Queen Was About To Throw This Funky Hit In The Trash, Until Michael Jackson Burst Backstage And Warned Freddie: “You’ll Be Crazy If You Don’t Make This A Global Hit!” The iconic bassline and undeniable groove of Queen’s 1980 hit, “Another One Bites the Dust,” cemented its place as a funk-rock classic and became one of the band’s biggest global successes. Yet, this chart-topping smash almost landed in the trash bin due to internal band resistance. The fate of the song was dramatically altered by an unexpected, decisive intervention from the then-reigning King of Pop, Michael Jackson, who saw its undeniable commercial potential.
The Disco Debate and Band Resistance
“Another One Bites the Dust” was written by bassist John Deacon, who had a deep appreciation for rhythm and funk music, drawing inspiration from the bassline of Chic’s “Good Times.” Deacon meticulously crafted the track, playing almost all the instruments—including the bass, rhythm guitar, piano, and performing the finger clicks. However, the song’s strong Disco and Funk leanings did not sit well with the more traditional rock members of Queen. Specifically, drummer Roger Taylor openly expressed his dislike for the track, finding it “too Disco” and lacking the hard rock edge that Queen was known for. The band was seriously considering not releasing the track as a single, fearing it might alienate their rock fanbase. The argument over the song’s commercial viability and genre fit was intense and remained unresolved until a critical night in Los Angeles.
Michael Jackson’s Backstage Command
The pivotal moment occurred after a Queen concert in Los Angeles in 1980, during their The Game Tour. Michael Jackson, who was a massive music figure even then and a friend of Freddie Mercury, burst backstage. Having heard the track, Jackson became the song’s most adamant advocate. Jackson’s warning to Mercury was direct and unequivocal. He allegedly told the Queen frontman something to the effect of: “You’ll be crazy if you don’t make this a global hit!” Jackson’s powerful conviction—coming from an artist at the very pinnacle of pop music—convinced Mercury and the rest of the band to reconsider their decision.
Data Proves the King Was Right
Queen listened to the King of Pop, and the results were historic, confirming Jackson’s unerring commercial instincts. “Another One Bites the Dust” was released as a single and quickly became a massive crossover hit. It spent three weeks at Number One on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, and crucially, it also became the first and only Queen song to hit Number Two on the R&B chart. The song became the best-selling single in Queen’s career in the United States, selling over four million copies globally by 1980. The unprecedented success of “Another One Bites the Dust” profoundly influenced Queen’s subsequent artistic direction. The band, realizing the commercial potential of blending funk, disco, and rock, leaned heavily into these new sounds for their 1982 album, Hot Space. Jackson’s intervention on that one single fundamentally shifted Queen’s approach to global pop music for a time, proving the King of Pop’s foresight was flawless.