# In 1978, Brian May couldn’t support one Queen song, unaware it would be heard over 2,800,000,000 times

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-1978-brian-may-couldnt-support-one-queen-song-unaware-it-would-be-heard-over-2800000000-times/
- Published: 2026-11-06T11:21:55+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-06T12:55:44+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/1978-brian-may-couldnt-support-one-queen-song/
- Topics: Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- May initially felt uneasy about Mercury’s lyrics.
- He supported the song and contributed its guitar parts.
- ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ went on to reach over 2.8 billion listens.

## Summary

In 1978, Brian May was uneasy about Freddie Mercury’s lyrics for ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’, which celebrated hedonism while May was worried about the risks Mercury might face amid growing concern about AIDS. The story shows how May’s personal concern initially made it difficult for him to appreciate the song, even as he supported Mercury’s creative vision.

May said he found the lyrics “a little bit too flippant” in view of AIDS, but trusted Mercury and contributed the guitar riff and solo. Mercury wanted the piano to carry the song’s momentum, leaving the guitar to add a melodic counterpoint. Released in 1979, the track became a major crowd favourite and has since been heard more than 2.8 billion times, according to the headline.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.