"Fat Bottomed Girls" is a song by the British rock band Queen. Written by guitarist Brian May, the song appears on the band's seventh studio album Jazz (1978) and later on their compilation album Greatest Hits.[4] When released as a single with "Bicycle Race", the song reached number 11 in the UK Singles Chart and number 24 in the Billboard Hot 100 in the US.[5][6]
"Fat Bottomed Girls" | ||||
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![]() UK single picture sleeve | ||||
Single by Queen | ||||
from the album Jazz | ||||
A-side | "Bicycle Race" (double A-side)[1] | |||
Released |
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Recorded | 1978 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length |
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Label |
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Songwriter(s) | Brian May | |||
Producer(s) |
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Queen singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Fat Bottomed Girls" on YouTube | ||||
The song is formed around an open bluesy, metallic guitar tuning, and opens with its chorus.[7] It was one of the few Queen songs played in an alternative (drop D) guitar tuning.[8] The song's music video was filmed at the Dallas Convention Center in Texas in October 1978.[9]
The two songs were released together on a double A-sided single, and both songs refer to each other. Near the end of "Fat Bottomed Girls", the song references "Bicycle Race", with Mercury shouting, "Get on your bikes and ride!" "Bicycle Race" reciprocates with the line "fat bottomed girls, they'll be riding today".
Cash Box said it has "a solid thumping beat, soaring harmonies and sonorous guitar work."[10]
Queen performed "Fat Bottomed Girls" in concert from 1978 to 1982.[11][12][13] Since its release, the song has appeared on television and film, and has been covered by a number of artists.[9]
The song was performed on the setlists of their Queen + Adam Lambert tours in 2012, 2014–2015, 2016 and 2017–2018 featuring Adam Lambert[14] and at the iHeartRadio Music Festival 2013 as Queen + Adam Lambert featuring Fun.[15]
The song featured a different vocal arrangement from the studio recording when performed live. In live performances, the lead vocals during the chorus were sung by Freddie Mercury and harmonized with an upper voice (Roger Taylor) and a lower voice (Brian May). In the studio version, there is no higher harmony. The lead vocals on the verses are sung by Freddie Mercury, while Brian May sings the lead vocals on the chorus.
The single version (which can be found on Greatest Hits, but not the 1992 US "Red Cover" version) omits the extended guitar interludes between the verses and fades out before the ending.[16]
During an interview with The A.V. Club, Michael McKean stated that "Fat Bottomed Girls" was an influence for the song "Big Bottom" in the film This Is Spinal Tap.[17]
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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United Kingdom (BPI)[18] | Platinum | 600,000![]() |
United States (RIAA)[19] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000![]() |
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Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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...and the hard-rocking 'Fat Bottomed Girls.'
Queen songs | |
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Queen | |
Queen II | |
Sheer Heart Attack | |
A Night at the Opera |
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A Day at the Races | |
News of the World | |
Jazz | |
The Game | |
Flash Gordon | |
Hot Space | |
The Works |
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A Kind of Magic | |
The Miracle | |
Innuendo | |
Made in Heaven | |
Queen Rocks | |
Queen Forever | |
Other songs | |
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Authority control ![]() |
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