The Fans Favourite Number 1

[The Mayor Of Simpleton]

I'm sure that a few of you have been watching the ITV show 'The Nation's Favourite Number 1' recently.

 

What is your favourite Number 1 song ever, and why?

 

My choice is the timeless classic 'Bohemian Rhapsody.' Having been a fan of Queen since 1990/91 (and yes I was devastated when Freddie Mercury passed away) this has been my favourite song for most of my life. Quite simply, very few songs come near its undoubted class (Imagine and Stairway To Heaven are probably the only two that do, and only one of those was ever released as a single), and it is the only song to be number 1 twice in its history (in 1975 and 1991, posthumously).

 

Looking at the song, it should never have 'worked' - it opens with a ballad, changes to opera and finishes with hard rock and returns to the initial ballad briefly - yet somehow it works fantastically and 37 years (yes, 37!) after it was first released it is still a much loved, respected and played song in the nation's houses. It is the song which elevated Queen from a quite decent glam rock band (they had earlier hits with Seven Seas Of Rhye and Killer Queen in 1974) to global superstars, and the rest as they say is history.

 

Even after Freddie's passing, Bohemian Rhapsody has been played live by Queen in their 'second coming' with singers Paul Rodgers and Adam Lambert doing the song justice in their live performances.

 

Almost everybody, even if they are not a die-hard Queen fan, knows at least most of the words to Bohemian Rhapsody - it is instantly memorable, the second most played song on British radio (after 'A Whiter Shade Of Pale') and catchy and has sold close to six million copies in the UK alone. It was voted as the Nation's Favourite Number 1 in the above programme, and will no doubt be as popular in 50, 100 or 1000 years time - something which you cannot say about modern day stars such as Justin Bieber.

 

Oh, did I mention that it was also the first single released with an accompanying video as well?

 

So what's your favourite number 1?