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Fact check: What is Queen's most infamous musical riff

Checked on July 10, 2025

1. Summary of the results

Based on the analyses provided, there is no definitive consensus on Queen's most infamous musical riff. The sources present several strong contenders:

  • "Bohemian Rhapsody" emerges as a leading candidate, with one source noting that the guitar solo is "one of Queen's most iconic and memorable," and that Brian May still finds it challenging to play live after 50 years [1]. This riff also appears in a ranking of Queen's greatest guitar moments [2].
  • "Don't Stop Me Now" is highlighted by multiple sources as having a guitar riff that is "arguably more famous than the song itself" [3] [4], suggesting its significant cultural impact.
  • Other notable riffs mentioned include those from "We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions," "Another One Bites the Dust" [5], and several tracks featured in Slash's top 5 Queen riffs: "Stone Cold Crazy," "Tie Your Mother Down," and "Fat Bottomed Girls" [6].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question assumes there is one definitive "most infamous" riff, but the analyses reveal this is highly subjective. Several important perspectives are missing:

  • Different metrics for "infamous" - The sources discuss fame, iconicity, technical difficulty, and cultural impact, but don't clearly define what makes a riff "infamous" versus simply famous or popular.
  • Professional vs. public opinion - While one source mentions Brian May being voted "Greatest Guitarist Of All Time" by 12% of voters [7], there's limited data on how music professionals versus the general public would rank these riffs.
  • Historical context - The analyses don't provide information about when these riffs were created or their influence on other musicians, which could be crucial for determining their true infamy.
  • Commercial vs. artistic impact - Some riffs may be more commercially successful while others might be more artistically innovative, representing different types of "infamy."

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question contains an implicit assumption that there is a single, universally agreed-upon "most infamous" Queen riff. This framing is potentially misleading because:

  • No source definitively identifies one riff as the most infamous, suggesting the premise may be flawed [3] [1] [4] [5] [2] [6].
  • The term "infamous" typically carries negative connotations, but the sources discuss these riffs in positive terms as "iconic," "memorable," and "greatest," indicating the question may be using inappropriate terminology.
  • Subjective nature ignored - The question presents this as a factual matter when the evidence suggests it's largely a matter of personal and cultural preference, as demonstrated by the variety of riffs mentioned across different sources and contexts.
Want to dive deeper?
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How did Brian May develop his signature guitar sound?
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