Thank God It's Christmas
1984 song by Queen
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"Thank God It's Christmas" is a Christmas single by the British rock band Queen. It was written by lead guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor. Released on 26 November 1984, the single spent six weeks in the UK charts over Christmas 1984 and new year of 1985, and peaked at number 21.[1]
- "Man on the Prowl" (12" incl. extended version)
- "Keep Passing the Open Windows"
- 26 November 1984 (UK)
- 27 November 1984 (US)
| "Thank God It's Christmas" | ||||
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UK single picture sleeve | ||||
| Single by Queen | ||||
| B-side |
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| Released |
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| Recorded | 1984 | |||
| Genre | Christmas music, rock | |||
| Length | 4:19 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producers |
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| Queen singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Thank God It's Christmas" on YouTube | ||||
The song was not originally released on any Queen studio album, appearing only on Queen's Greatest Hits III, released in 1999, and as the B-side of the single "A Winter's Tale" from the 1995 album Made in Heaven. However, the track was finally included on the bonus EP packaged with the deluxe edition of their album The Works, remastered and re-released in 2011.
It appears on the Christmas compilation LP The Edge of Christmas in its full 12" version with the drum intro. It also appears on the US-only compilation boxed-set The Queen Collection, which consisted of a re-release of the LPs Classic Queen and Queen's Greatest Hits along with a bonus CD called Queen Talks that included this song, along with a 1989 interview with the band.
Music video
Upon its original release, no promotional video was filmed for the track, with shows often using footage of live performances in lieu of an official promotional music video. In a 2018 interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, Brian May attributed the single's underwhelming chart performance to the lack of a music video.[2]
In 2019, an animated music video was produced. The animation, directed by Justin Moon and Drew Gleason, depicted a wintery evening scene, with people enjoying each other's company during the Christmas season.[3] The video was released in December 2019 on the Queen Official YouTube channel.[4]
in 2026 a new version of the song will be released, as confirmed by Brian May. The original song was recorded in a very short time, Roger Tayler wasn’t in it with his drums. The new version will be updated to fit in this time, with Taylor on the drums.
Critical reception
Upon its release, Howard Johnson of Kerrang! remarked that "even Freddie's excellent vox can't disguise that this is blandola naffola" and added, "The boys should quite honestly have employed themselves doing something a little more useful, like buying Fisher-Price toys for the kiddies."[5]
Track listings
7" single
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Thank God It's Christmas" | 4:22 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Man on the Prowl" (album version) | Freddie Mercury | 3:30 |
| 2. | "Keep Passing the Open Windows" (album version) | Mercury | 5:22 |
12" single
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Thank God It's Christmas" |
| 4:19 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Man on the Prowl" (Extended Version) | Mercury | 6:02 |
| 2. | "Keep Passing the Open Windows" (extended version) | Mercury | 6:50 |
Personnel
- Freddie Mercury – lead and backing vocals
- Brian May – electric guitar, synthesizer, backing vocals
- Roger Taylor – drums, drum machine, sleigh bells, synthesizer, backing vocals
- John Deacon – bass guitar
Charts
Weekly charts
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Monthly charts
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Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[81] | Platinum | 90,000‡ |
| Germany (BVMI)[82] | Platinum | 500,000‡ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[83] | Platinum | 30,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[84] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
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‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||