John Deacon was just messing around. He was hanging out with Chic, the disco legends, and basically fell in love with their basslines. That’s how Another One Bites the Dust started—not as a grand rock anthem, but as a funky, repetitive riff born in a studio basement. Queen wasn't even sure if they wanted to release it. Roger Taylor, the drummer, famously hated the drum sound because it was too "dry" and disco-influenced for a rock band.
It’s iconic. Everyone knows that thumping bass. It’s the kind of song that makes you want to strut, even if you’re just walking to the grocery store. But behind that cool exterior is a weird history involving Michael Jackson, a grizzly gangster movie influence, and a rhythm that can literally save your life.
The Chic Connection and the Bassline That Changed Everything
If you listen to Chic’s "Good Times," you’ll hear the DNA of Another One Bites the Dust. John Deacon, Queen's bassist and the quietest member of the band, was the sole songwriter for this track. He spent time in the studio with Chic’s Bernard Edwards, and you can tell. He wanted something that breathed. Something sparse.
Most rock songs of the late '70s were getting bloated. They had layers of guitars and screaming vocals. Deacon went the other way. He stripped it all back.
The song is built on a loop. It’s a three-note punch that repeats and repeats. Interestingly, the band used a lot of studio trickery to get that dead, tight sound. They stuffed the bass drum with blankets. They recorded in Musicland Studios in Munich, which was basically a windowless basement. It felt cramped. It felt gritty. That claustrophobia translated directly into the music. Freddie Mercury had to change his entire vocal approach for this one. He usually went for operatic, soaring notes. For this, he went gruff. He sang until his throat bled to get that "street" grit that the track demanded.
Michael Jackson’s Role in Queen's Biggest Hit
Here is the thing: Queen almost buried this song. They thought it was a fun experiment, but they didn't see it as a lead single. They were a rock band, after all.
Then came Michael Jackson.
The King of Pop caught a Queen show at the Forum in Los Angeles. He went backstage and told Freddie Mercury point-blank that they were idiots if they didn't release "Another One Bites the Dust" as a single. Jackson knew hits. He heard the crossover potential between rock, funk, and the burgeoning hip-hop scene.
Queen listened.
The song exploded. It didn't just top the rock charts; it hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and even climbed the R&B charts, which was almost unheard of for a white British rock group at the time. In fact, some US radio stations initially thought Queen was a Black group because the groove was so authentic. It sold millions. It became their best-selling single of all time, even outperforming "Bohemian Rhapsody" in terms of pure raw numbers during its initial run.
The Lyrics: Not Just a Catchy Hook
The title sounds like a threat. "Another One Bites the Dust" is actually old-school slang for dying, often used in Westerns or war movies. The lyrics tell a vague, violent story of a guy named Steve walking down the street with his brim pulled low. It’s very film noir.
"Out of the doorway the bullets rip / To the sound of the beat"
It’s dark stuff. But because the beat is so infectious, people dance to it at weddings. It’s a weird paradox. You have a song about a literal shootout that has become a staple of sports stadiums and celebrations.
The Science of 110 BPM: A Song That Saves Lives
This is probably the coolest fact about the song. It has a tempo of roughly 110 beats per minute (BPM).
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Why does that matter?
In medical circles, specifically when performing CPR, you need to maintain a chest compression rate of 100 to 120 beats per minute. For years, the British Heart Foundation and the American Heart Association have recommended using Another One Bites the Dust as a mental metronome. If you pump the chest to the rhythm of the bassline, you are giving the patient the best chance of survival.
It’s a bit morbid, given the title. "Another One Bites the Dust" while you're trying to make sure someone doesn't bite the dust. Usually, people suggest "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees because the lyrics are more optimistic, but Queen’s hit is just as effective. Doctors actually study this. It’s a legitimate piece of medical trivia that has saved real lives in emergency rooms and on sidewalks.
Why it Sounded Different on the Radio
Back in 1980, the production of this song was revolutionary. Producer Reinhold Mack worked with the band to create a "dry" sound. In the '70s, everything had reverb. Everything sounded like it was recorded in a giant hall.
Mack hated that.
He wanted the drums to sound like they were happening right inside your skull. This "dry" production became the blueprint for 1980s pop. When you listen to the song today, it doesn't sound dated. It sounds like it could have been recorded last week by a minimalist indie band or a hip-hop producer.
There’s also the "backmasking" controversy. In the early '80s, some Christian groups claimed that if you played the chorus backward, you could hear Freddie Mercury singing "It's fun to smoke marijuana." Queen always denied this. Honestly, if you play almost any song backward, your brain will try to find patterns in the noise. It was just a weird byproduct of the era's "Satanic Panic." The band thought it was hilarious.
The Legacy in Hip-Hop and Beyond
You can't talk about this song without talking about its influence on rap. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five sampled it. Sugarhill Gang loved it. It provided a bridge.
Before this, rock and hip-hop were in two different universes. Queen bridged that gap. They proved that a rock band could have "soul" without it feeling forced. This paved the way for groups like Run-D.M.C. to collaborate with Aerosmith later in the decade.
It also changed Queen's internal dynamic. Suddenly, John Deacon—the "quiet one"—was the guy writing the biggest hits. He followed it up later with "I Want to Break Free," proving he had the best ear for pop melody in the group.
How to Truly Appreciate the Track Today
If you want to hear the genius of this song, don't just listen to it on your phone speakers. You need bass.
- Focus on the space. Listen to the gaps between the notes. That’s where the "funk" lives. Most amateur songwriters try to fill every second with sound. Queen left holes in the music, which makes the beat hit harder when it returns.
- Listen to the "weird" sounds. There are all sorts of strange clicks, whirrs, and reversed loops hidden in the background. That was Brian May experimenting with his guitar and Mack messing with tape loops.
- Compare the vocal. Listen to "We Are The Champions" and then listen to "Another One Bites the Dust." The versatility in Freddie Mercury's voice is staggering. He goes from a king to a street thug in the span of a few years.
Another One Bites the Dust isn't just a song. It’s a masterclass in restraint. It’s a testament to the fact that sometimes, the simplest idea in the room is the one that’s going to conquer the world. Whether you're at a gym, a club, or—heaven forbid—performing emergency CPR, that bassline is part of our collective DNA now.
Actionable Insights for Music Fans and Creators:
- Study Minimalism: If you're a musician, look at how little Brian May plays on this track. He’s one of the greatest guitarists ever, yet he stays out of the way to let the bass shine. Know when to shut up.
- Cross-Pollinate: Don't get stuck in your genre. Queen was a rock band that listened to disco, and they ended up with a diamond-certified hit.
- Trust the "Non-Experts": Queen didn't think the song was a hit; Michael Jackson did. Sometimes you need an outside perspective to see the value in your own work.
- Use the Rhythm: Memorize the beat for emergency situations. It’s 110 BPM. It could save a life.