"Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody is a good song for people to listen to if they feel unwell or down, a poll suggests.
A ComRes survey for BBC local radio for Faith in the World Week, which is exploring the healing power of music, offered 1,000 people 10 choices.
Dancing Queen by Abba came second, with Happy by Pharrell Williams in joint third with "classical music" generally.
More than two-thirds of those polled said they like listening to music when they do not feel well.
And nearly nine-out-of-ten of respondents agreed that listening to music can make people feel better when they are sick or facing difficult times.
Faith in the World Week, which runs until 2 November, is examining how music can change and shape people's lives. It will be supported by special programming on local radio, on Radio 2 and online.
Overall, 81% of Britons say that they have been made to feel better by listening to music. Just 36% said that they prefer to listen to speech than music when they are not feeling well, the poll found.
Asked to select specific music, almost 30% of men choose Bohemian Rhapsody from the list provided. Fewer women - 23% - put it first, with 28% naming Dancing Queen. Only 16% of men opted for the Abba track.
Among the over-65s, classical music made more of an impression, with 39% saying they wanted to listen to it when they're ill or down.
Among younger adults, Happy was the most popular song. Songs by Bob Marley, Robbie Williams and Michael Jackson were also on the list presented in the survey.
Bohemian Rhapsody is taken from Queen's A Night at the Opera album. Nearly six minutes long, the track went to number one in the UK singles charts on two occasions - on its initial release in November 1975, and in 1991 following the death of the band's frontman Freddie Mercury.
Queen said they regarded the track as a showcase of their technical skill and the song encompasses several musical styles. But although Bohemian Rhapsody topped the poll for its apparent cheering and soothing effects, its subject matter is a man's confession to a murder."
Personally music does not appeal to me when I am not feeling well.
tomchristie22 · Member since
'Happy' doesn't make me feel remotely happy. It's soulless.
Oscar J · Member since
[QUOTE]
[b]tomchristie22 wrote: [/b] 'Happy' doesn't make me feel remotely happy. It's soulless.[/QUOTE]
Are you kidding? It has so much more soul than 99% of pop music today. Great song in every aspect.
gerry · Member since
"Bohemian Rhapsody" is a masterpiece and if it does not make you feel good then why come on here as a Queen fan?
Freddie is gone but my god he made sure there was something he could leave big time for us all to remember him by. Bo Rhap is the greatest song written ever.
MercurialFreddie · Member since
[b]...its subject matter is a man's confession to a murder.[/b]"
What the hell ? So they figured out what the song is about.....
gerry · Member since
No i do not think its about murder.
i have heard it was about freddies sexuality, but rumours do go around!
Even Brian and Roger have not got the foggiest idea what Bohemian Rhapsody meant or is?
Nitroboy · Member since
They're talking about the song in a literal sense, and that is in fact about a man confessing a murder.
If you want to go deeper into the meaning of the song, everyone's guess is as good as any.
gerry · Member since
Freddies best songs were usually written when he had things on his mind, and at this given time 1975
Mary had sussed freddies sexuality out so did he rush to the piano and write Rhapsody?
Neo91 · Member since
Queen songs in general give me a good feeling.
gerry · Member since
When Mary told freddie that she could not continue te relationship after discovering freddie was gay,
Freddie wrote "Love of my Life" and if you listen to the lyrics it is apparent that freddie was upset they had parted,
"LOVE OF MY LIFE YOU'VE HURT ME
YOU'VE BROKEN MY HEART AND NOW YOU LEAVE ME
LOVE OF MY LIFE CANT YOU SEE,
BRING IT BACK BRING IT BACK DONT TAKE IT AWAY FROM ME BECAUSE YOU DONT KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO ME"
Freddie sounded so broken hearted!
Pingfah · Member since
Music appeals to me all the time, no more or less when I am ill.
If I needed cheering up though, there's plenty of Queen tracks I'd go for before Bohemian Rhapsody. Being a masterpiece doesn't necessarily mean it makes you feel good, it can mean the precise opposite of that in many cases.
gerry · Member since
Bohemian Rhapsody has always been a magical track, there was nothing before it and nothing after it!
No one but Mr Mercury could have written that, proven how very very special Freddie was.
A true genius and i am very thrilled that they will only ever be one Freddie Mercury.
For me music has died, and it was only freddie that made the top 20 special in those golden days!
Pingfah · Member since
Not much of a Queen fan if you think Bohemian Rhapsody is their only good song.
Nitroboy · Member since
[QUOTE]
[b]Pingfah wrote: [/b] Not much of a Queen fan if you think Bohemian Rhapsody is their only good song.[/QUOTE]
Don't take a nutter like Gerry seriously
Pingfah · Member since
Trust me, I don't. He's quite fond of telling people who is and isn't a real Queen fan though, I was just repaying the favour.
