A 1975 Hit Has Been Called the Greatest Rock Song of All Time—and It Still Dominates Today
An iconic 1975 track has repeatedly been named the greatest rock song of all time by fans. More than 50 years after it was released, Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' also continues to dominate what people listen to as it outperforms many modern hits.
How Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ Has Been Recognized as the Greatest Rock Song of All Time
Photo: David Tan/Shinko Music/Getty Images
In music history, there have been very few songs that have impacted listeners as deeply as Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' has. While that may sound like a subjective statement, there is objective evidence that proves that and why the song deserves to be called the greatest rock song of all time.
The track's lasting popularity has allowed it to accomplish something truly staggering that speaks to its all-time greatness. Since it was first released on October 31, 1975, 'Bohemian Rhapsody' has climbed the Billboard Hot 100 chart three times. The latest time the song enjoyed a massive resurgence in sales came 43 years after it debuted, in 2018.
Beyond repeatedly hitting the charts, the track has also been so beloved that music fans continue to honor it. For example, a January 2026 article revealed that a Planet Rock Radio listener poll named 'Bohemian Rhapsody' as the greatest rock song ever released. Amazingly enough, a Gold Radio fan vote went even broader when it named it the greatest song of all time in 2022.
The 1975 Hit That Still Dominates Today
Some respected classic rock songs have fallen out of favor, leaving them to gather metaphorical dust as listeners have moved on. On the other hand, 'Bohemian Rhapsody' has continued to dominate people's playlists decades after it first became a hit. As a result, a 2018 uDiscover Music article called the song the most-streamed track from the 20th century.
More recently, the song has surpassed staggering milestones that seem like they should be impossible for a song from the '70s. A remastered upload of the music video for 'Bohemian Rhapsody' has more than 2.037 billion views on YouTube, and the song has been streamed on Spotify over 3.095 billion times.