Queen - We Will Rock You/We Are The Champ
Printed From: Top 40 Music on CD
Category: Top 40 Music On Compact Disc
Forum Name: Chat Board
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URL: https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9756
Printed Date: 18 May 2025 at 8:54am
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Topic: Queen - We Will Rock You/We Are The Champ
Posted By: PopArchivist
Subject: Queen - We Will Rock You/We Are The Champ
Date Posted: 25 February 2022 at 9:45pm
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So working on 1978 here and is the 5:01 that combines these two the official released 45 or did radio really combine the A and B for a Double A side back then? Did the files chart separately, what is the deal?
I didn't see any thread that ever dealt with the issue before. I know the 2016 annual has them listed together at 5:01 but if anyone remembers on the radio what got played, much appreciated. Ed Top 40 seems to think the merged one isn't the case, that it is 2:59, the running time of We Will Rock You. Thoughts anyone? ------------- Favorite two expressions to live by on this board: "You can't download vinyl" and "Not everything is available on CD." |
Replies:
Posted By: garye
Date Posted: 25 February 2022 at 10:49pm
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Was a 12 inch 45 speed released to radio in 1977.
So both songs. Combining both from CD to Flac times at 5:01 also. So We Will Rock You at 2:59 and We Are at 3:02 = 5:01. https://www.discogs.com/release/8283178-Queen-We-Are-The- Champions |
Posted By: Paul Haney
Date Posted: 26 February 2022 at 2:39am
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Most Top 40 stations (and just about every rock station) played the songs back-to-back in 1977/78. However,
Billboard's Hot 100 charts only showed "We Are The Champions" and I'm pretty sure AT40 only played "Champions" as well. I'm sure that some stations only played "Champions" but most radio playlists I've seen over the years do show both titles together. There was probably a little bit of day-parting too, with "We Will Rock You" probably played more at night than during the day. As for nowadays, I ONLY hear the two played together. |
Posted By: Hykker
Date Posted: 26 February 2022 at 6:49am
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My recollection is that most stations initially played "Champions", but many transitioned into the LP version as the song climbed
the charts. FM Top 40s certainly did, AMs could go either way...both my station and our crosstown competitor stayed with "Champions". As Paul noted, all you ever hear today is the LP version, but then again it's played primarily on classic rock stations who would be playing the LP versions anyway. |
Posted By: AndrewChouffi
Date Posted: 26 February 2022 at 7:30am
Yes, that's the way I remembered it in my (Albany/Schenectady/Troy) market. "We Are The Champions" alone got the initial Top-40 play. After the song gained traction, I started hearing "We Will Rock You" segued into "Champions" initially at nighttime only. Eventually the combo became the de facto hit. Andy |
Hykker wrote:Posted By: jono
Date Posted: 26 February 2022 at 9:43am
This is exactly what I recall my local Top 40 station (WKAU - Kaukauna, WI) doing. Once the LP version was played, that was the version they stuck with. Seemed like (especially) once it switched it was the #1 song on their Top 5 countdown for a looonnngggg time. |
Posted By: AdvprosD
Date Posted: 26 February 2022 at 1:38pm
I'd agree with this as well. I don't ever remember a time when the two weren't played as one unit on the radio. It was pretty odd when I started seeing them appearing separately on CD. Frequently, it was just "We Will Rock You" only. Unheard of as a practice here. ------------- <Dave> Someone please tell I-Heart Radio that St. Louis is not known as The Loo! |