Best song on The Works - Queen

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by stunner2020, May 29, 2017.

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  1. stunner2020

    stunner2020 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    UK
    [​IMG]

    Following the relative flop of Hot Space, Queen took a year out before returning with The Works, which immediately righted plenty of apparent wrongs, at least outside of North America. Just held off the top spot at #2 in the UK (the last Queen studio album not to storm straight to the summit there), it produced three top ten singles (two more than Hot Space) in "Radio Ga Ga," "I Want To Break Free" and "It's A Hard Life," and was followed by an all-conquering world tour, excluding the aforementioned North America, where Queen would never perform live again following the albums' dismal placing.

    Despite being something of a return to form in terms of sales, time has not been overly kind to The Works. Although perhaps generally seen as a superior effort to the following two 1980's studio albums, it is often regarded as Queen's "apology" album, playing it safe and sticking with a very tried-and-tested Queen formula.

    As always, pick your top three. Also included are B-side "I Go Crazy" and the rare non-album single "Thank God It's Christmas."

    Winners so far:
    Queen - "Keep Yourself Alive"
    Queen II - "The March Of The Black Queen"
    Sheer Heart Attack - "Killer Queen"
    A Night At The Opera - "Bohemian Rhapsody"
    A Day At The Races - "Somebody To Love"
    News Of The World - very close between "It's Late" and "We Are The Champions"
    Jazz - very close between "Don't Stop Me Now" and "Fat Bottomed Girls"
    The Game - very close between "Dragon Attack," "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" and "Save Me"
    Flash Gordon - "Flash's Theme"
    Hot Space - "Under Pressure"
     
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  2. Pim

    Pim Forum Resident

    Radio Ga Ga, though I also love Machines. I never cared for Keep Passing/Man On The Prowl.
     
  3. Holy Diver

    Holy Diver Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    Radio Ga Ga
    I Want To Break Free
    Hammer To Fall
     
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  4. andrewskyDE

    andrewskyDE Island Owner

    Location:
    Europe
    I voted for two (Radio Ga Ga and Hammer To Fall), though the whole album is amazing.
    [Edit:] Just saw 'I Go Crazy' is in the poll. That's one of their best single b-sides IMO!
     
    Last edited: May 29, 2017
  5. ZAck Scott

    ZAck Scott Senior Member

    A tough one as this is my favorite Queen Album outside of Jazz and A Night at the Opera.

    I picked "I go Crazy", "It's a Hard Life", and "Machines".

    Why?

    I Go Crazy is a great track that sounds like it was recorded live. That's the band, in L.A. in 1984 having fun!

    It's a Hard Life, a beautiful track based on the opera Paliatchi (sp?)

    Machines is the most Experimental on the album. While not true Prog Rock it does show some roots but really playing with synth's to their full extent. great to blast!
     
  6. tspit74

    tspit74 Senior Member

    Location:
    Woodridge, IL, USA
    This was when I got into Queen and started buying their albums. Loved the Radio Ga Ga video when I first saw it. Not a big fan of Prowl, break free or tear it up.
     
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  7. npc210

    npc210 Forum Resident

    Radio Ga Ga
    It's a Hard Life
    Hammer to Fall
     
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  8. OobuJoobu

    OobuJoobu Forum Resident

    Location:
    Yorkshire, UK
    It will be interesting to see how I Want To Break Free does in this poll.

    I'm pretty sure that, mainly due to the iconic British style video, it would poll much better over here (The UK) than it would in the US or elsewhere.
     
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  9. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    Radio Ga Ga
    I Want To Break Free
    Tear It Up
     
  10. greelywinger

    greelywinger Osmondia

    Location:
    Dayton, Ohio USA
    Hammer To Fall

    Darryl
     
  11. extravaganza

    extravaganza Senior Member

    Location:
    San Diego, CA USA
    "Hammer to Fall"
    "Radio Gaga" (and I am not usually a fan of Roger songs with exception of SHA)
    "Is This the World We Created"
     
  12. Combination

    Combination Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Orleans

    They freakin' jam on I Go Crazy! The energy is great on that song.
     
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  13. 905

    905 Senior Member

    Location:
    Midwest USA
    I like this album... Just to pick one, It's a Hard Life.
     
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  14. Zach Johnson

    Zach Johnson Forum Resident

    Location:
    Toronto, Ontario
    Radio Ga Ga
    Machines (Or Back to Humans)
    Keep Passing the Open Windows

    Also love It's a Hard Life and Hammer to Fall. Underrated album.
     
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  15. yesstiles

    yesstiles Senior Member

    "Keep Passing The Open Windows" is my favorite.

    But "Hammer To Fall," "Radio Ga-Ga," and " I Want To Break Free" are all great. I never heard the album until about 5 years ago.
     
  16. npgchris

    npgchris Forum Resident

    It's A Hard Life
    I Want To Break Free
    Hammer To Fall
     
  17. CBS 65780

    CBS 65780 "Could I do one more immediately?"

    Location:
    Dublin, Ireland
    Radio Ga Ga
    I Go Crazy
    Tear It Up

    First time I got hold of I Go Crazy was on the old reissued 3" EMI CD single. Played it to death. Like 'new Queen music'! Great stuff.
     
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  18. Matthew Tate

    Matthew Tate Forum Resident

    Location:
    Richmond, Virginia

    my vote exactly
     
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  19. John Adam

    John Adam An Introvert In Paradise

    Location:
    Hawaii
    Yup. These four are great examples of good 80's Queen. :)
     
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  20. PretzelLogic

    PretzelLogic Feeling duped by MoFi? You probably deserve it.

    Location:
    London, England
    Love Queen.

    Don't like this album.

    There's a few good songs on it, but for me the quality is well below their staggeringly high standards.

    (I blame Mack)
     
  21. Emospence

    Emospence Forum Resident

    Location:
    Singapore
    "It's a Hard Life" and "I Want to Break Free" for me
     
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  22. Use_Your_Koala

    Use_Your_Koala Forum Resident

    Location:
    Paris
    It's a Hard Life is truly a standout track from Queen 80s output, and one of the few times when they recaptured their 70s perfection until Innuendo.
    Magnificient track.
     
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  23. Man at C&A

    Man at C&A Senior Member

    Location:
    England
    This was the current album when I really got into Queen and became an obsessive fan as a child, especially after Live Aid.

    In retrospect it's not one of their best. There's nothing I dislike and I like it all to some extent. It's A Hard Life is the only track I absolutely love. The other hits have been overplayed over the years. I voted:

    It's A Hard Life
    Machines

    I struggled to decide on a third but went for Radio Ga Ga because of how it started my Queen obsession and how it worked so well live as well as it having a great video. I still remember the first time I saw it.
     
  24. PretzelLogic

    PretzelLogic Feeling duped by MoFi? You probably deserve it.

    Location:
    London, England
    This is exactly my perspective.

    Were this 1984, and this was a new album, I'd probably say that this was my least favourite Queen LP, and eagerly await a return to form.
     
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  25. PretzelLogic

    PretzelLogic Feeling duped by MoFi? You probably deserve it.

    Location:
    London, England
    Also of note, this album is crying out for an expanded release, as nearly every song had a 12" version or remix (Tear It Up and Is This The World We Created being the only two that don't), and they're all pretty good. Sadly they're all scattered across releases (some not on CD, even) and tricky to get hold of.
     
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