The Connection Between The Beatles' 'Hey Jude' and Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody'
While The Beatles' "Hey Jude" and Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" sound so different from each other, they have a major similarity. They also share a connection to a David Bowie song.
The Beatles‘ “Hey Jude” is arguably the Fab Four’s signature song and Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” is undeniably Queen’s signature song. While the two hits sound so different from each other, they have a major similarity. The tunes also have something in common with David Bowie’s “Life on Mars?”
According to Rolling Stone, Paul McCartney played the Bechstein piano at London’s Trident Studios on “Hey Jude.” That piano has had quite a history! It was also used on Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Bowie’s “Life on Mars?,” and Elton John’s “Levon.”
The two bands used that piano in wildly different ways. In “Hey Jude,” it sounds warm and inviting, like the tune as a whole. In contrast, the piano riffs in “Bohemian Rhapsody” sound nervous, desperate, and sad. They fit with the song’s theme of murder.
Source: Matthew Trzcinski/cheatsheet.com
