Why didn't In the Lap of the Gods Revisited "Make It"?

Ever since I became a Queen fan I've always had a particular love with that song. I've been listening to that song over and over today and I really don't understand why it didn't become a hit and as popular as songs like BoRhap and Champions? It has a very catchy melody, great lyrics, and not to mention a memorable chorus which many people can sing along to. Can't you imagine it working perfectly as a stadium anthem???

But why doesn't the general public know this song? Maybe it was the way SHA was produced...

Because it wasn't a single.

I ABSOLUTELY love and adore the "Whoa!   Whoa!   La, la, la!!!" song beyond all belief!    With that said...perhaps the lyrics weren't all that inspirational.

In The Lap Of The Gods(revisited) is a pop/rock masterpiece that is sadly unknown to the general public.  Sadly, that will never change. 

But we Queen fans surely LOVE it!

Probably because it's an 'album track' , more suited to its slot ont the album than for commercial dilectation,. There are a number of Queen tracks you could say the same about. I remember back in '75 cursing the heavens at Queens mis- opportunity of not releasing ' Bring Back That Leroy Brown', i was convinced it would be a no. 1, but now i think...... well , maybe its place is on the album.
     And then take 'Teo Torriate' (Let us Cling Together) , one of the most beautiful pieces of music of all time, with the Record  Mirror review saying, (when reviewing 'A Day At the Races') at the time, 'A track that will go down as one of the great all time songs, along with 'Happy Christmas' (War is Over'). But perhaps its place was to see out the album
    Its all about opinions and tastes.

    Master Marathon Runner..

Some people see "The March of the Black Queen" as a forerunner for "Bohemian Rhapsody".
For my ears "In the Lap of the Gods" is the forerunner to "We are the Champions".

There are a number of Queen tracks which I think had a decent shot at doing well in the charts. I never considered ITLOTGR as one, but sure, maybe it could've.

I do think, since it was mentioned in the thread, that "Bring Back That Leroy Brown" would have been a mistake to release as a single. It's a good, fun song, but as it single, it would've likely been viewed as "novelty" song and at that stage of their career, the last thing Queen needed was the label of "novelty" act. Arguably, they drifted close a few times ("Killer Queen," "Bohemian Rhapsody," "Bicycle Race," etc.) , but always stayed on the clear, rock side. I could be wrong, but that's my casual thought.

Agreed about "Teo Torriate"...it's INSANE that that was not a world-wide hit.  Why they released "Tie Your Mother Down" as the next single and not "Teo" is beyond me.

I think "Teo" is so timeless, it could be released today and still be a worldwide hit.

Actually, I'm surprised You and I didn't go anywhere... it seems perfectly written for the radio... Deacon tried to re-kindle the success he had with You're My Best Friend... Although it's not as sappy and simple as Best Friend, it still has the catchy melodies, interesting mid-section and powerful performance of a core-Queen song... maybe not right for the era? oh well...

Yeah the top songs which I wonder why they didn't go anywhere or as far as they could have are:

1. In the Lap of the Gods Revisited
2. Teo Torriate
3. Friends Will Be Friends
4. White Queen
5. Doing All Right.

Until BoRhap, Queen tended to stick to what it considered radio-friendly tracks:

Keep Yourself Alive
Liar
The Seven Seas Of Rhye
Killer Queen
Flick Of The Wrist
Now I'm Here

Half of them didn't chart, so coupled with their new-found freedom from their crappy record deal with Trident, when it came time for "Bohemian Rhapsody," they took a gamble and it paid off. After that, they got more ambitious and daring with their singles, though they didn't always succeed outside the UK. Their US singles were hit and miss ("Long Away," "It's Late," "Jealousy," "Need Your Loving Tonight," "Calling All Girls," and others all didn't do very well, where "Radio Ga Ga," "I Want It All," "Too Much Love Will Kill You" and some others did reasonably well. Really, though, '80s America was not friendly to Queen thanks to New Wave and MTV one-hit wonders. 

I believe to this day that "You And I" has hit potential written all over it. Too bad it never got further than an album track and a B-side. Oh well.

jamster1111 wrote: Yeah the top songs which I wonder why they didn't go anywhere or as far as they could have are:

1. In the Lap of the Gods Revisited
2. Teo Torriate
3. Friends Will Be Friends
4. White Queen
5. It's Late

Great song, but great songs don't alway's make great singles.   It wasn't even released as a single anyway........someone mentioned "Bring Back that leroy brown" Again,  great song and one of my all time favorite tunes, but I don't think people were ready for that type of single from Queen, who were still considered a heavy rock band..  killer queen wasn't heavy but it still had more of a rock feel than "leroy Brown'    Songs I think should have been top 40's are " you and I"  spread your Wings (how did those songs not make it?)  Mustapha?.....I know it sounds crazy, but the song was so unique and Queenish that it could have made it.    "Let us clinge together" and  "it's late" and in America "Don't stop me now" and "play the game" should have been much bigger......

Total lack of vision. This song had the chance to be revisited (pun intended) and glorified in the 2011 releases. A live version from Hammersmith or Hyde Park would've been the best way to close the SHA 2011 CD showing new audiences which was Queen's grand finale before the WATC days.

But no. They'd rather decide to put the Wembley version, which is a one and a half minute medley version with Freddie singing it in a very low tone. The half-witted-sorry-excuse-of-a-business-man one who made this poor decision deserves to be impaled alive, be it Brian, Roger, John, or Mr Beach themselves.

This is simply one of the best songs I have ever heard, if not the best one. Great music, meaningful lyrics, this song is masterpiece. Definitely my favourite. It's unfair that people generally don't know about this song...