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Bohemian Rhapsody's Titular Queen Song is Most-Streamed From 20th Century
Surging up the charts alongside the movie of the same name, Bohemian Rhapsody has just been named the most-streamed song from the 20th century. Its movie counterpart - Bohemian Rhapsody - which made waves due to both its controversy and its unabated popularity - also now holds its own title, as the highest-grossing music biopic of all time.
Despite the fanfare surrounding Bryan Singer's Queen biopic focused mainly on the life of the band's gregarious lead singer, there have been a plethora of critiques. From deliberately altered timelines to the misrepresentation of Freddy Mercury's sexuality, the movie has been criticized in several regards. Even lead star Rami Malek's uncanny performance during the final scene of the film at the Live Aid concert couldn't quite make up for the countless inaccuracies the movie glosses over. Yet, fans rushed to box offices to view the neatly packaged, feel-good version of Mercury's life; and when they went home they listened to the music featured throughout the film, a lot.
Securing a solid boost from the dedicated fans of the biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody became the most-streamed song from the 20th century, as reported in Variety. The single, which debuted back in 1975, has climbed up the charts following the release of the biopic on November 2, though this is far from the first time the song spent time near the top. Queen's guitarist, Brian May, expressed his glee at the single's newfound audience, saying:
“So the River of Rock Music has metamorphosed into streams! Very happy that our music is still flowing to the max!”
Adherence to facts aside, Bohemian Rhapsody, has garnered not just box office success but also acknowledgement from the film industry by way of Golden Globe nominations. Malek has been nominated for Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama while the film itself will compete against BlacKkKlansman, A Star is Born and others for Best Motion Picture - Drama.
Some have suggested that Bohemian Rhapsody's PG-13 rating led to the odd retelling of Freddie Mercury's story, while others blame the problem on Hollywood's proven difficulties in representing LGBTQ characters. Whatever the reason, a film has been created that has a very polarizing effect on moviegoers. The only thing viewers seem to agree on is the immense talent of Rami Malek and the timelessness of Queen's music. This platform of the biopic has brought newfound life to Queen's music, which stands the test of time and serves as the true creative legacy of Freddy Mercury.
