1979 Classic-Rock Party Anthem Made a Major Comeback 40 Years Later Thanks to a Blockbuster Film
It might be one of Queen's most underrated songs, but there was no stopping this track from making a legendary comeback.
The 1979 single "Don't Stop Me Now" only ever peaked at No. 86 on the BillboardHot 100 the year of its release, but over four decades later, it experienced a major second wind that would make it one of the biggest comeback stories in Spotify history.
The resurgence was sparked by the 2018 blockbuster smash, Bohemian Rhapsody, a biopic about the iconic rock band fronted by the late Freddie Mercury. The later rocker was portrayed in the film by Rami Malek, who earned an Oscar for his performance.
"Don't Stop Me Now" plays during the ending credits of the film, which concludes with slow-motion footage of Queen leaving the stage after their historic Live Aid performance in 1985.
After the film came out, the song surged in popularity over the next several months, appearing as the soundtrack to numerous commercials, like Toyota, Silk Almond and L'Oreal, to name a few.
As a result, "Don't Stop Me" has been ranked as the third-biggest comeback story in Spotify history, according to new data released by the streaming platform.
The new statistics were released as part of Spotify's 20-year anniversary, with the streamer celebrating the milestone by unveiling some of the most-streamed songs and artists, albums, podcasts and audiobooks of all time.
As part of the data drop, Spotify named the five "biggest comeback stories" in its history, with the Queen track coming in at No. 3. It followed Bill Withers' 1971 track "Ain't No Sunshine," which peaked 53 years after its 1978 release, as well as Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son," from 1969, which peaked 55 years later in 2024.
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This story was originally published May 8, 2026 at 1:10 AM.