Bohemian Rhapsody at 50

Freddie Mercury loved Christmas. “You know, the house would have been full of all these decorations. He loved his decorations. And he had a great, unerring eye,” says bandmate, Queen drummer Roger Taylor.

Queen had special reason to celebrate 50 years ago when Bohemian Rhapsody changed the world. Number one in the UK for nine weeks between November 1975 and January 1976, it’s the epic that turned the group into global superstars and household names.

Rereleased after Mercury’s death in 1991, it became the only song (until Last Christmas last Christmas) to top the Christmas charts twice.

In this week’s first bumper festive Big Issue, Brian May and Roger Taylor reflect on the making of a seasonal classic.

Also inside

• Christmas past, present and future – where our traditions come from, the epic rise of Labubus and how AI will shake everything up
• A Letter To My Younger Self from pioneering heart surgeon Sir Magdi Yacoub who is still innovating as he turns 90
• Celebrating 25 years of the Millennium Seed Bank, the team behind it share what the next 25 years will have in store
• How Wham! killed the Christmas number one
• And Edinburgh vendor Grant talks about the self-worth he gets from selling the magazine

Plus much more!

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