We Are the Champions

"We Are the Champions"
UK single picture sleeve
Single by Queen
from the album News of the World
B-side"We Will Rock You"
Released7 October 1977
Recorded1977
Genre
Length2:59
LabelEMI (UK)
Elektra (US)
Songwriter(s)Freddie Mercury
Producer(s)Queen, assisted by Mike "Clay" Stone
Queen singles chronology
"Long Away"
(1977)
"We Are the Champions" / "We Will Rock You"
(1977)
"Spread Your Wings"
(1978)
Music video
"We Are the Champions" on YouTube

"We Are the Champions" is a song by the British rock band Queen, released from the band's sixth album News of the World (1977). Written by lead singer Freddie Mercury, it remains among rock's most recognisable anthems. The song was a worldwide success, reaching number 2 in the UK, number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, number 3 in Canada, and the top 10 in many other countries. In 2009, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and was voted the world's favourite song in a 2005 Sony Ericsson world music poll.

Written with audience participation in mind, Mercury said "We" in the song's title refers to everyone who is singing it. Brian May called the song "unifying and positive". "We Are the Champions" has become an anthem for victories at sporting events, including its use during the 1994 FIFA World Cup, and has been often used or referenced in popular culture. The song has also been covered by many artists.

On 7 October 2017, Queen released a Raw Sessions version of the track to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the release of News of the World. It was made from previously unheard vocal and instrumental takes from the original multi-track tapes. It also presents for the first time the original recorded length of the track, which is two choruses more than the 1977 edited single.