Queen — Another One Bites The Dust

JUL 01 1980 · 12:00

Queen — Another One Bites The Dust (1980) Director: Daniella Green Era: Classic Rock Video Dawn (1980) - Pre-MTV promotional film era; arena-rock performance promo shot on film stock before music video became a defined art form, representing the transitional moment between concert footage and purpose-built video production. High curatorial value as a pre-MTV artifact documenting Queen at commercial peak, directed by one of the earliest credited female directors in rock promo history. The video's arena live-performance format, warm film-stock aesthetic, and genre-crossing cultural context make it an essential primary source for studying the transition from promotional film to the music video era. Its chart impact and cultural longevity — spanning rock, soul, and disco audiences — underscore its significance as a cross-demographic artifact of 1980. Context: Released in 1980 as a promotional film for Queen's eighth studio album 'The Game,' this video arrived at a pivotal cultural crossroads: disco was collapsing, punk had crested, and arena rock was at peak commercial dominance. John Deacon's bass-driven composition drew directly from Chic's funk-disco blueprint, making the track a rare crossover artifact that topped both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot Soul Singles chart. The video's arena setting reflects Queen's status as one of the world's premier live acts at the time. Filmed months before MTV's launch, it exemplifies the promotional film format that preceded the music video revolution, distributed primarily to television programs like Top of the Pops and American Bandstand. Director notes: The music video was filmed at Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas on 9 August 1980, during Queen's touring cycle for 'The Game' album. It is a live performance promo capturing the band on stage. The video was later included in the Queen's Greatest Flix (1981) compilation. It predates the launch of MTV (August 1981) and belongs to the generation of promotional films distributed to television variety and music programs. The song was written by bassist John Deacon and produced by Reinhold Mack at Musicland Studios in Munich.