Absolute Greatest

Absolute Greatest is a 2009 compilation album by the British rock band Queen. The album contains 20 of their most famous songs, and is available in several formats, including the single CD edition, a 2 CD special edition featuring audio commentaries by Brian May and Roger Taylor, a 52-page hardback book with the 2 CDs, digital download, and an LP edition box set. Each track has been remastered from the original tapes.^[5]

Absolute Greatest
Greatest hits album by Queen
Released	11 November 2009
Recorded	1973–1995
Genre	Rock
Length	79:28
Label	Parlophone Hollywood
Producer	various
Queen chronology
The Singles Collection Volume 2 (2009) Absolute Greatest (2009) The Singles Collection Volume 3 (2010)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Classic Rock	[2]
Q	[3]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[4]

A promotion running on the band's official website, Queen Online, gave fans the opportunity to guess the placings of the tracks on the album and win a prize if their answer was correct (a new track was revealed daily). The prize winner was then chosen in a random selection.^[6]

Track listing

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"We Will Rock You" (from News of the World, 1977)	Brian May	2:02
2.	"We Are the Champions" (from News of the World, 1977)	Freddie Mercury	3:01
3.	"Radio Ga Ga" (from The Works, 1984)	Roger Taylor	5:48
4.	"Another One Bites the Dust" (from The Game, 1980)	John Deacon	3:35

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
5.	"I Want It All" (single version, from The Miracle, 1989)	Queen (May)	4:01
6.	"Crazy Little Thing Called Love" (from The Game, 1980)	Mercury	2:44
7.	"A Kind of Magic" (from A Kind of Magic, 1986)	Taylor	4:25

Side three

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
8.	"Under Pressure" (with David Bowie, from Hot Space, 1982)	Queen, Bowie	4:08
9.	"One Vision" (single version, from A Kind of Magic, 1986)	Queen (Taylor)	4:04
10.	"You're My Best Friend" (from, A Night at the Opera, 1975)	Deacon	2:51
11.	"Don't Stop Me Now" (from Jazz, 1978)	Mercury	3:30

Side four

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
12.	"Killer Queen" (from Sheer Heart Attack, 1974)	Mercury	3:00
13.	"These Are the Days of Our Lives" (from Innuendo, 1991)	Queen (Taylor)	4:13
14.	"Who Wants to Live Forever" (Greatest Hits II edit, from A Kind of Magic, 1986)	May	4:55

Side five

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
15.	"Seven Seas of Rhye" (from Queen II, 1974)	Mercury	2:46
16.	"Heaven for Everyone" (single version, from Made in Heaven, 1995)	Taylor	4:43
17.	"Somebody to Love" (from A Day at the Races, 1976)	Mercury	4:55

Side six

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
18.	"I Want to Break Free" (single version, from The Works, 1984)	Deacon	4:19
19.	"The Show Must Go On" (from Innuendo, 1991)	Queen (May)	4:32
20.	"Bohemian Rhapsody" (from A Night at the Opera, 1975)	Mercury	5:56

Personnel

• Freddie Mercury - lead and backing vocals, piano, guitar, keyboards, synthesizer
• Brian May - guitar, backing vocals, keyboards, synthesizer, orchestral arrangements on "Who Wants to Live Forever", co-lead vocals on "I Want It All" and "Who Wants to Live Forever"
• Roger Taylor - drums, percussion, keyboards, synthesizer, electronic drums, backing vocals
• John Deacon - bass guitar, piano, guitar, keyboards, synthesizer
• David Bowie - vocals, hand claps, finger snaps, keyboards on "Under Pressure"
• Fred Mandel - synthesizer on "Radio Ga Ga" and "I Want To Break Free"
• National Philharmonic Orchestra - strings on "Who Wants To Live Forever"
• Michael Kamen - conductor and orchestral arrangements on "Who Wants To Live Forever"

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts Chart (2009) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)[7] 18 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[8] 10 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[9] 22 Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[10] 6 French Compilations Albuns (SNEP)[11] 11 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[12] 23 Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[13] 4 Irish Albums (IRMA)[14] 9 Italian Albums (FIMI)[15] 21 Mexican Albums (Top 100 Mexico)[16] 22 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[17] 6 Portuguese Albums (AFP)[18] 4 Scottish Albums (OCC)[19] 3 Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[20] 20 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[21] 5 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[22] 15 UK Albums (OCC)[23] 3 Chart (2010) Peak position Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[24] 15 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[25] 36 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[26] 6 Chart (2011) Peak position Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[27] 15 Chart (2018) Peak position Canadian Albums (Billboard)[28] 10

Year-end charts Chart (2009) Position New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[29] 35 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[30] 34 UK Albums (OCC)[31] 17 Chart (2010) Position Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[32] 63 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[33] 66 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[34] 43 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[35] 68 UK Albums (OCC)[36] 107

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[37]	Gold	35,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[38]	Gold	15,000^
Hungary (MAHASZ)[39]	Platinum	6,000^
Ireland (IRMA)[40]	Platinum	15,000^
Italy (FIMI)[41]	Gold	35,000*
New Zealand (RMNZ)[42]	Platinum	15,000^
Poland (ZPAV)[43]	Gold	10,000*
Portugal (AFP)[44]	Gold	10,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[45]	2× Platinum	600,000^
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.