Bohemian Rhapsody is most streamed song from 20th century

Rock star Freddie Mercury, lead singer of the rock group Queen, performs during a concert at the Palais Omnisports de Paris Bercy on Sept 18, 1984. PHOTO: AFP

LONDON (Reuters) - Detractors said it would never sell with its six-minute playing time, but Queen song Bohemian Rhapsody on Monday (Dec 10) became the most streamed song from the 20th century.

Boosted by the new movie, Bohemian Rhapsody, the 1975 single and music video surpassed 1.6 billion streams globally, record company Universal Music Group said.

The song overtook the likes of Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit (1991) and Guns N' Roses' Sweet Child O' Mine (1987) and is now also the most streamed classic rock song of all time, Universal added.

The film, starring Rami Malek as late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, has brought the music of the British rock group to a new generation.

Malek was nominated for a Golden Globe last week for his performance and is widely expected to get an Oscar nomination next month.

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