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You're My Best Friend (Queen song)

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"You're My Best Friend"
Yugoslavian single picture sleeve
Single by Queen
from the album A Night at the Opera
B-side"'39"
Released18 June 1976 (UK)[1]
Recorded1975
Genre
Length2:52
Label
Songwriter(s)John Deacon
Producer(s)
Queen singles chronology
"Bohemian Rhapsody"
(1975) 		"You're My Best Friend"
(1976) 		"Somebody to Love"
(1976)
Music video
"You're My Best Friend" on YouTube

"You're My Best Friend" is a song by the British rock band Queen, written by the band's bass player, John Deacon, who wrote it for and about his wife. It was first included on the 1975 album A Night at the Opera, and later released as a single. The ballad[6] also appeared on the Live Killers (1979) live album, and on the compilation albums Greatest Hits (1981), Absolute Greatest (2009) and Queen Forever (2014).

The song reached number seven in the UK Singles Chart and number 16 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[7] It is certified platinum by the RIAA in the US with over one million copies sold. The song has since featured in television, film, and other media, such as The Simpsons and Family Guy.

History

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Deacon wrote the song for his wife, Veronica Tetzlaff.[8] In this song, he plays a Wurlitzer electric piano in addition to his bass guitar work.[9] The characteristic "bark" of the Wurlitzer's bass notes plays a prominent role in the song. During live performances, Freddie Mercury would play a grand piano, while Deacon played the bass guitar as in the original recording. The song would be performed live by the band from the Summer Gigs 1976 Tour up to the end of the North American leg of The Game Tour in 1980. It was then dropped from the rest of the tour, and would not be played live again until after the death of Mercury.

The song was used in several TV shows and films such as Hot in Cleveland, Will & Grace, EastEnders, My Name is Earl, The King of Queens, Good Omens, The Break-Up, the end credits of I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, The Simpsons,[10] Shaun of the Dead, Peter's Friends, The Secret Life of Pets, and the Family Guy episode "Farmer Guy".[11]

Music video

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The music video, directed by Bruce Gowers, shows the band in a huge ballroom surrounded by over one thousand candles, including a huge chandelier hung from the ceiling.[12] The video was filmed in April 1976[12] at Elstree Studios, near London. Additionally, Deacon is seen playing a grand piano rather than the Wurlitzer he used on the recording.[13]

Composition

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Well, Freddie didn't like the electric piano, so I took it home and I started to learn on the electric piano and basically that's the song that came out you know when I was learning to play piano. It was written on that instrument and it sounds best on that. You know, often on the instrument that you wrote the song on.

— John Deacon, 24 December 1977, BBC Radio 1[14]

I refused to play the damn thing [the electric piano]. It's tinny and horrible and I don't like them. Why play those things when you've got a lovely superb grand piano? No, I think, basically what he [John] is trying to say is it was the desired effect.

—Freddie Mercury, 24 December 1977, BBC Radio 1[9]

The song was composed by John Deacon in the key of C major with a meter of 4/4, in swing feel.[15]

The album A Night at the Opera features songs of numerous styles, including this three-minute pop song.[4] Very unusual for the genre, there is no section appearing more than twice; characteristic of many Queen songs, as affirmed by Brian May.[16] On the other hand, in terms of phrases and measures, there are numerous repetitions or variants. The form is cyclic and very similar to that of "Spread Your Wings" (1977). Another similarity between the two songs is the lack of (real) modulation. The arrangement features 3 and 4-part vocal and guitar harmonies, bass (melodic approach), drums, and electric piano. This is Deacon's second recorded song and the first one released on single, some six months after the album-release. Mercury hits two sustained C5s in the lead vocal track.

Reception

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Cash Box said that "the harmonies are smoothly designed to accentuate the hook of the chorus" and that "the beat is really good, on the edge of bubblegum, but still classy."[17] Record World said it "stands to be every bit the enormous hit ['Bohemian Rhapsody'] was," even though it does not break new ground the way "Bohemian Rhapsody" did.[18] Classic Rock History critic Millie Zeiler rated it John Deacon's best Queen song.[8]

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[32] Platinum 600,000‡
United States (RIAA)[33] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Personnel

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Information is taken from the Queen Songs website[34]

References

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  1. ^ Mulligan, Brian, ed. (19 June 1976). "advertisement" (PDF). Music Week. London, England, U.K.: Billboard Group: 27. ISSN 0265-1548. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 March 2021. Retrieved 15 June 2024. Due to continuous airplay and public demand, Queen release their new single, "You're my best friend" b/w "39" on June 18th
  2. ^ "13 Most Romantic Rock Songs of All Time". Iloveclassicrock.com. 17 May 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  3. ^ Stanley, Bob (13 September 2013). "Some Kind of Monster: Metal". Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop. Faber & Faber. p. 569. ISBN 978-0-571-28198-5.
  4. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (n.d.). "Queen – A Night at the Opera". AllMusic. TiVo Corporation. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
  5. ^ "Every song on Queen's A Night At The Opera, ranked from worst to best". Classic Rock Magazine. 2 December 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  6. ^ "The best songs about friendship". Digitaltrends.com. 22 December 2017.
  7. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 513.
  8. ^ a b Zeiler, Millie (28 December 2022). "Top 10 John Deacon Queen Songs". Classic Rock History. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  9. ^ a b "You're My Best Friend by Queen". songfacts.com. Retrieved 10 March 2010.
  10. ^ "Queen". IMDb.com. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  11. ^ McFarland, Kevin (13 May 2013). ""Farmer Guy" | Family Guy | TV Club". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
  12. ^ a b Promo Videos: You're My Best Friend. Ultimate Queen. Retrieved 11 November 2011.
  13. ^ You're My Best Friend. Ultimate Queen. Retrieved 11 November 2011.
  14. ^ "You're My Best Friend". queenpedia.com. Retrieved 10 March 2010.
  15. ^ title=Queen Songs: You're My Best Friend Archived 17 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Queen Songs. Retrieved 11 November 2011.
  16. ^ "The Making Of The Prophet Song (Classic Albums)". YouTube. 12 March 2012. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  17. ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 5 June 1976. p. 16. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  18. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. 29 May 1976. p. 1. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  19. ^ "Queen – You're My Best Friend" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  20. ^ "Queen – You're My Best Friend" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  21. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4288a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  22. ^ Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
  23. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – You're My Best Friend". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
  24. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Queen" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  25. ^ "Queen – You're My Best Friend" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  26. ^ "you%27re+my+best+friend | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  27. ^ "Queen Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  28. ^ "Top 100 1976-07-31". Cashbox. Archived from the original on 25 October 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  29. ^ "Queen Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  30. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  31. ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1976/Top 100 Songs of 1976". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  32. ^ "British single certifications – Queen – You're My Best Friend". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  33. ^ "American single certifications – Queen – You're My Best Friend". Recording Industry Association of America.
  34. ^ "A Night At The Opera". queensongs.info. Archived from the original on 13 June 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
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