Crazy Little Thing Called Love - wikipedia Crazy Little Thing Called Love For the 2010 Thai romantic - comedy film, see First Love ( 2010 Thai film ). `` Crazy Little Thing Called Love '' Single by Queen from the album The Game Released 5 October 1979 Format Vinyl record ( 7 '' / 12 `` ) Recorded 1979 Genre Rockabilly Length 2 : 42 Label EMI Elektra Songwriter ( s ) Freddie Mercury Producer ( s ) Queen Reinhold Mack Queen singles chronology `` Love of My Life '' ( 1979 ) `` Crazy Little Thing Called Love '' ( 1979 ) `` Save Me '' ( 1980 ) `` Love of My Life '' ( Live at Festhalle Frankfurt ) ( 1979 ) `` Crazy Little Thing Called Love '' ( 1979 ) `` Save Me '' ( 1980 ) Audio sample file help `` Crazy Little Thing Called Love '' is a song by the British rock band Queen. Written by Freddie Mercury in 1979, the track is featured on their 1980 album The Game, and also appears on the band 's compilation album, Greatest Hits in 1981. The song peaked at number two in the UK Singles Chart in 1979, and became the group 's first number - one single on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US in 1980, remaining there for four consecutive weeks. It topped the Australian ARIA Charts for seven weeks. Having composed `` Crazy Little Thing Called Love '' on guitar, Mercury played rhythm guitar while performing the song live, which was the first time he played guitar in concert with Queen. Queen played the song live between 1979 and 1986, and a live performance of the song is recorded in the albums Queen Rock Montreal, Queen on Fire - Live at the Bowl, Live at Wembley ' 86 and Hungarian Rhapsody : Queen Live in Budapest '. Since its release, the song has been covered by a number of artists. The song was played live on 20 April 1992 during The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, performed by Robert Plant with Queen. The style of the song was described by author Karl Coryat as rockabilly in his 1999 book titled The Bass Player Book. Contents 1 Composition 2 Music video 3 Live performances 4 Single release 5 Personnel 6 Charts 6.1 Weekly charts 6.2 Year - end charts 7 Certifications 8 Dwight Yoakam version 8.1 Charts 9 Other cover versions 10 See also 11 References 12 External links Composition As reported by Freddie Mercury in Melody Maker, 2 May 1981, he composed `` Crazy Little Thing Called Love '' on the guitar in just five to ten minutes. ' Crazy Little Thing Called Love ' took me five or ten minutes. I did that on the guitar, which I ca n't play for nuts, and in one way it was quite a good thing because I was restricted, knowing only a few chords. It 's a good discipline because I simply had to write within a small framework. I could n't work through too many chords and because of that restriction I wrote a good song, I think. -- Freddie Mercury The song was written by Mercury as a tribute to Elvis Presley. Roger Taylor added in an interview that Mercury wrote it in just 10 minutes while lounging in a bath in the Bayerischer Hof Hotel in Munich during one of their extensive Munich recording sessions. Mercury took it to the studio shortly after writing it and presented it to Taylor and John Deacon. The three of them, with their then new producer Reinhold Mack, recorded it at Musicland Studios in Munich. The entire song was reportedly recorded in less than half an hour ( although Mack says it was six hours ). Having written `` Crazy Little Thing Called Love '' on guitar and played an acoustic rhythm guitar on the record, for the first time ever Mercury played guitar in concerts, for example at Live Aid at Wembley Stadium, London in 1985. Music video The music video for the song was filmed at Trillion Studios in September 1979 and directed by Dennis De Vallance featuring four dancers and a floor of hands. An alternate version featuring alternate angles, out - takes and backstage footage from the original video shoot was included on the Days Of Our Lives DVD and Blu - ray releases. Live performances In reaction to the success of the single the band embarked on a mini UK tour entitled the Crazy Tour. Whenever the song was played live, the band added a solid rock ending that extended the under - three - minute track to over five minutes, with May and Mercury providing additional guitars and vocals. An example of this is on the CD / DVD Set Live at Wembley ' 86, where the song runs over six minutes. Single release The `` Crazy Little Thing Called Love '' single hit number two in the UK Singles Chart in 1979, and became the first US number - one hit for the band, topping the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks. It was knocked out of the top spot on this chart by Pink Floyd 's `` Another Brick in the Wall, Part II ''. The song also topped the Australian ARIA charts for seven consecutive weeks from 1 March to 12 April 1980. The UK release had `` We Will Rock You ( live ) '' as the b - side and America, Australia, Canada had `` Spread Your Wings ( live ) ''. Personnel Freddie Mercury -- lead and backing vocals, acoustic guitar, handclaps Brian May -- electric guitar, backing vocals, handclaps Roger Taylor -- drums, backing vocals, handclaps John Deacon -- bass guitar, handclaps Although Mercury would play an acoustic - electric twelve - string Ovation Pacemaker 1615 guitar and later on an electric six - string Fender Telecaster, both owned by May, in the studio he recorded it with a six - string acoustic with external mics. Mercury also played the original guitar solo on a version which has been lost. Charts Weekly charts Country ( 1979 -- 80 ) Peak position Australia Austria ( Ö3 Austria Top 40 ) 9 Belgium ( Ultratop 50 Flanders ) Canada Germany ( Official German Charts ) 13 Ireland ( IRMA ) Mexico Netherlands ( Single Top 100 ) Norway ( VG - lista ) 8 New Zealand ( Recorded Music NZ ) Switzerland ( Schweizer Hitparade ) 5 UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) US Billboard Hot 100 US Billboard Adult Contemporary 17 Year - end charts Chart ( 1979 ) Rank UK 25 Chart ( 1980 ) Rank Australia Canada New Zealand 10 US Billboard Hot 100 6 Certifications Region Certification Certified units / Sales Australia ( ARIA ) Platinum 70,000 Netherlands ( NVPI ) Gold 100,000 United Kingdom ( BPI ) Gold 500,000 United States ( RIAA ) Platinum 2,000,000 sales figures based on certification alone shipments figures based on certification alone Dwight Yoakam version `` Crazy Little Thing Called Love '' Single by Dwight Yoakam from the album Last Chance for a Thousand Years : Dwight Yoakam 's Greatest Hits from the 90 's B - side `` Let 's Work Tegether '' / `` Doin ' What I Did '' Released 19 May 1999 Format CD single Genre Country Length 2 : 22 Label Reprise Songwriter ( s ) Freddie Mercury Producer ( s ) Pete Anderson Dwight Yoakam singles chronology `` These Arms '' ( 1998 ) `` Crazy Little Thing Called Love '' ( 1999 ) `` Thinking About Leaving '' ( 1999 ) `` These Arms '' ( 1998 ) `` Crazy Little Thing Called Love '' ( 1999 ) `` Thinking About Leaving '' ( 1999 ) American country music singer Dwight Yoakam included a cover of the song on his 1999 album Last Chance for a Thousand Years : Dwight Yoakam 's Greatest Hits from the 90 's. Yoakam 's version was released as a single. It debuted at number 65 on the US Billboard `` Hot Country Singles & Tracks '' chart for the week of 1 May 1999, and peaked at number 12 on the US country singles charts that year. It was also used in a television commercial for clothing retailer Gap at the time of the album 's release. The music video was directed by Yoakam. This version appears in the movie The Break - Up ( 2006 ), starring Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston. Charts Chart ( 1999 ) Peak position Canada Adult Contemporary ( RPM ) 19 Canada Country Tracks ( RPM ) UK Singles Chart 35 US Billboard Hot 100 64 US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) 12 Year - end chart ( 1999 ) Rank Canada Country Tracks ( RPM ) 22 US Country Songs ( Billboard ) 64 Other cover versions In 1980 by The Chipmunks on their comeback album Chipmunk Punk. In 1980, singer Jimmy `` Orion '' Ellis included an Elvis Presley sounding cover in his album `` Rockabilly ''. Fellow Elvis impersonator James Brown also performs a cover of the song in concert. An instrumental version was also music for the titles and end part of the 1983 computer game Frantic Freddie. A Spanish cover titled Casi Loco Por Tu Amor, performed by the Venezuelan rock singer Pablo Dagnino, was included in the album Tributo a Queen : Los Grandes del Rock en Español ( 1997 ). In October 1999 by American country - rock singer Juice Newton on her album American Girl. Canadian pop / big band singer Michael Bublé covered the song for his self - titled 2003 debut album. The Brian Setzer Orchestra put a faster tempo, neo-swing version on their 2003 album Jump, Jive an ' Wail. British pop rock / pop punk band McFly covered the song for their `` Room on the 3rd Floor '' single. ( 2004 ) American singer Josh Kelley recorded a cover for the 2005 album Killer Queen : A Tribute to Queen. Diana Ross covered the song on her 2007 album I Love You. Brian May plays guitar on this version. American pop rock band Maroon 5 covered the song and it came out as a bonus track in some versions of the 2010 album Hands All Over. Cris Delanno ( pt ) covered the song on her 2013 album Relaxing Bossa Lounge. Drake Bell covered this song in his 2014 album Ready, Steady, Go !. See also List of Billboard Hot 100 number - one singles of 1980 References Jump up ^ Crouse, Richard ( 1998 ). Who Wrote The Book Of Love ?. Doubleday Canada. ISBN 978 - 0385257329. Jump up ^ Bogdanov, Vladimir ( 2003 ). All Music Guide to Country : The Definitive Guide to Country Music. Backbeat Books. p. 368. ISBN 978 - 0879307608. Jump up ^ Bret, David ( 2014 ). Freddie Mercury : An Intimate Biography. Lulu.com. p. 88. ISBN 978 - 1291811087. Jump up ^ `` Billboard Hot 100 Chart History for Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Queen ''. Song-database.com. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 14. ^ Jump up to : Whitburn, Joel ( 2006 ). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits. Billboard Books ^ Jump up to : Roberts, David ( 2006 ). British Hit Singles & Albums. London : Guinness World Records Limited ^ Jump up to : Kent, David ( 1993 ) ( doc ). Australian Chart Book 1970 -- 1992. Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W ^ Jump up to : Lights ! Action ! Sound ! It 's That Crazy Little Thing Called Queen Circus Magazine. Retrieved 29 June 2011 Jump up ^ Stephen Thomas Erlewine ( 2007 - 10 - 30 ). `` Queen Rock Montreal -- Queen Songs, Reviews, Credits ''. AllMusic. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 14. Jump up ^ `` Queen `` Live At Wembley 1986 / Live At Wembley Stadium '' album and song lyrics ``. Ultimatequeen.co.uk. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 14. Jump up ^ `` Queen `` The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert '' video and song lyrics ``. Ultimatequeen.co.uk. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 14. Jump up ^ Coryat, Karl ( 1999 ). The Bass Player Book. San Francisco : Backbeat Books. p. 59. Jump up ^ `` Queen Interviews -- Freddie Mercury -- 05 - 02 - 1981 -- Melody Maker -- Queen Archives : Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor, John Deacon, Interviews, Articles, Reviews ''. Queen Archives. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 14. Jump up ^ Queen interview : Brian May on Crazy Little Thing Called Love on YouTube Absolute Radio. Retrieved 18 December 2011 Jump up ^ ROGER SPEAKS : COLOGNE AUDIO PRESS KIT BrianMay.com. Retrieved 29 June 2011 Jump up ^ Billboard 18 Jul 1980 p. 33. Billboard. Retrieved 29 June 2011 Jump up ^ `` Interview with Reinhold Mack, Esq ''. iZotope. Jump up ^ Crazy Little Thing Called Love UltimateQueen. Retrieved 29 June 2011 Jump up ^ `` May confirms Mercury played solo ''. Guitar & Bass. Jump up ^ `` Austriancharts.at -- Queen -- Crazy Little Thing Called Love '' ( in German ). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Jump up ^ `` Ultratop.be -- Queen -- Crazy Little Thing Called Love '' ( in Dutch ). Ultratop 50. Jump up ^ `` Offiziellecharts.de -- Queen -- Crazy Little Thing Called Love ''. GfK Entertainment Charts. Jump up ^ `` The Irish Charts -- Search Results -- Crazy Little Thing Called Love ''. Irish Singles Chart. Jump up ^ `` Dutchcharts.nl -- Queen -- Crazy Little Thing Called Love '' ( in Dutch ). Single Top 100. Jump up ^ `` Norwegiancharts.com -- Queen -- Crazy Little Thing Called Love ''. VG - lista. Jump up ^ `` Charts.org.nz -- Queen -- Crazy Little Thing Called Love ''. Top 40 Singles. Jump up ^ `` Swisscharts.com -- Queen -- Crazy Little Thing Called Love ''. Swiss Singles Chart. Jump up ^ `` Official Singles Chart Top 100 ''. Official Charts Company. Jump up ^ `` Queen Chart History ( Hot 100 ) '' Billboard. Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 1993 ). Top Adult Contemporary : 1961 -- 1993. Record Research. p. 194. Jump up ^ `` Top Singles 1979 ''. Music Week. London, England : Spotlight Publications. 22 December 1979. p. 27. Jump up ^ Kent, David ( 1993 ). Australian Chart Book 1970 -- 1992 ( doc ) format = requires url = ( help ). Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0 - 646 - 11917 - 6. Jump up ^ `` Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada ''. www.collectionscanada.gc.ca. Jump up ^ `` Top Selling Singles of 1980 The Official New Zealand Music Chart ''. Nztop40.co.nz. 1980 - 12 - 31. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 14. Jump up ^ `` Pop Singles '' Billboard December 20, 1980 : TIA - 10 Jump up ^ `` British single certifications -- Queen -- Crazy Little Thing Called Love ''. British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 19 August 2012. Enter Crazy Little Thing Called Love in the search field and then press Enter. Jump up ^ `` American single certifications -- Queen -- Crazy Little Thing Called Love ''. Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 19 August 2012. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH Jump up ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. `` Last Chance for a Thousand Years review ''. Allmusic. Retrieved 4 June 2009. Jump up ^ `` Top RPM Adult Contemporary : Issue 8469. '' RPM. Library and Archives Canada. 30 August 1999. Retrieved 7 July 2013. Jump up ^ `` Top RPM Country Tracks : Issue 8364. '' RPM. Library and Archives Canada. 16 August 1999. Retrieved 7 July 2013. Jump up ^ `` Dwight Yoakam Chart History ( Hot 100 ) '' Billboard. Jump up ^ `` Dwight Yoakam Chart History ( Hot Country Songs ) '' Billboard. Jump up ^ `` RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1999 ''. RPM. 13 December 1999. Retrieved 7 July 2013. Jump up ^ `` Best of 1999 : Country Songs ''. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 1999. Retrieved 7 July 2013. Jump up ^ Doug Stone. `` Chipmunk Punk -- The Chipmunks Songs, Reviews, Credits ''. AllMusic. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 14. Jump up ^ Stephen Thomas Erlewine. `` Tributo a Queen : Los Grandes del Rock en Espanol -- Various Artists Songs, Reviews, Credits ''. AllMusic. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 14. Jump up ^ Charlotte Dillon. `` American Girl -- Juice Newton Songs, Reviews, Credits ''. AllMusic. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 14. Jump up ^ Aaron Latham ( 2003 - 02 - 11 ). `` Michael Bublé -- Michael Bublé Songs, Reviews, Credits ''. AllMusic. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 14. Jump up ^ Stephen Thomas Erlewine ( 2003 - 06 - 03 ). `` Jump, Jive an ' Wail : The Best of the Brian Setzer Orchestra 1994 -- 2000 -- The Brian Setzer Orchestra, Brian Setzer Songs, Reviews, Credits ''. AllMusic. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 14. Jump up ^ McFly -- Room On The 3rd Floor. discogs.com Jump up ^ J. Scott McClintock ( 2005 - 08 - 09 ). `` Killer Queen : A Tribute to Queen -- Various Artists Songs, Reviews, Credits ''. AllMusic. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 14. Jump up ^ `` Crazy Little Thing Called Love '' With Diana Ross BrianMay.com. Retrieved 10 July 2011 Jump up ^ Maroon 5 AllMusic. Retrieved 10 July 2011 Jump up ^ `` Relaxing Bossa Lounge ( Multimusic ) -- Various Artists Songs, Reviews, Credits ''. AllMusic. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 14. Jump up ^ `` Drake Bell -- Ready Steady Go ! ''. AllMusic web site. Retrieved 2014 - 07 - 06. External links Official YouTube videos : original music video ( VEVO ) on YouTube, Live at the Bowl, Queen + Paul Rodgers, at Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert ( with Robert Plant ) Lyrics at Queen official website Song analysis ( www.queensongs.info ) Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Preceded by `` Please Do n't Go '' by KC and the Sunshine Band Canadian `` RPM '' Singles Chart number - one single 23 February 1980 -- 1 March 1980 Succeeded by `` Coward of the County '' by Kenny Rogers Preceded by `` Do That to Me One More Time '' by Captain & Tennille Billboard Hot 100 number - one single 23 February 1980 -- 15 March 1980 Succeeded by `` Another Brick in the Wall ( Part II ) '' by Pink Floyd Preceded by `` Please Do n't Go '' by KC and the Sunshine Band Australian Kent Music Report number - one single 1 March 1980 -- 12 April 1980 Succeeded by `` I Got You '' by Split Enz Preceded by `` You 've Got a Way '' by Shania Twain RPM Country Tracks number - one single ( Dwight Yoakam version ) 16 August 1999 Succeeded by `` God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You '' by Alabama featuring ' N Sync Queen songs Discography Queen `` Keep Yourself Alive '' `` Liar '' Queen II `` Seven Seas of Rhye '' Sheer Heart Attack `` Killer Queen '' / `` Flick of the Wrist '' `` Now I 'm Here '' `` Lily of the Valley '' `` Stone Cold Crazy '' A Night at the Opera `` Bohemian Rhapsody '' `` You 're My Best Friend '' `` Love of My Life '' A Day at the Races `` Somebody to Love '' `` Tie Your Mother Down '' `` Teo Torriatte ( Let Us Cling Together ) '' `` Long Away '' `` Good Old - Fashioned Lover Boy '' News of the World `` We Are the Champions '' / `` We Will Rock You '' `` Spread Your Wings '' `` It 's Late '' Jazz `` Bicycle Race '' / `` Fat Bottomed Girls '' `` Do n't Stop Me Now '' `` Jealousy '' `` Mustapha '' Live Killers `` Love of My Life '' ( Live ) `` We Will Rock You '' ( Live ) The Game `` Crazy Little Thing Called Love '' `` Save Me '' `` Play the Game '' `` Another One Bites the Dust '' `` Need Your Loving Tonight '' Flash Gordon `` Flash '' Hot Space `` Under Pressure '' ( with David Bowie ) `` Body Language '' `` Las Palabras de Amor '' `` Calling All Girls '' `` Staying Power '' `` Back Chat '' The Works `` Radio Ga Ga '' `` I Want to Break Free '' `` It 's a Hard Life '' `` Hammer to Fall '' A Kind of Magic `` One Vision '' `` A Kind of Magic '' `` Princes of the Universe '' `` Friends Will Be Friends '' `` Pain Is So Close to Pleasure '' `` Who Wants to Live Forever '' `` One Year of Love '' The Miracle `` I Want It All '' `` Breakthru '' `` The Invisible Man '' `` Scandal '' `` The Miracle '' Innuendo `` Innuendo '' `` I 'm Going Slightly Mad '' `` Headlong '' `` I Ca n't Live with You '' `` The Show Must Go On '' `` These Are the Days of Our Lives '' Made in Heaven `` Heaven for Everyone '' `` A Winter 's Tale '' `` I Was Born to Love You '' `` Too Much Love Will Kill You '' `` Let Me Live '' `` You Do n't Fool Me '' Queen Rocks `` No - One but You ( Only the Good Die Young ) '' / `` Tie Your Mother Down '' Greatest Hits III `` Under Pressure ( Rah Mix ) '' Non-album singles `` Thank God It 's Christmas '' `` Another One Bites the Dust ( Small Soldiers Remix ) '' `` We Will Rock You '' ( with Five ) `` We Are the Champions '' ( with Robbie Williams ) `` Flash ( Vanguard Mix ) '' `` Another One Bites the Dust ( The Miami Project Remixes ) '' `` Bohemian Rhapsody '' ( with The Muppets ) Other songs `` See What a Fool I 've Been '' `` Death on Two Legs '' `` Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon '' `` I 'm in Love with My Car '' `` ' 39 '' `` Sweet Lady '' `` Seaside Rendezvous '' `` The Prophet 's Song '' `` Good Company '' `` Sheer Heart Attack '' `` Is This the World We Created... ? '' `` Ride the Wild Wind '' `` Delilah '' `` Made in Heaven '' `` Mother Love '' `` Let Me in Your Heart Again '' `` Love Kills '' `` There Must Be More To Life Than This '' Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Crazy_Little_Thing_Called_Love&oldid=814569000 '' Categories : Queen ( band ) songs 1979 songs 1979 singles 1999 singles Number - one singles in Australia Number - one singles in New Zealand Billboard Hot 100 number - one singles Dwight Yoakam songs Elvis Presley tributes RPM Country Tracks number - one singles Songs written by Freddie Mercury EMI Records singles Reprise Records singles Alvin and the Chipmunks songs Rockabilly songs Song recordings produced by Reinhold Mack Song recordings produced by Pete Anderson Elektra Records singles Hollywood Records singles Hidden categories : All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from December 2017 Articles with permanently dead external links Pages using citations with format and no URL Use British English from July 2011 Use dmy dates from July 2011 Articles with hAudio microformats All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from November 2017 Singlechart usages for Austria Singlechart usages for Flanders Singlechart usages for Germany2 Singlechart usages for Ireland2 Singlechart called without artist Singlechart usages for Dutch100 Singlechart usages for Norway Singlechart usages for New Zealand Singlechart usages for Switzerland Singlechart usages for UK Singlechart usages for Billboardhot100 Certification Table Entry usages for Australia Articles with unsourced statements from September 2012 Certification Table Entry usages for Netherlands Certification Table Entry usages for United Kingdom Certification Table Entry usages for United States Singlechart usages for Canadaadultcontemporary Singlechart called without song Singlechart usages for Canadacountry Singlechart usages for Billboardcountrysongs Interlanguage link template link number Talk Contents About Wikipedia Bosanski Deutsch Español فارسی Français Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Lietuvių Magyar Македонски Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Polski Português Русский Sicilianu Suomi Svenska Edit links This page was last edited on 9 December 2017, at 16 : 30. 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Question: who wrote a crazy little thing called love
Answer: Freddie Mercury