This No Doubt Song Is Supposed to Be the Band’s Version of Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
Queen and No Doubt make very different music; however, a member of No Doubt said his band released a song that was their version of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Interestingly, No Doubt collaborated with a famous musician to create that song. Audiences responded to the song very differently from how they responded to “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
Why No Doubt took such a long break from releasing songs
No Doubt broke through in the 1990s and continued having hits into the 2000s. It is not a very prolific band. After all, No Doubt didn’t release any albums between 2001’s Rock Steady and 2012’s Push and Shove. In between those albums, Gwen Stefani released two successful solo albums: Love. Angel. Music. Baby. and Sweet Escape.
During an interview with Rolling Stone, No Doubt’s Tony Kanal explained why the band took such a long break. “For everyone, taking that long break was very healthy,” he said. “Gwen needed to get that out of her system. She couldn’t have made those [solo] albums with No Doubt. And we’ve learned that if you try to force it, it doesn’t work with this band.”
Tony Kanal compared this song to Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
In a different Rolling Stone interview, Kanal said Push and Shove included a song similar to Queen’s music. Specifically, he said the song “Push and Shove” was No Doubt’s version of Queen’s 1975 hit “Bohemian Rhapsody.” While “Push and Shove” and “Bohemian Rhapsody” are very different, they each have distinct sections and meld multiple genres. Interestingly, superstar producer Diplo co-wrote the song.
Kanal told Rolling Stone that No Doubt stayed true to its roots on the album by taking influence from British bands like Queen who were popular in the 1980s. “We want to sound modern, but we’re still influenced by ska, reggae, and ’80s U.K. bands,” says Kanal. “There’s no way to escape who we are.”
How the world reacted to No Doubt’s ‘Push and Shove’ and Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
“Push and Shove” did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100. On the other hand, Push and Shove reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200, staying on the chart for 13 weeks. The Official Charts Company reports “Push and Shove” did not chart in the United Kingdom either. Push and Shove reached No. 16 in the U.K., remaining on the chart for two weeks.
On the other hand, “Bohemian Rhapsody” reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for 44 weeks. Its parent album, A Night at the Opera, reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200, staying on the chart for 57 weeks. The Official Charts Company reports “Bohemian Rhapsody” reached No. 1 in the U.K., staying on the chart for 47 weeks. A Night at the Opera reached No. 1 in the U.K., lasting on the charts for 72 weeks.
Kanal compared “Push and Shove” to “Bohemian Rhapsody,” but “Push and Shove” didn’t reach the same level of popularity.
