"Fat Bottomed Girls" is a song by the British rock band Queen. Written by guitarist Brian May, the song appears on the band's seventh studio album Jazz (1978) and later on their compilation album Greatest Hits. When released as a single with "Bicycle Race", the song reached number 11 in the UK Singles Chart and number 24 in the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. The song is formed around an open bluesy, metallic guitar tuning, and opens with its chorus. It was one of the few Queen songs played in an alternative (drop D) guitar tuning. The song's music video was filmed at the Dallas Convention Center in Texas in October 1978.

Song and lyrical content

The song celebrates the narrator's attraction to curvier women. "Fat Bottomed Girls" and "Bicycle Race" were released together on a double A-sided single, and the songs refer to each other. Near the end of "Fat Bottomed Girls", Mercury shouts, "Get on your bikes and ride!" "Bicycle Race" reciprocates with the line "Fat bottomed girls, they'll be riding today".

Reception

Cash Box said it has "a solid thumping beat, soaring harmonies and sonorous guitar work." Record World said that it combines "inventive lyrics and harmonies" with class.

Live performances

Queen performed "Fat Bottomed Girls" in concert from 1978 to 1982. Since its release, the song has appeared on television and film, and has been covered by a number of artists. The song was performed on the setlists of their Queen + Adam Lambert tours in 2012, 2014–2015, 2016 and 2017–2018 as well as 2023 featuring Adam Lambert and at the iHeartRadio Music Festival 2013 as Queen + Adam Lambert featuring Fun.

Other versions

Queen's live performances of the song featured a different vocal arrangement from the studio recording. In live performances, the lead vocals during the chorus were sung by Freddie Mercury, and there were two harmony parts, the upper one sung by Roger Taylor and the lower one by Brian May. In the studio version, there is no upper harmony part; the lead vocals on the verses are sung by Freddie Mercury, while Brian May sings the lead vocals on the chorus. The single version (which can be found on Greatest Hits, but not the 1992 US "Red Cover" version) omits the extended guitar interludes between the verses and fades out before the ending.

Legacy

During an interview with The A.V. Club, Michael McKean stated that "Fat Bottomed Girls" was an influence for the song "Big Bottom" in the 1984 mockumentary film This Is Spinal Tap. The song was not included on the band's 2023 Yoto (a portable music player) greatest hits compilation, as its adult content was deemed inappropriate for the children the device is marketed to.

Personnel

Live recordings

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications