# In 1980, Freddie Mercury wrote one of the biggest hits Queen ever made. It only took him 10 minutes

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-1980-freddie-mercury-wrote-one-of-the-biggest-hits-queen-ever-made-it-only-took-him-10-minutes/
- Published: 2026-11-07T01:45:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-07T02:21:45+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/1980-freddie-mercury-wrote-biggest-hit-queen/
- Topics: Music

## Key points

- Mercury said the song took five to ten minutes to write.
- A few guitar chords helped shape its simple sound.
- The Elvis inspired track became a lasting Queen hit.

## Summary

Freddie Mercury said he wrote Queen’s “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” in about five to ten minutes, after a guitar riff gave him the idea. The song’s quick, stripped-back creation stands out against Queen’s reputation for elaborate arrangements and shows how a simple musical framework could produce one of the band’s enduring pop hits.

Mercury said his limited guitar skills constrained him to a small set of chords, which he felt helped him write the song. Released around the time of the 1980 album *The Game*, it drew on the style of Elvis Presley and became a major Queen hit; the article also notes its continued popularity on streaming services.

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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.