a night at the opera (12. 840)

First released in UK markets on this day in 1975 as the lead single from Queen’s fourth studio album (see previously), “Bohemian Rhapsody” quickly gained legendary status and became one of the most celebrated songs of all time. The symphonic journey, notable—for a pop song—for having no refrain and formal division with prelude, recitativo, progress rock interlude and epilogue, parodying the high art form in a skewering, bombastic manner that’s sort of brilliantly Italian brain rot—Galileo Figaro—Magnifico, a joke despite the underlying gravity of the personal lyrics. Having experimented with this type of composition previously with Mercury’s early work in “My Fairy King,” ambitions were greatly expanding during rigorous daily recording sessions for three weeks and multiple overdubs to achieve the right mix. Eschewed at first by radio stations because of its length the promotion video was quickly commission and aired on Top of the Pops within days. All special effects for the short were achieved live during the recording rather than editing in post-production, like the cascading effect caused by the visual feedback of pointing the camera at one of the studio monitors.