# In 1980, Queen played Michael Jackson a new song. He told them it would reach number one

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-1980-queen-played-michael-jackson-a-new-song-he-told-them-it-would-reach-number-one/
- Published: 2026-10-22T23:30:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-23T00:11:03+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/in-1980-queen-played-michael-jackson-a-new-song-he-told-them-it-would-reach-number-one/
- Topics: Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- Michael Jackson urged Queen to release “Another One Bites the Dust”.
- He predicted it would top the charts.
- John Deacon wrote the enduring hit.

## Summary

Michael Jackson encouraged Queen to release John Deacon’s “Another One Bites the Dust” after hearing it before the album *The Game* came out. His confidence helped the band recognise the song’s hit potential, and its success marked a shift towards a more accessible, danceable sound.

Freddie Mercury later credited Jackson, a friend and fan of the band, with urging him to make music people could dance to. The article says Jackson heard the finished song, called it “the gravy” and predicted it would top the charts; Queen released it, and it became one of their biggest pop hits after “Bohemian Rhapsody”.

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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.