I Want It All (Queen song)

"I Want It All" is a song by British rock band Queen, featured on their 1989 studio album The Miracle. Written by guitarist and backing vocalist Brian May (but credited to Queen) and produced by David Richards, it was released as the first single from the album on 2 May 1989.^[1] "I Want It All" reached #3 on both the UK Singles Chart^[2] and the American Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart,^[3] #50 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart^[3] and #1 in other European territories, including Spain, where Los 40 Principales regularly played the song during the month of July 1989.^[1]

The song was first played live on 20 April 1992, three years after its release, during The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, performed by the three remaining members of Queen, with Roger Daltrey singing lead vocals and Tony Iommi playing rhythm guitar.^[4] Mercury himself never performed the song live, as he died in November 1991 from AIDS at the age of 45, and his final performance with Queen was at the end of The Magic Tour, in 1986. The song is sung mainly by Mercury, with May singing on the choruses and middle eight.

There are at least two versions of this song. The longer one is the album version, while the shortest one is used in the music video and in the Greatest Hits II compilation. Compared to the album version, the video version features a different beginning, omitting the acoustic/electric guitar part and the short rhythmic-electric guitar part immediately following. It starts with the band singing the chorus a cappella, and then, after a 1/8 + 2/4 A5 power chord, it picks up on the first electric guitar riff by May that follows the short rhythmic guitar part mentioned before. The guitar solo section is different as well: the album version features an extra solo, done at the same tempo as the rest of the song, just before the faster main solo. Mercury's vocals after the middle eight are also slightly different and are positioned on the "extra" solo on the album version, and on the main solo on the video version.

Background

The song, according to John Deacon, was one of only a few which was already written before the band entered the studio in the beginning of 1988 for what would become "The Miracle" album. The title stems from a catchphrase of Anita Dobson, later Brian May's second wife: "I want it all and I want it now!". "I Want It All" is notably heavy and features themes relating to rebellion and social upheaval. Songwriter May, however, claims that it is about having ambitions and fighting for one's own goals; because of this, the song became an anti-apartheid song in South Africa and has also been used as a gay rights protest theme and a rallying anthem for African-American youth.^[1]

Style and reception

In reviewing The Miracle for Allmusic, Greg Prato suggested that the song, like title track "The Miracle", "reflect[s] on [...] the state of the world in the late '80s," summarising the song stylistically as "heavy rock."^[5] Melville-based newspaper Newsday mentioned "I Want It All" as one of "The best" of the album, describing it as "colored by May's rocking guitar rolls and Mercury's rough-boys vocals."^[6] In reviewing the album, The Dallas Morning News described "I Want It All" in some depth, explaining how it "starts off with a Bowiesque guitar part, picks up a heavy cargo of steel, quickly lays down the hard line implied by the title, then takes flight along Mr. May's greased fretboard."^[7] The song marks the first and only use of a double kick bass drum in a Queen song.

Music video

The music video features the band performing in a studio that used halogen lighting. It was directed by David Mallet and filmed at Elstree Studios, London in March 1989. In the Greatest Video Hits 2 DVD audio commentary, Brian May and Roger Taylor recall that Mercury's health was already quite bad when the video's shooting took place, and it was remarkable that it didn't show up in the video, with Mercury performing with all the energy he had. The video also marked Mercury's first public appearance with a beard, after shaving off his trademark moustache in early 1987.

Queen comments on the record

“	'I Want It All' reestablishes our old image in a way. It's nice to come back with something strong. Something that reminds people we're a live group. I don't think we're a singles band, really. Just before we put the single out I started listening to what's on the radio, and the kind of stuff that becomes a hit these days bears no resemblance to what we do. People only remember the hits, but I suppose we have done okay.	”
	— Brian May

“	We were heading into the period where we decided to share the credit for all the songs, and John has said that [the song] was pretty much a finished song when we went into the studios – that's true, it was just this riff that I was obsessed with for months. The actual title was a favorite phrase of Anita's, a very ambitious girl: 'I want it all, and I want it now '... We were never able to perform this song live. It would have become something of the staple core of the Queen show, I'm sure, very participatory. It was designed for the audience to sing along to, very anthemic.	”
	— Brian May

“	Interesting, I wrote myself a bit in the middle. I can't remember quite why that was, it's a very sort of Pete Townshend thing to do, isn't it? But it made a nice little kind of duet in the middle, a bit of sparring between me and Freddie, and I know he enjoyed that.	”
	— Brian May

Personnel

Freddie Mercury - lead and backing vocals, synthesiser
Brian May - lead and backing vocals, electric and acoustic guitars
Roger Taylor - drums, backing vocals
John Deacon - bass guitar

Video game appearances

Madden NFL 12

A mash-up rap version with "We Will Rock You" included is featured in Madden 12. It features the rapping of Armaggedon, a former member of Terror Squad. This mash-up rap version of the song was also featured in the 2011 film Sucker Punch.

SingStar

The original version of the song was featured in the karaoke music video game SingStar Queen.

Guitar Hero series

The single version of the song was available as a playable track in the 2009 music video game Guitar Hero: Van Halen. The song was also featured in Guitar Hero Live.

Rock Band music gaming platform

The musically playable song was originally released on 20 October 2009, before the addition of real instruments. The song was then redone and made available to download on 7 December 2010 for use in the Rock Band 3 music gaming platform in an updated PRO mode version, which allows use of a real guitar/bass guitar, and standard MIDI compatible electronic drum kits / keyboards in addition to up to three-part harmony or backup vocals.^[8]^[9]

Chart and certifications

Weekly charts

Chart (1989)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)^[10]	10
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)^[11]	11
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[12]	10
Canada Top Singles (RPM)^[13]	34
Germany (Official German Charts)^[14]	9
Ireland (IRMA)^[15]	3
Italian Singles Chart^[16]	4
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[17]	2
Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[18]	2
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[19]	3
Norway (VG-lista)^[20]	4
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)^[21]	14
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)^[22]	8
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)^[23]	3
US Billboard Hot 100^[24]	50
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)^[25]	3

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/Sales
United Kingdom (BPI)^[26]	Silver	200,000^{^}
^{^}shipments figures based on certification alone

References

1 2 3 Jenkins, Jim; Smith, Jacky; Davis, Andy; Symes, Phil (2000). The Platinum Collection (CD booklet). Queen. Parlophone. p. 12. 7243 5 29883 2 7.
↑ http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/21275/queen/
1 2 "Queen > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". allmusic. Retrieved 7 May 2009.
↑ The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert: I Want It All Ultimate Queen. Retrieved 5 July 2011
↑ Prato, Greg. "The Miracle > Review". allmusic. Retrieved 7 May 2009.
↑ "06-25-1989 – The Miracle – Newsday (Melville, NY)". Queen Music Reviews. Queen Archives (originally published by Newsday). 25 June 1989 (original publication). Retrieved 7 May 2009. Check date values in: |date= (help)
↑ "07-02-1989 – The Miracle – The Dallas Morning News". Queen Archives (originally published by The Dallas Morning News). 7 February 1989 (original publication). Retrieved 7 May 2009. Check date values in: |date= (help)
↑ Cortez, Hector (2010-12-04). "More Queen Tracks Coming To Rock Band 3". m&c. Retrieved 2012-11-09.
↑ Snider, Mike (2010-06-10). "Rock Band 3: What's New, What's Notable". USA Today. Retrieved 2012-11-08.
↑ "Australian-charts.com – Queen – I Want It All". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved March 26, 2016.
↑ "Austriancharts.at – Queen – I Want It All" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved March 26, 2016.
↑ "Ultratop.be – Queen – I Want It All" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved March 26, 2016.
↑ "Top Singles - Volume 50, No. 13 Jul 24, 1989". RPM. Retrieved March 26, 2016.
↑ "Musicline.de – Queen Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH. Retrieved March 26, 2016.
↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – I Want It All". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved March 26, 2016.
↑ "Hit Parade Italia - Indice per Interprete: Q". Hitparadeitalia.it. Retrieved 2011-08-03.
↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Queen search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40. Retrieved March 26, 2016.
↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Queen – I Want It All" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved March 26, 2016.
↑ "Charts.org.nz – Queen – I Want It All". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved March 26, 2016.
↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Queen – I Want It All". VG-lista. Retrieved March 26, 2016.
↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Queen – I Want It All". Singles Top 100. Retrieved March 26, 2016.
↑ "Swisscharts.com – Queen – I Want It All". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved March 26, 2016.
↑ "Archive Chart: 1989-05-13" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved March 26, 2016.
↑ "Queen – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Queen. Retrieved March 26, 2016.
↑ "Queen – Chart history" Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs for Queen. Retrieved March 26, 2016.
↑ "British single certifications – Queen – I Want It All". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved March 26, 2016. Enter I Want It All in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Silver in the field By Award. Click Search

External links

Official YouTube videos: original music video, Queen + Paul Rogers (live), Queen + Paul Rodgers - 'Hammer To Fall/ I Want It All' (Live In Ukraine), at Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert (with Roger Daltrey)
Lyrics at Queen official website (from Queen Rocks)

Queen singles discography

Queen	"Keep Yourself Alive" "Liar"

Queen II	"Seven Seas of Rhye"

Sheer Heart Attack	"Killer Queen"/"Flick of the Wrist" "Now I'm Here" "Lily of the Valley" "Stone Cold Crazy"

A Night at the Opera	"Bohemian Rhapsody" "You're My Best Friend" "Love of My Life"

A Day at the Races	"Somebody to Love" "Tie Your Mother Down" "Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)" "Long Away" "Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy"

News of the World	"We Are the Champions"/"We Will Rock You" "Spread Your Wings" "It's Late"

Jazz	"Bicycle Race"/"Fat Bottomed Girls" "Don't Stop Me Now" "Jealousy" "Mustapha"

Live Killers	"Love of My Life" (Live) "We Will Rock You" (Live)

The Game	"Crazy Little Thing Called Love" "Save Me" "Play the Game" "Another One Bites the Dust" "Need Your Loving Tonight"

Flash Gordon	"Flash"

Hot Space	"Under Pressure" (with David Bowie) "Body Language" "Las Palabras de Amor" "Calling All Girls" "Staying Power" "Back Chat"

The Works	"Radio Ga Ga" "I Want to Break Free" "It's a Hard Life" "Hammer to Fall"

A Kind of Magic	"One Vision" "A Kind of Magic" "Princes of the Universe" "Friends Will Be Friends" "Pain Is So Close to Pleasure" "Who Wants to Live Forever" "One Year of Love"

The Miracle	"I Want It All" "Breakthru" "The Invisible Man" "Scandal" "The Miracle"

Innuendo	"Innuendo" "I'm Going Slightly Mad" "Headlong" "I Can't Live with You" "The Show Must Go On" "These Are the Days of Our Lives"

Made in Heaven	"Heaven for Everyone" "A Winter's Tale" "I Was Born to Love You" "Too Much Love Will Kill You" "Let Me Live" "You Don't Fool Me"

Queen Rocks	"No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young)"/"Tie Your Mother Down"

Greatest Hits III	"Under Pressure (Rah Mix)"

Non-album singles	"Thank God It's Christmas" "Another One Bites the Dust (Small Soldiers Remix)" "We Will Rock You" (with Five) "We Are the Champions" (with Robbie Williams) "Flash (Vanguard Mix)" "Another One Bites the Dust (The Miami Project Remixes)" "Bohemian Rhapsody" (with The Muppets)

Other songs	"See What a Fool I've Been" "Death on Two Legs" "Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon" "I'm in Love with My Car" "'39" "Sweet Lady" "Seaside Rendezvous" "The Prophet's Song" "Good Company" "Sheer Heart Attack" "Is This the World We Created...?" "Ride the Wild Wind" "Delilah" "Made In Heaven" "Mother Love" "Let Me in Your Heart Again" "Love Kills" "There Must Be More To Life Than This"

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