Queen Narrowly Fails To Chart Another No. 1 Song

06 Nov 2024 by Hugh McIntyre · Forbes

Queen, the rock band Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon seen here in New ... [+] Orleans, USA. They are rehearsing for their forthcoming tour of South America. 21st September 1981. Queen's new single “The Night Comes Down” rises to a new peak on one chart in the U.K., and it almost reached the No. 1 spot. (Photo by Kent Gavin/Mirrorpix/Getty Images)Getty Images

Queen claims what may be the most valuable catalog in music history. They shattered records earlier this year when the rights to their albums and smashes were purchased by Sony Music for more than $1 billion, marking a first and a new high point in the industry for such sales.

They have produced some of the catchiest songs in rock, and they’re still scoring smashes, even long after they largely stopped releasing new music. The group recently turned a decades-old tune into a single, and after several weeks on the charts in the U.K., that cut rises to a new high—and almost gives the legends another leader.

“The Night Comes Down” lifts to a previously-unknown peak on the latest edition of the Official Vinyl Singles chart. The tune steps up one rung, pushing from No. 3 to the runner-up slot on the list of the top-selling individual tunes available on wax in the United Kingdom.

Queen has thus far collected a trio of champions on the Official Vinyl Singles chart. “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Face It Alone,” and “We Are the Champions”—the newer version with Adam Lambert, the band’s current lead singer—have all reached No. 1 on the vinyl-only roster.

“The Night Comes Down” is one of eight top 10 hits by Queen on the vinyl list. “We Are the Champions”—with Freddie Mercury—also stalled at No. 2. The band has sent nine tunes to the Official Vinyl Singles chart, with only one, “Breakthru,” missing the loftiest tier.

Queen claims a pair of spaces on the 40-space ranking this time around. “Cool Cat” falls from No. 23 to No. 37 this frame, narrowly holding on and earning another turn on the tally.

“The Night Comes Down” was finally chosen as a single only a few weeks ago, and once it was upgraded to that honor and re-released on a variety of formats, the tune became a hit. Queen first shared the song more than half a century ago, in 1973. It was included on their debut album, Queen.

That set was recently re-released as a collector’s edition, and it’s been retitled Queen I. The title finally reaches the top 10 on the main albums chart in the U.K. this week, as the newly-expanded box set collection sold very well after dozens of special tracks were included, making the anniversary project something special to own.