Studio Album · No. 6
News of the World Songwriting Credits by Queen
Produced by Queen, Mike Stone · Engineered by Mike Stone
Queen wrote 11 of 11 documented tracks
Authorship Breakdown 11 / 11 documented
Scored across the 11 tracks with documented writers, by whether Queen carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 11 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
Awards & Recognition 1
News of the World is the most democratic Queen album yet, with the writing spread almost evenly: Brian May four songs, Freddie Mercury three, Roger Taylor two, and John Deacon two. It opens with the back-to-back anthems "We Will Rock You" (May) and "We Are the Champions" (Mercury), among the most famous songs ever written, then pulls toward a harder, stripped-back, punk-aware sound. Every track is an individual member's credit, with no outside writers.
Queen's sixth studio album, released October 28, 1977, produced by Queen and Mike Stone. The album opens with two of the most famous sports anthems in history: 'We Will Rock You' (Brian May) and 'We Are the Champions' (Freddie Mercury), which have remained in constant cultural circulation since their release and are frequently ranked among the greatest rock songs ever made. The album showcases the full democratic breadth of Queen's songwriting: Roger Taylor contributes 'Sheer Heart Attack' (a punk-adjacent track different from the third album of the same name) and 'Fight from the Inside'; John Deacon contributes 'Spread Your Wings' and 'Who Needs You'; May contributes four tracks; Mercury contributes three. Each member except Deacon has at least two solo writing credits on this album. At eleven tracks it is one of Queen's most concise albums and has a harder, more stripped-back sound than A Night at the Opera.