Don't Stop Me Now
Encyclopedia
"Don't Stop Me Now" is a song by English rock group Queen
, featured on their 1978 album Jazz. Written by vocalist Freddie Mercury
, it was recorded in August/September 1978 at Super Bear Studios in Berre-les-Alpes
(Alpes-Maritimes), France, and is the twelfth track on the album.
Musically, the song is based around Mercury's piano playing, with John Deacon
and Roger Taylor providing a bass guitar and drums backing track. The song also provides an example of Queen's trademark style of multitrack harmony vocals for the chorus lines.
On the studio version, Brian May
's only guitar playing is in his guitar solo, but on live versions performed on the band's 1979 Jazz
and Crazy
tours, May would also play rhythm guitar throughout the rest of the song to give more of a rock
feeling to it. A live version of the song features in the band's 1979 album Live Killers
. The song also appears in the band's 1981 compilation album Greatest Hits, and in June 2011, as part of Queen's 40th anniversary celebrations, an old take of the song containing more guitar parts was included on the bonus EP of the re-released and remastered Jazz album.
The single reached number 9 in the UK charts but only number 86 in the US. Viewed at the time of release as one of the lesser songs in the Queen canon, it was only performed live during 1979, with the last performance in the Crazy Tour
. Despite this the song has grown in stature with time and has been popularised not only by consistent airplay, but by its use in advertisements, television programmes and films, and through cover versions. It has subsequently become one of Queen's most popular songs. It was the first single by Queen to be released on a cassette tape
. Previously, each single was released on a Vinyl Record or 7".
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
, featured on their 1978 album Jazz. Written by vocalist Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...
, it was recorded in August/September 1978 at Super Bear Studios in Berre-les-Alpes
Berre-les-Alpes
Berre-les-Alpes is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.-Population:-References:*...
(Alpes-Maritimes), France, and is the twelfth track on the album.
Musically, the song is based around Mercury's piano playing, with John Deacon
John Deacon
John Richard Deacon is a retired English multi-instrumentalist and song writer, best known as the bassist for the rock band Queen. Of the four members of the band, he was the last to join and also the youngest, being only 19 years old when he was recruited by the other members of the band...
and Roger Taylor providing a bass guitar and drums backing track. The song also provides an example of Queen's trademark style of multitrack harmony vocals for the chorus lines.
On the studio version, Brian May
Brian May
Brian Harold May, CBE is an English musician and astrophysicist most widely known as the guitarist and a songwriter of the rock band Queen...
's only guitar playing is in his guitar solo, but on live versions performed on the band's 1979 Jazz
Jazz Tour
The Jazz Tour was a concert tour made by the British rock band Queen. This tour supported the album Jazz. This tour was memorable for the spectacle created by the band...
and Crazy
Crazy Tour
Crazy Tour was a short tour by the English rock band Queen during November and December 1979.After the release of the single "Crazy Little Thing Called Love", the band decided to change the concert dynamic they used to do the last years. In this tour Queen would revisit smaller venues, many which...
tours, May would also play rhythm guitar throughout the rest of the song to give more of a rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
feeling to it. A live version of the song features in the band's 1979 album Live Killers
Live Killers
Live Killers is a double vinyl and compact disc live album by English rock band Queen. It was released on June 22, 1979.It was recorded live during the European leg of Queen's Jazz world tour between January and March 1979...
. The song also appears in the band's 1981 compilation album Greatest Hits, and in June 2011, as part of Queen's 40th anniversary celebrations, an old take of the song containing more guitar parts was included on the bonus EP of the re-released and remastered Jazz album.
The single reached number 9 in the UK charts but only number 86 in the US. Viewed at the time of release as one of the lesser songs in the Queen canon, it was only performed live during 1979, with the last performance in the Crazy Tour
Crazy Tour
Crazy Tour was a short tour by the English rock band Queen during November and December 1979.After the release of the single "Crazy Little Thing Called Love", the band decided to change the concert dynamic they used to do the last years. In this tour Queen would revisit smaller venues, many which...
. Despite this the song has grown in stature with time and has been popularised not only by consistent airplay, but by its use in advertisements, television programmes and films, and through cover versions. It has subsequently become one of Queen's most popular songs. It was the first single by Queen to be released on a cassette tape
Compact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
. Previously, each single was released on a Vinyl Record or 7".
In popular culture
- Popular darts player Ronnie BaxterRonnie BaxterRonnie Baxter is an English darts player. He uses the nickname The Rocket for his matches. Baxter is known for his fast, robotic throwing action...
uses the song as his walk-on song as well as BDO player Brian WoodsBrian Woods (darts player)Brian Woods is an English darts player who has competed in events organised by the British Darts Organisation. He left the British Darts Organisation in 2011 for the Professional Darts Corporation through their qualifying school. He now lives in Aberdeen, and uses the nickname Pecker for his matches... - In 2005, this song was voted as "The Greatest Driving Song Ever" by viewers of the BBC television program Top GearTop Gear (current format)Top Gear is a British television series about motor vehicles, primarily cars. It began in 1977 as a conventional motoring magazine show. Over time, and especially since a relaunch in 2002, it has developed a quirky, humorous style...
, but the trophy given to Roger Taylor was mis-engraved, reading Stop Me Now. - The 2004 horror/comedy Shaun of the DeadShaun of the DeadShaun of the Dead is a 2004 British zombie comedy directed by Edgar Wright, starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, and written by Pegg and Wright. Pegg plays Shaun, a man attempting to get some kind of focus in his life as he deals with his girlfriend, his mother and stepfather...
features the song near the middle of the film. The song is played on a jukebox in the Winchester pub as three of the main characters circle around the zombie pub landlord while hitting him over the head with pool cues in rhythm with the song, leading Shaun to utter the line; "David, kill the Queen!" Also, during the song, various things happen to the beat of the music, such as lights flashing. Thematically, the song is ironic, as its upbeat feel completely contradicts the protagonists' no-win scenario when it accidentally is played on jukebox. On the DVD Scene Selection the scene is called Killer Queen, another one of Queen's songs. "You're My Best Friend" was also featured in the film during the closing credits. - The song is featured in a PanasonicPanasonicPanasonic is an international brand name for Japanese electric products manufacturer Panasonic Corporation, which was formerly known as Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd...
commercial in Australia during coverage of the 2008 Summer Olympics2008 Summer OlympicsThe 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
, featuring Australian Olympians in their childhood on home videos - The song was also featured in FOX's cartoon series American Dad!American Dad!American Dad! is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane and owned by Underdog Productions and Fuzzy Door Productions. It is produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television...
during the first season episode "Roger 'n' Me". - The song also featured in the credits of a British television show on the history of the ConcordeConcordeAérospatiale-BAC Concorde was a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger airliner, a supersonic transport . It was a product of an Anglo-French government treaty, combining the manufacturing efforts of Aérospatiale and the British Aircraft Corporation...
aircraft - The song was featured in a series of GatoradeGatoradeGatorade is a brand of sports-themed food and beverage products, built around its signature product: a line of sports drinks. Gatorade is currently manufactured by PepsiCo, distributed in over 80 countries...
PropelPropel Fitness WaterPropel Water is brand of flavored bottled water that is advertised for having antioxidants and vitamins. It is a beverage product of Gatorade and is marketed by PepsiCo.- Launch :...
advertisements - The song was used in a commercial for Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate, showing airport trucks having a race along the runway to a background of the song playing. This was later changed to Bon JoviBon JoviBon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
's "Living on a Prayer" - This song was used in the Australian Queensland MotorwaysQueensland MotorwaysQueensland Motorways is company wholly owned by the Government of Queensland, Australia which operates and owns the Gateway Bridge and 20 km of the Gateway Motorway, Gateway Extension and Logan Motorway. The company began operating in 1980....
Ad for their new tollingToll roadA toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
system - It was used by M-NetM-NetM-Net is a subscription-funded television channel in South Africa, established in 1986 by Naspers....
in an advertising campaign in the early 1990s - In 2009, the song was used on E4's show SkinsSkins (TV series)Skins is a BAFTA award-winning British teen drama that follows a group of teenagers in Bristol, South West England, through the two years of college. The controversial plot line explores issues such as dysfunctional families, mental illness , adolescent sexuality, substance abuse and death...
on the series three episode "Cook". - This song was used for the opening of the Youth Olympic Games.
- In 2011, Top Gear attempted to do a stunt driving show during the Four-Seater Convertibles Challenge in synchronisation with the song.
- In 2011, the song featured in the opening playlist of WFMUWFMUWFMU is a listener-supported, independent community radio station headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey, United States, broadcasting at 91.1 MHz FM, presenting a freeform radio format...
's The Best Show with Tom ScharplingThe Best Show on WFMU with Tom ScharplingThe Best Show on WFMU with Tom Scharpling is a combination music, call-in, and comedy radio show hosted by Tom Scharpling on New Jersey-based radio station WFMU. The show's slogan is "Three hours of mirth, music, and mayhem."...
. - In 2011, on what would have been Freddie Mercury's 65th birthday, this song was used by GoogleGoogleGoogle Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
in their Google Doodle homage to him. - The BBC series 'Blackpool Blackpool (TV serial)Blackpool is a British television musical comedy drama serial, produced in-house by the BBC. It was screened on BBC One as six one-hour episodes on Thursday nights at 9pm from 11 November to 16 December 2004...
' features the song in the fifth episode.
Cover versions
Notable cover versions include:- McFlyMcFlyMcFly are an English pop rock band who first found fame in 2004. The band consists of Tom Fletcher , Danny Jones , Dougie Poynter and Harry Judd . They were signed to the Island Records label from their 2004 launch until December 2007, before creating their own label, Super Records...
, the cover is the official song for Sport Relief 2006Sport ReliefSport Relief is a biennial charity event from Comic Relief, in association with BBC Sport, which brings together the worlds of sport and entertainment to raise money to help vulnerable people in both the UK and the world's poorest countries...
. It reached Number 1 in the UK Singles ChartUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
on the week ending 29 July 2006. - The VandalsThe VandalsThe Vandals are an American rock band established in 1980 in Huntington Beach, California. They have released ten full-length studio albums and two live albums and have toured the world extensively, including performances on the Vans Warped Tour...
, on their 2004 album Hollywood Potato ChipHollywood Potato ChipHollywood Potato Chip is the tenth studio album by the Southern California punk rock band The Vandals, released in 2004 by Kung Fu Records. A music video starring guitarist and producer Warren Fitzgerald was filmed for the band's cover version of Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now". The album's title is a...
. A music videoMusic videoA music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
filmed for the song features guitarist and producer Warren FitzgeraldWarren FitzgeraldWarren Fitzgerald is an American punk rock musician, guitarist, songwriter, and record label owner.-Overview and business:Warren Fitzgerald is most famous for being the current guitarist of The Vandals...
buskingBuskingStreet performance or busking is the practice of performing in public places, for gratuities, which are generally in the form of money and edibles...
in front of Grauman's Chinese TheatreGrauman's Chinese TheatreGrauman's Chinese Theatre is a movie theater at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood. It is on the historic Hollywood Walk of Fame.The Chinese Theatre was commissioned following the success of the nearby Grauman's Egyptian Theatre which opened in 1922...
while in costume as Freddie Mercury. - In the European release of the drumming game Donkey KongaDonkey Kongais a GameCube rhythm video game starring the ape Donkey Kong, developed by Namco and published by Nintendo. Instead of the standard GameCube controllers, the game is intended to be played with a special controller called the DK Bongos that resemble two small bongo drums.Donkey Konga was developed...
(2004) - The Royal Philharmonic OrchestraRoyal Philharmonic OrchestraThe Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It tours widely, and is sometimes referred to as "Britain's national orchestra"...
. - Katy PerryKaty PerryKaty Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
performed the song twice on her Hello Katy TourHello Katy TourThe Hello Katy Tour is the first worldwide concert tour by American pop singer-songwriter Katy Perry that supported her debut studio album, One of the Boys...
. - Unibet in Scandinavia featured a cover by Fibes, Oh Fibes! in autumn 2009
- Olly MursOlly MursOliver Stanley "Olly" Murs is an English singer-songwriter and TV presenter. Murs rose to fame after being the runner-up on the sixth series of The X Factor...
sang this on 14 November during "Queen Week" of The X Factor 2009The X Factor (UK series 6)The sixth series of British television music competition The X Factor started on ITV on 22 August 2009 and was won by Joe McElderry on 13 December 2009. Cheryl Cole emerged as the winning mentor for the second consecutive year, the first time in the show's history that a mentor has won back-to-back... - Parts of the "Weird Al" Yankovic"Weird Al" YankovicAlfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
song, "Ringtone" resemble this song's melody, along with several other Queen songs. - Sally ChatfieldThe X Factor (Australia season 2)The X Factor is an Australian television reality music competition, based on the original UK series, to find new singing talent. The 2010 season premiered on 30 August 2010 and was won by Altiyan Childs on 22 November 2010. Ronan Keating emerged as the winning mentor of the series...
covered this song in the Australian version of the X-Factor. - Kitty Brucknell sang this on 12 November during "Lady Gaga vs Queen Week" of The X Factor 2011The X Factor (UK series 8)The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. The eighth series began airing on ITV on 20 August 2011. Louis Walsh is the only judge from the previous series to return, as the other three, Simon Cowell, Dannii Minogue and Cheryl Cole, all left to join other...
Chart positions
- Number 9 (UK)
- Number 10 (Ireland)
- Number 14 (Netherlands)
- Number 35 (Germany)
- Number 37 (Sweden)
- Number 86 (US)