Queen carved their name into the annals of music history and had a profound influence on subsequent generations of musicians. The Foo Fighters, in particular, have repeatedly expressed their admiration for the iconic rock band.
In 1978 Queen released Brian May’s bold hard rock anthem ‘Fat Bottomed Girls’. Although they credited May with writing the song, Freddie Mercury was the primary muse and creative force behind it. The fact that Mercury delivered the track with such enthusiasm demonstrates his artistic prowess.
As May told Mojo, “On the surface, it’s a heterosexual song because it’s called ‘Fat Bottomed Girls’, but I was fully aware of Freddie’s proclivities and the fact that he was going to sing it. Furthermore, I drew inspiration for the song from events in both Freddie’s and my own lives. So it’s not as much of a heterosexual song as you might expect. It’s a type of pansexual song. There are numerous approaches you can take.”
On the track, Mercury says, “Get on your bikes and ride!” This reference comes from ‘Bicycle Race’, which was released as a double A-side single alongside ‘Fat Bottomed Girls’. In the Foo Fighters’ high-energy rock anthem ‘FFL’, Dave Grohl echoes these lively words in tribute to the late singer. Interestingly, this song deviates from the typical Foo Fighters sound, leaning more towards Grohl’s metal roots and featuring passionate vocals over energetic guitar riffs.
Grohl isn’t the only band member who shows deep admiration for the rock group; Taylor Hawkins, a well-known super fan, considers the band one of the greatest in history. Their music influenced his decision to pursue drumming. Hawkins also became close friends with May and Roger Taylor, who were deeply sorrowful by his death in 2022.
Following his death, Taylor and May attended a tribute concert at Wembley Stadium in London to honour the drummer. During the event, they performed a mini-set of Queen’s iconic songs, with special guests including Rufus Taylor and Justin Hawkins, the lead singer of The Darkness.
May concluded her set with an acoustic rendition of the 1975 classic ‘Love of My Life‘. Before beginning the performance, May shared some heartfelt words with the audience. “Exactly 30 years ago, we said goodbye to Freddie in a style similar to this,” he went on to say. “This song, to honor Taylor Hawkins, would bring delight to Freddie.” But, here’s the thing: I don’t sing this song. We all sing this song together!
