Every Band Has Its Own “Bohemian Rhapsody”

By Lundin’ Bridge

Bohemian Rhapsody is regarded as one of the greatest rock songs of all-time and definitely ranks in the top three of Queen’s best hits (I’d put it at number one but I won’t be biased). But what makes this song so great.? Is it Freddy Mercury’s untouchable vocal range that bares comparison with Biblical angels? Is it the musical journey of relaxed piano to rocking guitar with lyrics to fill each instrumental mood? Is it Michael Myer;s rendition in Wayne’s World? Well, yes. It doesn’t matter what type of music you listen to or even if you like Queen, everyone knows the words to this song and holds a special place for it someone in their hearts. Whenever this song is played in a crowded room it get’s sung louder then the first line to “Don’t Stop Believin’”. Anyway, first let me tell you what I mean by each band having their own “Bohemian Rhapsody”. Bohemian Rhapsody is one of the best if not the best song that Queen has every produced. What makes it unique is that it doesn’t follow the parameters of a typical song. Most songs tend to follow the typical pattern of: Intro, Verse I, Verse II, Bridge, Chorus, Verse III, Bridge, Refrain, Refrain, etc .A song like Bohemian Rhapsody tends to be a longer song and has different unique parts throughout it. Take for instance how Bohemian Rhapsody starts off slower and more relaxed with vocals and piano and slowly builds into a climactic 180 turnaround rock ending, and lastly incorporates a slow final line or two at the end. The song could have easily been made into two or maybe even three separate songs. The song was definitely unique to Queen (and Wayne’s World among other movies) and definitely helped out them on the map. Now think about your favorite bands. Can you see where they all seem to have one or two songs that fit into this “Bohemian Rhapsody” category?  Let me take you through some of my favorite bands to help you see what I mean.

AC/DC: Hells Bells (5:12)

AC/DC is regarded as probably the best rock band of this generation. Though their music consists of basic riffs, drum lines (ESPECIALLY THE DRUM LINES), and lyrics, they’re still damn good at what they do and have a ton of singles. It becomes obvious of their repetitive and simple music style when you listen to a lot of AC/DC, but each song in itself is excellent. Anyway, the best example of AC/DC’s “B.R” is Hells Bells. The opening begins with low bells in the distance and with Trevor Hoffman enters in from the bullpen before it slowly adds guitar and drums while getting into the bulk of the song. It ends some wicked guitar solos before coming to a close. It’s an excellent song and definitely falls into this type of category. PS, I hope you all got the reference to Padres closer Trevor Hoffman.

Aerosmith: Cryin’ (5:09)

You can’t spell rock without Aerosmith. Steven Tyler has one of the most recognizable voices in the music industry, and probably the biggest mouth I’ve ever seen to go along with it. Anyway, Cryin’ exemplifies a “B.R”. It goes from slow to fast from rock to roll and everything in between. Plus there’s harmonica in it. It’s an excellent song with many different aspects that each has great build ups into the next part. A job well done.

Alice In Chains: Rooster (6:16)

Alice In Chains is definitely one of the top three bands of the grunge era and sparked many other bands to follow in their footsteps. Their sound both musically and vocally was very unique and helped make them the face of music in the early 90′s. I think Rooster is Alice In Chains best example of a “B.R”. The song starts off very laid back with faint guitar and drums before it takes off around the 2:00 mark, helped of course by Layne Staley and an added guitar solo. The song closes as laid back as it opened which adds a nice finishing touch.

Angels and Airwaves: The Adventure (5:41)

Is this Blink 182? Oh, it sounded a lot like them.. Blink 182′s lead singer Tom DeLonge sings for this band that’s why! Though The Adventure is probably their best song, it still falls under the “B.R” category. It starts off with a great build up into lyrics and drums and sometimes varies from full band to just DeLonge. Definitely a great song.

Avril Lavigne: Keep Holding On (4:12)

Avril Lavigne is in my top 3 best female vocalist of all-time (the other two will be further down the list) This is her “Bohemian Rhapsody”.

The Beach Boys: Good Vibrations (3:37)

The Beach Boys epitomize summer, surfing, and all that stuff from the 60′s. They have many classics about surfing, girls from California, and cars. That’s basically it for 30 or so songs. They’re like the AC/DC in that repetitive regard. Anyway, Good Vibrations is their “B.R”. It’s actually their longest song. Keep in mind most of their songs average like 2:00 minutes. Good Vibrations is all over the place. Slow, psychedelic, catchy, harmonic, and psychedelic again. Even after all that, it’s still good.

The Beatles: Hey Jude (7:10)

The Beatles are the best band of all-time, no questions asked. Regardless of what type of music you like, when you step back and look at what The Beatles accomplished and the records they hold in the music industry there’s no contest. I’m not trying to be biased, it’s just common knowledge. Well enough of that I don’t want to get started. Anyway Hey Jude. You’ve all heard it. You know the nah, nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah nah, hey Jude goes on for 3 minutes. But this is The Beatles “B.R”. It starts off easy and relaxed, leading to the build up we all know and love. If you’ve never heard the song or think The Beatles suck, don’t read my blog. =)

Billy Joel: Scenes From An Italian Restaurant (7:37)

I love Billy Joel. Course I’m a sucker for a good piano song and he probably has the most famous piano song of all time. Even so, I like a lot of his songs regardless of this fact. The song that stands out as his “Bohemian Rhapsody” is S.F.A.I.R. The song is could really be split up into two songs if Billy really wanted. It starts off very slow about the restaurant and wine and dining there, then picks up to tell about this girls life, then slows down again getting back to the restaurant. It’s really an excellent song and it flows very well.

Black Sabbath: War Pigs (7:58)

What?! Not Iron Man?! No. War Pigs. Get over it. Black Sabbath is great as long as Ozzy is there. I still don’t know how Ozzy Osbourne gets up in the morning.. Anyway, there’s many different aspects to this song including sick solos and great riffs and superb drumming to fulfill the “B.R” category.

Blink-182: Adam’s Song (4:10)

I really like Blink-182 even though people tend to give them a bad rap. Travis Barker is definitely the best drummer of this century (2000′s) and the singer has a unique voice that gives Blink their noticeable sound. Anyway, I think Adam’s Song has most “B.R” qualities. It starts off with the familiar guitar riff and kinda stays at a slower place until it takes off into the trademark rock Blink sound in the chorus. It alternates back and forth to these sounds and makes for a great song.

Bon Jovi: Wanted (Dead or Alive) (5:11)

Ah Bon Jovi, the only bright spot to come outta New Jersey. He’s got many great hits and has looked the same for 30 years. He’s starting to move more toward the country side of things and less away from his rock sound which I’m definitely not happy about but whatever. Anyway, Wanted Dead or Alive is it here. Starts off sounding like “The Chain” by Fleetwood Mac (they really do have pretty much the same beginning) and builds up throughout. It’s a good song and everyone knows it.

Boys Like Girls: Two Is Better Than One (4:03)

Not too found of the name but I really like this band. Great use of harmony and drums in their songs, especially in this one with some help from Taylor Swift. Her voice really puts the icing on the cake to this song. It starts off slow and acoustic before building in the middle to some great vocals and instrumentals. Excellent.

Bruce Springsteen: Born To Run (4:31)

I lied, this makes two good things to come out of Jersey. What can you say about “The Boss”? He’s had his trademark raspy voice since 6th grade. Great songs, and Born To Run is no exception and is his “B.R”. One of the unique parts of this song is ironically his voice which speeds up and slows down during certain part. Well done instrumentals also accompany him to make this a great song.

Bryan Adams: Everything I Do, I Do It For You (6:34)

Did I mention I love piano? Bryan Adams has been tugging on the heart-strings for year, and this is his “B.R”. Starts off slow, and eventually midway through the song he takes off vocally and instrumentally into a rock frenzy. Then it ends with some well-placed solos and some closing vocals. Even though it’s long he keeps the listeners entertained. Good stuff.

Chicago: Beginnings (7:51)

Almost all of you probably have no fucking idea who Chicago are. Well they’re my dad’s favorite band so I know a lot of their stuff. They’re a band from the 70′s who use harmony and horns interested riffs to create their music. Here’s their song.

Coldplay: Fix You (4:56)

Coldplay is a great band that sometimes goes under the radar. They have perfected the use of piano and their songs and complement it with great vocals and music. I think Fix You is their Bohemian Rhapsody. It starts off with piano and vocals (with really good lyrics) and slowly builds up (if you’ve seen the music video it’s when he starts running to the arena) into an excellent ending that really could be a song in itself.

Counting Crows: Up All Night (5:08)

Ah, cornrows. Have a couple of drinks and blast this song and you’ll understand why I chose it.

Creed: My Sacrifice (4:46)

Not many people like Creed. I don’t think they’re half bad. Maybe people don’t like the religious theme behind their songs or something. This is their B.R. They do a good job of using rocking out and toning it down at different parts.

Creedence Clearwater Revival: Proud Mary (3:09)

CCR is classic rock. They piss excellence all over the faces of Lynyrd Skynyrd. They have several great songs but it’s hard to pick their “B.R” because most of their songs don’t exceed three minutes and don’t have many parts. I’m gonna go with Proud Mary here, simply because many people think the song is called “Rollin’ On A River”. Please don’t insult yourselves. It has a couple of good solos that make this a great song that Tina Turner does NOT do justice.

Dave Matthews Band: <Insert Choice Here>

DMB is well liked by many. Me, not so much. I’ll give them one thing, their sound is very unique. They use many instruments that most bands wouldn’t dream of using. However, I think their songs, though unique, are very sporadic. Sometimes I have no idea what the chorus is. In this instance, too many songs can be considered their “B.R” and I simply don’t like them enough to pick one.

The Doors: Light My Fire (7:07)

The Doors are a great band they figured out that piano (or in this case an organ) would sound great in their songs. That and they weren’t afraid to go against The Ed Sullivan Show and play their song unedited. Light My Fire is their “B.R” because of it’s four plus minute jam using organ than guitar before its end.

The Eagles: Hotel California (6:32)

Their best song also happens to be their “Bohemian Rhapsody”. If you’re ever at a fair odds are you’ll hear the band cover this song. It’s well done.

Elton John: Tiny Dancer (6:15)

I really like Elton John. I saw him live and he put on a great show for like three hours. This was a tough decision between this and “Levon” but I went with this because of the different bridges he uses before the chorus. Good stuff.

Elvis Presley: Suspicious Minds (4:32)

This was one of Elvis’s last good songs before he got to fat and drugged up to do anything productive. This is his “B.R”, better late than never.

Eric Clapton: Layla (4:46)

Yeah, I know Layla was originally sung by Derek and the Dominoes, but I’m going to assume most readers had no idea of that. However, I’m going to win here on a technicality and sight Clapton’s unplugged version of Layla. Layla is a great song with a lot of story behind it (see Pattie Boyd. who was the subject of some of the greatest songs of all-time). The original version is awesome, with three minutes of rocking out and four minutes of an excellent piano solo. The unplugged version was well-done and has some added parts courteously of Clapton god-like guitar skills. That and the song is three minutes shorter unplugged.

Five For Fighting: 100 Years (4:11)

Before The Fray there was Five For Fighting. This song is excellent and tells a great story of, you guessed it, 100 years of life. The pace of the songs varies and makes for a great song.

Fleetwood Mac: The Chain (5:11)

Another one of my dad’s favorites. Stevie Nicks has had the same voice sound for the past 30 years. I didn’t originally have this song up here because I don’t give it enough of a chance because it has almost the same beginning as “Wanted: Dead or Alive”. However as mentioned in a comment below, The Chain is “a song which sounds differently than their other songs and is actually a mish-mash of other pieces of songs. It features one of the most distinctive bass lines and is one of their most covered and recognizable hits.” That being said, The Chain is their “B.R”.

Foo Fighters: Come Back (7:36)

The Foo Fighters are surprisingly very good considering they started with a drummer writing all of the stuff for their first CD. They managed to put together a group that has put together several good songs. This song has been chosen as their “B.R” by fellow Chez writer dukemich, who eats and drinks (notice I left out sleeps) Foo Fighters. The song has very distinct parts to it which all flow very well together into a great song.

Frank Sinatra: My Way (4:38)

Old Blue Eyes just builds and builds in his songs until just when you think you can’t take it anymore he bursts into the final chorus and you’re left satisfied. Plus he put New York on the map long before Jay-Z. Here’s his “B.R”.

The Fray: Never Say Never (4:19)

The Fray has managed to stay popular by only using three instruments. Somehow they continue to pump out hits. Their use of piano always amazes me along with everything else. In this song they start relaxed and build into some great choruses and solos to add to the all-out ending to make it their “B.R”.

Goo Goo Dolls: Iris (4:54)

The Goo Goo Dolls hit the map in the 90′s with a ton of hits and continue to rock out even though the members are in their 40′s. I saw them live this year and they blew the roof off the place. Iris is probably their best song and I think it has to be their “B.R” too. The song goes from easy acoustic to a rocked out chorus and several solos and buildups. Everyone knows this song.

Green Day: Wake Me Up When September Ends (4:45)

Green Day is a great band. Maybe not great enough to warrant their own Rock Band game but great nonetheless. Here is their “B.R”. It starts off very slow and proceeds to build up into a great song. It’s also a great reminder to wake someone up in time for October.

Guns N’ Roses: November Rain (8:56)

Here’s a no brainer. GNR takes a step back from their usual rock and tunes it down into this ballad type song with amazing riffs from Slash.

Heart: Crazy On You (4:53)

Heart? Yeah why not. Here’s there “B.R”. They start with acoustic guitar and then finally get to rocking. Heart has a pretty good vocalist and it makes them unique.

Hootie & The Blowfish: Let Her Cry (5:08)

Nothing wrong with some Hootie. This song is their “Bohemian Rhapsody”. There’s many different lyrical stanzas when Darius Rucker screams the last verse leading up to a great refrain.

Jack’s Mannequin: Hammers and Strings (4:44)

I fell in love with J.M when they came to my school for a concert. They’re not well-known on the radio but they should be. Anyway here’s their “B.R”. It starts off slow with patented Jack’s piano and then builds up to an excellent chorus. It slows down again and eventually builds up to the second chorus and ending. Excellent lyrics as well.

Jay-Z: Empire State of Mind (4:37)

Yes, even rappers have their “Bohemian Rhapsodys”. Jay-Z’s is Empire State of Mind because of the addition of Alicia Keys. Some people hate it but I think it makes the song.

Jimi Hendrix: Everything, because his guitar riffs are next to none.

John Mayer: Dreaming With A Broken Heart (4:08)

John Mayer is the Eric Clapton of the 2000s. I’d like him a lot more if his arms weren’t covered in tattoos. This song starts not with his trademark bluesy guitar but with a Coldplay like piano instrumental complete with his vocals. It builds up to the addition of his guitar and an intense ending that puts the icing on the cake.

John Mellencamp: I Need A Lover (5:38)

If you ever want to get in a patriotic mood John Mellencamp is your guy. I Need A Lover is basically Mellencamp rocking out. He uses great guitar and piano while screaming his vocals, sometimes relaxed and sometimes amped up. It’s a good song and fits the criteria of a “B.R”.

Journey: Separate Ways (5:26)

I love Journey, mostly because of Steve Perry’s voice. Why he thought he’d do better with a solo career (*cough JOHN LENNON *cough) is beyond me. Anyway this song is excellent. It’s a great rock song and the other side from Journey’s famous ballads. The guitar and drums are very rough and it’s the perfect song to just rock out to when you need it.

Kansas: Carry On My Wayward Son (5:21)

Another easy choice here. This song has like 4 separate guitar solos and has very unique parts from slow to fast and rock to roll. HA.

Keane: Somewhere Only We Know (3:57)

About a year before The Fray came on the scene there was Keane. This is their most popular song but it’s also their “B.R”. It’s well done and knows exactly when to speed up its tempo to make it sound great.

Kelly Clarkson: Breakaway (3:57)

Ahh, remember when American Idol used to produce good singers and not one hit wonders? Kelly Clarkson was the first winner of A.I and for good reason as she’s done quite well for herself. Here’s her “B.R”, a very good song if I do say so myself.

Led Zeppelin: Stairway To Heaven (8:00)

This was a very hard choice to make. Zeppelin is the greatest rock band of all-time and have many songs well over five minutes that can be called their “B.R”. But I couldn’t in good conscience say it was anything besides Stairway To Heaven. The song is absolutely fantastic. It starts off with familiar guitar and great lyrics until almost halfway through the rest of the band comes in and leads into a complete change in tempo and an amazing finish. Free Bird eat your heart out.

Lifehouse: Broken (4:47)

Lifehouse made a good effort to be better than the Goo Goo Dolls and came up short. They’re still good nonetheless and Broken is a good example of it. It’s not one of their heavier songs and starts off slower in the beginning before coming together in the middle to make a great ending. (I should have written this vague description about all of these..)

Matchbox 20: Bright Lights (3:55)

I sometimes forget how good Matchbox 20 is because they are no more, but they did have some good hits. Bright Lights is their “B.R”. It starts out with relaxed with some piano, then takes off into the chorus and great bridge, solo and ending.

Michael Jackson: Thriller (5:58)

I gotta do it.. Thriller is it. Why? Because of the laugh at the end. Just kidding, it actually has different parts to it and has the best music video of all time to go along with it.

Oasis: Champagne Supernova (7:28)

Yes, there’s more to Oasis than just “Wonderwall”. Oasis is actually a good band once you start listening to some of their other stuff. This song in question is good, good enough to be their “B.R”. It has several parts, as most songs tend to have that are over six minutes. Be that as it may, they put together a good song.

Ozzy Osbourne: No More Tears (7:24)

For a man who needs to take drugs just to function, he’s still put out some good music. This song is his “B.R.” It’s not really heavy, but still has a loud rock edge to it. Ironically Ozzy has pulled off a couple of good ballads in his career, but this on is his “Bohemian”.

Paramore: Let The Flames Begin (Live) (6:00)

Hayley Williams is definitely one of the top three best female vocalists. Fellow Chez write dukemich eats, drinks, sleeps and lives Paramore, so he helped me make this choice. This song is crazy played live. Definitely their “B.R”. The drums in the beginning are intense and then the song starts off slowly before the rocking begins. They alternate between that the rest of the song for one hell of a ride.

Paul McCartney: Band On the Run (5:14)

This song could have easily be split up into two. It starts off cool, calm and collected before in turns quite heavy in the middle and ends with a more relaxed finish. Well done by Paul.

Pearl Jam: Alive (5:41)

Pearl Jam is like alternative and grunge smushed together. They’re quite good and they’d be even better if you could understand the lyrics. They’re songs have many different parts, none more obvious than “Alive”. It’s very good with great instrumentals and tempo changes to lyrics that no one really knows.

Pink Floyd: Another Brick in the Wall (5:43)

Pink Floyd is good stuff. A change from the Zeppelins or Beatles of the 60′s and 70′s they produced quite a psychedelic sound. There’s a second part to this song but I’m picking the first part as their “B.R”. There’s kids screaming in this song, does it get much better than that?

The Police: Message In A Bottle (4:06)

No one can ever distinguish between whether a song is Sting or The Police. Who cares. This song always baffles me because you never know where it’s going to go. It has several distinct parts and epitomizes what the musical style of The Police was all about.

QUEEN: BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY (5:53)

The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus: You’re Guardian Angel (3:51)

R.J.A is terribly underrated. Too bad the radio played their 3rd best single off their CD. Ronnie Winter is one of the best vocalists I’ve ever heard. He can go from intense screaming to harmony all in the same song. “Your Guardian Angel” is one you may have missed and one of their best songs. The song starts out acoustic, nice and easy, until almost three-quarters through it they go off. A very intense ending for the final minute and a half is the perfect finish to this song.

REO Speedwagon: Like You Do (Live) (6:53)

I know REO like the back of my hand. They were the first band I really immersed myself into. The studio version of this song is dreadful but the live version does it justice. The guitar  and keyboard solos in this song are fantastic and the tempo changes really make this a great song.

The Rolling Stones: Sympathy For The Devil (6:28)

What’s surprising to me is that The Stones are still kicking. This song is very unique. You can’t be sure where it’s headed. People screaming “Wooo Wooo” and sick guitar riffs? Sounds like a “B.R” to me.

Simple Plan: I Can Wait Forever (4:54)

Another band that has good stuff that sometimes goes under the radar. This song is quite good and builds into a strong chorus after more laid back verses.

Stevie Wonder: Superstition (3:59)

Stevie Wonder is awesome. His musical insight is next to none. And he wrote a song that has the prefect beginning to walking or driving down a very long street. He rocks out in this song and does a great job in doing so.

Styx: Come Sail Away (6:03)

Styx is a great band and there’s no surprises here that this is their “Bohemian”. You think the song isn’t going to stay at a slow place until the midway point where they add other instruments to the piano and take off into the familiar chorus.

Taylor Swift: Love Story (3:56)

I love Taylor Swift. She is definitely in the top three female vocalist list. Some people who have known her say she was a bitch and I can’t refute that, but that doesn’t stop my crush for Taylor Swift. I won’t get in to how great her writing ability is or how catchy her songs are or how great she looks. But what I will tell you is Love Story is her “Bohemian Rhapsody”. The tempo change in this song is fantastic. At one point she doesn’t take a breath for a good 30 seconds. The song gives a perfect portrayal of her story and makes for one of her best written songs.

Third Eye Blind: Semi-Charmed Life (4:29)

Another band that attempted to top the Goo Goo Dolls. Good effort but not good enough. 3eb is still a great band. I chose this song because it has many different unique parts to it, which makes it a bitch to play with any instrument. The lyrics go at a crazy pace but everything about this song somehow makes sense.

U2: City of Blinding Lights (5:48)

U2 is famous. I don’t really care for them but there you have it. We’ve all heard this song in several commercials. The build-up in the beginning before any actual words are sung is a nice touch, and Bono does his thing throughout.

Van Halen: Right Now (5:22)

I’m a decent Van Halen fan. I like how they can rock really hard and then take a step back and woo (yes woo) with a ballad. I think this song is their “B.R” you don’t really know where it’s going to go in the beginning while the piano plays, but once the chorus comes you;re ready to go. And of course it wouldn’t be Van Halen without some sick guitar solos thrown in as well.

The Verve: Bittersweet Symphony (5:58)

I wasn’t going to include The Verve because I don’t really care for them, but this song is a great example of a present day “Bohemian”. There’s violin in the beginning. And it actually works really well. The build-up into the first verse of this song is very well-known and with good reason. This song really has no holes. It flows from one verse to the next with excellent precision. Oh yeahh.

We The Kings: We’ll Be A Dream (3:53)

Just like Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, for some reason We The Kings is terribly underrated. I’ll give them the plug they deserve though. This is their newest single with some help from Demi Lovato. She is a nice addition to this song and really helps give it great harmony throughout.

The Who: Won’t Get Fooled Again (8:33)

The Who are an excellent Classic Rock band, but shouldn’t play at anymore Super Bowls. On that note, this song choice for their “Bohemian Rhapsody” was quite a no brainer. This song someone manages to keep a pattern while going all over the place. The drums in this song are ridiculous. There’s no stopping throughout the whole song. The guitar solos and instrumentals are excellent and the lyrics have a lot of meaning to them as well. This definitely helped put The Who (and CSI) on the map.

So there you have it folks. Sorry it took so long, but as you can see just about every artist has their own form of a “Bohemian Rhapsody”. I tried to be a thorough as I could but if I missed any of your favorite artists and their “Bohemian Rhapsodies” or you disagree on any of my choices please feel free to comment below. Good day.

I SAID GOOD DAY!