Queen Song of the Week: Play the Game

As I mentioned on Sunday, I totally dropped the ball and forgot to write a Queen Song of the Week Post last week. In my defense, last week was pretty rotten and by Friday, I was just thrilled to have a few days to myself.

Play the Game was written by Freddie Mercury and appeared on the band's 1980 album The Game. It was released as a single in the U.K. and the U.S. where it peaked at #14 and #42, respectively.

Video courtesy of vicken28.

Play the Game is a Queen track that bridges the gap between their sound of the 1970s and 1980s. Fans have their opinion about which era was better, but from a song like this, the evolution of their music becomes rather clear. While the song contains synthesizers making it decidedly 1980s, it also contains layered guitars and harmonies by RT, Freddie, and Dr. May echoing their trademark sound of the 1970s.

This song was also rather lovely when played live (as evidenced by the above video). And in 2005, Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighters, a major Queen fan, cited Play the Game as one of his three favorite songs!

Happy Listening!