"Another One Bites the Dust" | ||||
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Single by Queen | ||||
from the album The Game | ||||
B-side |
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Released | 22 August 1980 (UK) [1] | |||
Studio | Musicland, Munich | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:35 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | John Deacon | |||
Producer(s) |
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Queen singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Another One Bites the Dust" on YouTube |
"Another One Bites the Dust" is a song by the British rock band Queen. Written by bassist John Deacon, the song was featured on the group's eighth studio album The Game (1980). It was a worldwide hit, charting at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks, from 4 October to 18 October (being their second and final number-one single in the country). The song spent 15 weeks in the Billboard top 10 (the longest running top ten song of 1980), including 13 weeks in the top five, and 31 weeks total on the chart (more than any other song in 1980). It reached number two on the Hot Soul Singles chart and the Disco Top 100 chart, and number seven on the UK Singles Chart. [6] [7] The song is credited as Queen's best-selling single, with sales of over 7 million copies. [8] This version was ranked at number 34 on Billboard's All-Time Top Songs. [9]
The song won an American Music Award for Favorite Rock Single and also garnered a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. [10] [11] [12] "Another One Bites the Dust" has been covered, remixed and sampled by many artists since its release, and has also appeared in TV shows, commercials, films and other media. [13] [14] [15] The song has also featured at sports events. [13] [16]
It is purported that John Deacon's bass line was inspired by "Good Times" by the disco group Chic. [17] [18] In an interview with NME , Chic co-founder Bernard Edwards stated, "That Queen record came about because that Queen bass player ... spent some time hanging out with us at our studio." [19]
Recording sessions – produced by Reinhold Mack at Musicland Studios in Munich (West Germany) – consisted of Deacon playing almost all instruments: bass guitar, piano, electric guitar, and handclaps. Roger Taylor added a drum loop and Brian May contributed noises with his guitar and an Eventide Harmonizer. There are no synthesisers in the song: all effects are created by piano, electric guitars and drums, with subsequent tape playback performed in reverse at various speeds. Finally, sound effects were run through the harmonizer for further processing. The effect of the harmonizer can be heard clearly in the "swirling" nature of the sound immediately before the first lyric. In early live performances, Taylor sang lead on the chorus, as opposed to the studio version sung entirely by Mercury. As the song became more well-known, the band could rely on audiences to sing the chorus by themselves. After attending a Queen concert in Los Angeles, Michael Jackson suggested to Freddie Mercury backstage that "Another One Bites the Dust" be released as a single. [20]
At the 1981 American Music Awards on 30 January, "Another One Bites the Dust" won the award for Favorite Pop/Rock Single. [11] [21] The song also garnered Queen a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. [12] It lost to Bob Seger's "Against the Wind". [12] The music video for "Another One Bites the Dust" was filmed at Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas on 9 August 1980. [22] The song also appears in Queen's Greatest Hits album in 1981. [23]
To "bite the dust" means to die or to lose in a contest or game. The beginning lyrics set up a scene similar to a mobster movie, with "machine guns ready to go". Later lyrics refer to a failed relationship as "another one bites the dust". The singer is not going to let it get him down, "standing on my own two feet". The song was used in a preliminary cut of Rocky III , before being replaced by Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger". "When one of my idols, Brian May, attended one of our shows in Los Angeles in 1984, he brought up that subject", recalled Survivor guitarist Frankie Sullivan, to whom Sylvester Stallone had supplied a copy of the movie. "I offered to send him a copy of the tape, which I still own." [24] [21]
Billboard called it a "snarling track" with a "spare, lean sound." [25] Record World said that "a brutal bass conspires with the sing-along hook on this thoroughly contagious [song]." [26] Classic Rock History critic Millie Zeiler rated it John Deacon's 2nd best Queen song. [21]
In the early 1980s, "Another One Bites the Dust" was one of many popular rock songs that some Christian evangelists alleged contained subliminal messages through a technique called backmasking. It was claimed that the chorus, when played in reverse, can be heard as "Decide to smoke marijuana", [27] "It's fun to smoke marijuana", [28] [29] or "Start to smoke marijuana". [30] A spokeswoman for Hollywood Records (Queen's current US label) has denied that the song contains such a message. [31] The song does, however, contain a backmasked piano, which can be heard clearly when it is played backward. [32]
"Another One Bites the Dust" was used in a study to train medical professionals to provide the correct number of chest compressions per minute while performing CPR. [33] The bassline has close to 110 beats per minute, and 100–120 chest compressions per minute are recommended by the British Heart Foundation, [34] and endorsed by the Resuscitation Council (UK). [35]
Original release
| Reissues
Year-end charts
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Certifications and sales
| All-time charts
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The first official remix of "Another One Bites The Dust" was Phase 5's Long Dusted B-Boy version, which was released on the Hollywood BASIC compilation BASIC Beats Sampler in early 1992. The remix featured a new rap verse by Money-B of Raw Fusion and contained many samples from other records including, but not limited to, "Flash" by Queen themselves, "The Breaks" by Kurtis Blow, "I Know You Got Soul" by Eric B. & Rakim, "Good Times" by Chic and "It's Too Funky in Here" by James Brown.
Dave Ogilvie edited the Phase 5 remix for inclusion on the April 1992 compilation BASIC Queen Bootlegs removing profanity from the rap verse and problematic samples due to copyright clearance. A separate remix by Onyx producer ChySkillz was due to appear featuring rap verses by Ice Cube, Hi-C and Manson. Ogilvie also recorded his own remix in sessions for the album, but did this not feature on the final track listing. All four versions have since leaked.
"Another One Bites The Dust (Wyclef Jean Remix)" | ||||
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Single by Queen and Wyclef Jean featuring Pras and Free | ||||
from the album Small Soldiers soundtrack and Ghetto Supastar | ||||
Released | 1998 | |||
Length | 4:20 | |||
Label | DreamWorks | |||
Songwriter(s) | John Deacon | |||
Producer(s) |
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Queen singles chronology | ||||
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Wyclef Jean singles chronology | ||||
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Pras Michel singles chronology | ||||
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In 1998,Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean covered and remixed the song alongside Queen for the film Small Soldiers (1998). His version also features rap verses from Pras Michel and Free. The track also appears on Queen's compilation Greatest Hits III ,released in 1999, [84] and on Pras' debut album, Ghetto Supastar ,released in 1998.
The song enjoyed its greatest success in Queen's native United Kingdom,where it entered and peaked at number five on the UK Singles Chart,two places higher than the original, [85] going on to spend six weeks on the chart. It also peaked within the top ten of the charts in Finland. It charted number 18,number 23,number 50 and number 62 in New Zealand,Austria,Sweden and France,respectively. The music video for this version was directed by Michel Gondry.
The song became Pras' third top ten hit in the United Kingdom from his debut solo album Ghetto Supastar ,following the title track and follow-up single Blue Angels. However,Pras was not available for the filming of the video,and rapper Canibus recorded a new verse to take his place. This version was used only for the promotional video.[ citation needed ]
Chart (1998–1999) | Peak position |
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Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [90] | 23 |
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [91] | 13 |
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia) [92] | 29 |
Canada Dance/Urban ( RPM ) [93] | 22 |
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) [94] | 7 |
France (SNEP) [95] | 62 |
Germany (GfK) [96] | 46 |
Ireland (IRMA) [41] | 11 |
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [97] | 21 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [98] | 21 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [99] | 9 |
Norway (VG-lista) [100] | 20 |
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [101] | 50 |
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [102] | 35 |
UK Singles (OCC) [85] | 5 |
US Billboard Hot R&B Airplay [103] | 69 |
"Another One Bites the Dust (Cedric Gervais &Second Sun Radio Edit)" | ||||
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Single by Queen vs. The Miami Project | ||||
from the album Another One Bites the Dust (The Miami Project Remixes) | ||||
B-side | "Another One Bites the Dust" (Original Version) | |||
Released | 2006 | |||
Length | 3:22 | |||
Label | Positiva | |||
Songwriter(s) | John Deacon | |||
Producer(s) |
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Queen singles chronology | ||||
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The song was remixed again in 2006. The single reached the UK Top 40,peaking at number 31,credited to Queen vs The Miami Project. [104] The lead remix was by Cedric Gervais &Second Sun for which a new video was filmed.
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Italy (FIMI) [117] | 3×Platinum | 210,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
"Another One Bites the Dust" | ||||
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Single by Queen Dance Traxx featuring Captain Jack | ||||
from the album Queen Dance Traxx 1 | ||||
Released | 1996 | |||
Length | 3:48 | |||
Songwriter(s) | John Deacon | |||
Producer(s) |
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Captain Jack singles chronology | ||||
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In 1996,Queen Dance Traxx and German Eurodance group Captain Jack covered the song for the album Queen Dance Traxx 1 and released it as a single. The song reached number 5 in Finland and peaked at number 12 in the Netherlands. It also reached number 33 in Austria,number 41 in Belgium and number 61 in Germany. The music video for this version was directed by Rudi Dolezal and was filmed in Berlin,Germany.
Remixed by Hal &Dj Ufuk a.k.a. Helmut Apel &Ufuk Yildirim
Chart (1996–1997) | Peak position |
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Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [118] | 33 |
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [119] | 41 |
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) [120] | 5 |
Germany (GfK) [121] | 61 |
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [122] | 12 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [123] | 14 |
In 1980,"Weird Al" Yankovic recorded a parody of "Another One Bites the Dust" entitled "Another One Rides the Bus";the narrator laments about a crowded public city bus. [124] "Another One Rides the Bus" was performed by Yankovic on his first television appearance on The Tomorrow Show (21 April 1981) with Tom Snyder. [125]
Wyclef Jean Presents The Carnival,also known simply as The Carnival,is the debut studio album released by Haitian hip hop musician Wyclef Jean. The album was released on 24 June 1997. Wyclef Jean also served as the album's executive producer. The album features guest appearances from Celia Cruz and The Neville Brothers and multiple appearances from Jean's former Fugees bandmates,Lauryn Hill and Pras.
"Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)" is a song by American rapper Pras,featuring rapper Ol' Dirty Bastard and R&B singer Mýa. Produced by Pras and Wyclef Jean,with co-production from Jerry 'Wonda" Duplessis and Che Pope,it interpolates Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton's 1983 single "Islands in the Stream",as written by the Bee Gees,and samples "Get Up,Get into It,Get Involved" by James Brown. Also featured on the soundtrack for the 1998 film Bulworth,the song was released as Pras' debut solo single and the second from his debut solo album Ghetto Supastar on June 6,1998.
"In the Summertime" is the debut single by British rock band Mungo Jerry,released in 1970. It reached number one in charts around the world,including seven weeks on the UK Singles Chart,two weeks at number one on the Canadian charts,and number three on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the US. It became one of the best-selling singles of all-time,and is the biggest-selling single of all-time by a British band,eventually selling 30 million copies. Written and composed by the band's lead singer,Ray Dorset,while working in a lab for Timex,the lyrics of the song celebrate the carefree days of summer. The track was included on the second album by the band,Electronically Tested,issued in March 1971.
"No,No,No" is a song recorded by American girl group Destiny's Child for their eponymous debut studio album (1998). It was written by Calvin Gaines,Mary Brown,Rob Fusari and Vincent Herbert,with production helmed by Fusari und Herbert. A sensual mid-tempo ballad blending contemporary R&B with "lush" 1970s soul,it was renamed "No,No,No" after musician Wyclef Jean was consulted to produce and appear on a remix of the song. Built around a hard-sliding bassline and sung in a staccato,rhythmic style,featuring co-production from Che Greene and Jerry Duplessis,it was titled "No,No,No".
"Maria Maria" is a song by American rock band Santana featuring the Product G&B,included on Santana's 18th studio album,Supernatural (1999). The song was written by Wyclef Jean,Jerry "Wonda" Duplessis,Carlos Santana,Karl Perazzo,and Raul Rekow,while Jean and Duplessis produced it. The track samples the drum beat from "God Make Me Funky" by American jazz fusion band the Headhunters,and the melody riff was inspired by the Wu-Tang Clan song "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing ta Fuck Wit". Interspersed with guitars and other strings,"Maria Maria" is driven by a hip hop beat. At the 2000 Grammy Awards,the song won Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals before it experienced commercial success.
"Hips Don't Lie" is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira,featuring Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean,released by Epic Records in 2006. "Hips Don't Lie" is a reworking of Jean's earlier single "Dance Like This",therefore it features additional composing credits by Omar Alfanno,Duplessis,Luis Días,and LaTavia Parker. The song was released as the first single from the reissue of Shakira's seventh studio album,Oral Fixation,Vol. 2,and second overall. Shakira and Jean wrote the lyrics and jointly composed the music with additional co-writing by Shakira's percussionist Archie Pena. The song was produced by Shakira and Jean with additional co-production by Jerry Duplessis. The song incorporates samples from "Amores Como el Nuestro" written by Alfanno,and "Carnaval " written by Días.
"911" is a duet between Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean and American soul music singer Mary J. Blige. It was released on 5 September 2000 as the third single from Jean's second studio album,The Ecleftic:2 Sides II a Book (2000),and was later included on Blige's compilation Reflections (2006). The song peaked at number 38 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and had success worldwide,particularly in Scandinavian countries,reaching number one in Norway and Sweden.
"Electric Avenue" is a song by Guyanese-British musician Eddy Grant. Written and produced by Grant,it was released on his 1982 studio album Killer on the Rampage. In the United States,with the help of the MTV music video he made,it was one of the biggest hits of 1983. The song refers to Electric Avenue in London during the 1981 Brixton riot.
"One Nite Stand (Of Wolves and Sheep)" is a song by German singer–songwriter Sarah Connor featuring Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean. Written by Jean,Jerry Duplessis,O.G. Fortuna,and Connor,the song was released in German-speaking Europe on 2 September 2002 as the lead single from Connor's second studio album,Unbelievable (2002).
"Gone till November" a song by Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean,released as the third single from his debut solo album The Carnival (1997). The song was released on 25 November 1997 by Columbia and Ruffhouse,and peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart,becoming Jean's highest-charting solo hit in the UK alongside 2000's "It Doesn't Matter". In the United States,the song peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It reached number four in both Canada and New Zealand.
"We Trying to Stay Alive" is the first single released from Wyclef Jean's debut solo album,The Carnival. The song features raps by John Fortéand Pras and samples the 1977 Bee Gees hit "Stayin' Alive" and Audio Two's "Top Billin'" (1987). The video version also contains an interpolation of the main melody of "Trans-Europe Express" by "Kraftwerk". In the US,it reached number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Additionally,it reached number three on the Hot Rap Songs chart and number 14 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The track reached number 87 on VH1's "100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time".
"It Doesn't Matter" is the first single released from Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean's second studio album,The Ecleftic:2 Sides II a Book (2000). Written by Jean and Jerry Duplessis,the track features additional vocals from Melky Sedeck and wrestler The Rock,whose famous catchphrase inspired the song title. The song includes samples of "Mona Lisa" by Slick Rick,"This Is Ska" by Longsy D,"Livin' la Vida Loca" by Ricky Martin,and "Take Me Home,Country Roads" by John Denver,so all songwriters are given credits.
"New Day" is a charity single released by Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean and Irish singer-songwriter Bono,in aid of charity NetAid. The song appears on the international version of Jean's second album,The Ecleftic:2 Sides II a Book. Wyclef and Bono performed the song live at Giants Stadium,New Jersey,at the NetAid launch concert on 9 October 1999.
"Two Wrongs" is the lead single from Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean's third studio album,Masquerade. The song,released in the United States on 13 May 2002,features Claudette Ortiz of American hip hop group City High. The single reached number one in New Zealand,number five in Australia,and number 14 in the United Kingdom. In the United States,it reached number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 11 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles &Tracks chart. "Two Wrongs" is certified platinum in both Australia and New Zealand.
"Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)" is the lead single from Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean's sixth studio album,Carnival Vol. II:Memoirs of an Immigrant. The R&B and hip hop song features vocals from Niia and Akon,as well as rapper Lil Wayne. Verizon Wireless released the song on their V CAST service on August 7,2007. It peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2008.
The Game is the eighth studio album by the British rock band Queen. It was released on 30 June 1980 by EMI Records in the UK and by Elektra Records in the US. The Game features a different sound from its predecessor,Jazz (1978). The Game was the first Queen album to use a synthesizer.
"Been Around the World" is a song by American rapper Puff Daddy,featuring the Notorious B.I.G. and Mase and included on Puff Daddy's debut studio album No Way Out (1997). The song samples David Bowie's 1983 hit song "Let's Dance",and contains an interpolation of Lisa Stansfield's song "All Around the World",sung by the Notorious B.I.G. in the chorus. In the album version,the song concludes with a skit featuring an interview with "The Mad Producer".
"Cheated (To All The Girls)" is the fourth single released from Wyclef Jean's debut solo album,The Carnival. It is a remixed version of the album track "To All The Girls". The song was mildly successful in the US,where it reached number 61 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Additionally,it reached number six on the Hot Rap Songs chart and number 48 in the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The single was backed with a brand new track featuring fellow Fugees member Pras,entitled "What's Clef".
"Divine Sorrow" is a song by Haitian hip hop recording artist Wyclef Jean from his EP J'ouvert. Credited with the mononym Wyclef on the official cover of the single,it also features Swedish DJ and producer Avicii. The song was released as the lead single from the album on 17 November 2014. It was written by Magnus Lidehäll,Salem Al Fakir,and Vincent Pontare.
Participants in this experiment listened to a short segment, in reverse, from the Queen (1980/1991) song, "Another One Bites the Dust" [...]. The chorus of this song has long been used to support the claim that rock and roll bands "backmask" illicit or immoral statements into their music in an attempt to influence listeners [...]. Proponents of this view report being able to hear the phrase "It's fun to smoke marijuana" when the chorus from "Another One Bites the Dust" is played backward.
Queen and the song 'Another one bites the dust', when played backwards yields 'it's fun to smoke marijuana' in a subliminal sort of way.