Queen’s catalog is filled with iconic songs that now feel inseparable from rock history, but even the band’s guitarist and songwriter Brian May admits that not every idea felt like gold right away. One standout track in particular — a song now beloved by fans across generations — almost didn’t get the warm reception from May that it eventually earned.
The song in question is “We Are the Champions”, a stadium anthem that has become one of Queen’s most recognizable and enduring anthems. Today, it’s sung at sporting events, celebrations, and singalongs around the world, but in its early stages, May wasn’t entirely convinced it would become the hit that it did.
“We Are the Champions” was recorded for 1977’s News of the World, the same album that gave the world the equally monumental “We Will Rock You.” The two songs were conceived as a pair — the stomp-and-clap companion track and its soaring, triumphant counterpart — designed to engage audiences both inside and outside the studio.
While Freddie Mercury’s commanding delivery and the lyrics’ universal message gave the song its emotional power, May has admitted in interviews that he wasn’t immediately sure about the track’s potential. Early on, he struggled with the song’s structure and how it would fit within Queen’s evolving style. At a time when the band was known for theatrical complexity and studio wizardry, “We Are the Champions” was comparatively direct and anthemic — a departure from their usual approach.
May’s initial hesitation wasn’t born of doubt in the band’s talent, but rather from a place of creative instinct. He knew Queen was capable of nearly anything, and so he was naturally critical of anything that didn’t immediately strike him as bold or innovative. To him at first, the song’s simplicity seemed almost too straightforward for a band constantly redefining rock’s boundaries.
As rehearsals and recordings progressed, the power of the song became undeniable. Freddie Mercury’s vocal performance added a sense of urgency and universality, while the backing vocals, piano, and guitar work elevated the simple structure into something monumental. What seemed like a straightforward rock song transformed into a hymn for perseverance, survival, and shared victory — themes that resonated deeply with audiences.
Listening back to the finished track, May — like many in the band — saw that this directness was its strength, not a weakness. The simplicity allowed listeners to project their own emotions, struggles, and triumphs onto the music, turning the song into something larger than its original intent.
Today, “We Are the Champions” sits near the top of lists of Queen’s most enduring and culturally significant songs. It’s a fixture not just in rock history but in global pop culture — heard everywhere from stadiums to graduations to television soundtracks. What began as a song that made even its own writer question its direction became a universal statement of resilience and unity.
Brian May’s initial uncertainty underscores an important creative truth: sometimes the songs that feel most familiar — those that speak in plain, emotional terms — are the ones that connect most deeply with the world.
And in this case, a moment of hesitation helped reveal a timeless anthem.
