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