor Who episode Mummy on the Orients Express". Radio Times.
  77. ↑ Prindle, Mark (11 June 2004). "Interview with Warren Fitzgerald of The Vandals". Citizine. Archived from the original on 8 June 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
  78. ↑ Malliaros, Matt (9 November 2022). "Sonic Meets Queen in the Action-Packed 'Sonic Frontiers' Launch Trailer". Cinelinx | Movies. Games. Geek Culture. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  79. ↑ rawmeatcowboy (23 November 2022). "Check out the latest commercial for Sonic Frontiers". GoNintendo. Retrieved 22 October 2023.

Bibliography

  • Blake, Mark (2010). Is This The Real Life? The Untold Story of Queen. Arum Press. ISBN 978-1-84513-713-7.
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