History Music / TheWorks

* BrokenAesop: "Radio Ga Ga" is all about how music videos have led to an increased emphasis on the visual element of music at the expense of the auditory. The accompanying music video features lavish sets and costumes, footage from the film ''Film/{{Metropolis}}'' and a montage of clips of music videos from earlier Queen songs. (The actual point of the video was to publicize and promote the restoration of ''Film/{{Metropolis}}''.)

* CallBack: The scrapbook sequence in the "Radio Ga Ga" video features brief clips from previous Queen music videos. In order, segments from [[Music/ANightAtTheOpera "Bohemian Rhapsody"]], [[Music/ADayAtTheRaces "Somebody to Love", "Tie Your Mother Down"]], [[Music/NewsOfTheWorldQueen "We Are the Champions"]], [[Music/Jazz1978 "Don't Stop Me Now"]], [[Music/TheGameQueen "Crazy Little Thing Called Love", "Save Me", "Play the Game"]], [[Film/FlashGordon1980 "Flash's Theme"]], and [[Music/HotSpace "Back Chat"]] play before segueing back to the setting of ''Film/{{Metropolis}}''.

''The Works'' is the eleventh album by Music/{{Queen|Band}}, released on 27 February 1984. After the 1982 release and touring of the ill-fated ''Music/HotSpace'', Queen briefly went on hiatus as the members pursued side projects, which included Music/FreddieMercury's ''Mr. Bad Guy'' and Music/BrianMay's supergroup releasing ''Music/StarFleetProject''. They reconvened on August 1983 in Los Angeles to start work on the new album, the first time that the band recorded in the United States. Ironically, due to their fall-off in popularity in America, they opted not to tour there for the first time. While continuing on with synthesized music and funk influences, there was also a return to the classical rock elements; as the recording began Roger Taylor made the comment "Let's give them the works!", thus the name. The album didn't sell as strong in the United States as their past output, but it remained popular in Europe, selling more than six million copies and spending a record 94 weeks in the UK Albums Chart.

* CallBack: The scrapbook sequence in the "Radio Ga Ga" video features brief clips from previous Queen music videos. In order, segments from [[Music/ANightAtTheOpera "Bohemian Rhapsody"]], [[Music/ADayAtTheRaces "Somebody to Love", "Tie Your Mother Down"]], [[Music/NewsOfTheWorldQueen "We Are the Champions"]], [[Music/Jazz1978 "Don't Stop Me Now"]], [[Music/TheGameQueen "Crazy Little Thing Called Love", "Save Me", "Play the Game"]], [[Film/FlashGordon "Flash's Theme"]], and [[Music/HotSpace "Back Chat"]] play before segueing back to the setting of ''Film/{{Metropolis}}''.

* BrokenAesop: "Radio Ga Ga" is all about how music video is ruining music and we should all just listen to the radio instead. The accompanying music video features lavish sets and costumes, footage from the film ''Film/{{Metropolis}}'' and a montage of clips of music videos from earlier Queen songs. (The actual point of the video was to publicize and promote the restoration of ''Film/{{Metropolis}}''.)

Queen had just completed their tour in support of this album when they were called up to perform at UsefulNotes/LiveAid; as a result, their two biggest hits from this album, "Radio Ga Ga" and "Hammer to Fall", were among the songs performed as part of their 20-minute set.

* AspectRatioSwitch: Most of the "Radio Ga Ga" video is in 4:3, but the full-color scenes with Freddie Mercury operating a giant clock are in Cinemascope, with the bars at the sides of the screen moving back as Freddie starts moving the clock's hands. The latter happens again during the bomb strike at the end of the video.

* CallBack: The scrapbook sequence in the "Radio Ga Ga" video features brief clips from previous Queen music videos. In order, segments from [[Music/ANightAtTheOpera "Bohemian Rhapsody"]], [[Music/ADayAtTheRaces "Somebody to Love"]], [[Music/NewsOfTheWorldQueen "We Are the Champions"]], [[Music/Jazz1978 "Don't Stop Me Now"]], [[Music/TheGameQueen "Crazy Little Thing Called Love", "Save Me", "Play the Game"]], [[Film/FlashGordon "Flash's Theme"]], and [[Music/HotSpace "Back Chat"]] play before segueing back to the setting of ''Film/{{Metropolis}}''.

* CallBack: The scrapbook sequence in the "Radio Ga Ga" video features brief clips from previous Queen music videos, including [[Music/ANightAtTheOpera "Bohemian Rhapsody"]], [[Music/NewsOfTheWorldQueen "We Are the Champions"]], [[Music/Jazz1978 "Don't Stop Me Now"]], [[Film/FlashGordon "Flash's Theme"]], and [[Music/HotSpace "Back Chat"]].

** "Hammer to Fall" describes the futility of war in the face of our ultimate mortality. It was interpreted by some as a Cold War protest song, though Brian May has vocally denied this.

''The Works'' is the eleventh album by Music/{{Queen}}, released on 27 February 1984. After the 1982 release and touring of the ill-fated ''Music/HotSpace'', Queen briefly went on hiatus as the members pursued side projects, which included Music/FreddieMercury's ''Mr. Bad Guy'' and Music/BrianMay's supergroup releasing ''Music/StarFleetProject''. They reconvened on August 1983 in Los Angeles to start work on the new album, the first time that the band recorded in the United States. Ironically, due to their fall-off in popularity in America, they opted not to tour there for the first time. While continuing on with synthesized music and funk influences, there was also a return to the classical rock elements; as the recording began Roger Taylor made the comment "Let's give them the works!", thus the name. The album didn't sell as strong in the United States as their past output, but it remained popular in Europe, selling more than six million copies and spending a record 94 weeks in the UK Albums Chart.

''The Works'' is the eleventh album by Music/{{Queen}}, released on 27 February 1984. After the 1982 release and touring of the ill-fated ''Music/HotSpace'', Queen briefly went on hiatus as the members pursued side projects, which included Music/FreddieMercury's ''Mr. Bad Guy'' and Music/BrianMay's supergroup releasing ''Music/StarFleetProject''. They reconvened on August 1983 in Los Angeles to start work on the new album, the first time that the band recorded in the United States. While continuing on with synthesized music and funk influences, there was also a return to the classical rock elements; as the recording began Roger Taylor made the comment "Let's give them the works!", thus the name. The album didn't sell as strong in the United States as their past output, but it remained popular in Europe, selling more than six million copies and spending a record 94 weeks in the UK Albums Chart.

** The music video for "Radio Ga Ga" was based upon and featured actual footage from the Creator/FritzLang classic ''Film/{{Metropolis}}'', which Freddie supplied a song for in a modern overdub. The ''The Works'' tour's stage setup was also based on the same film, with a cityscape in the background and large gears. The lyrics to the song also specifically mention Creator/OrsonWelles' infamous ''Radio/TheWarOfTheWorlds'' broadcast.

* DangerouslyShortSkirt: Freddie and Roger both wore one in the video for " I Want to Break Free".

Queen had just completed their tour in support of this album when they were called up to perform at UsefulNotes/LiveAid; as a result, their two biggest hits from this album, "Radio Ga Ga" and "Hammer to Fall", were among the songs performed as part of their legendary 20-minute set.

''The Works'' is the eleventh album by Music/{{Queen}}, released on 27 February 1984. After the 1982 release and touring of the ill-fated ''Hot Space'', Queen briefly went on hiatus as the members pursued side projects, which included Music/FreddieMercury's ''Mr. Bad Guy'' and Music/BrianMay's supergroup releasing ''Music/StarFleetProject''. They reconvened on August 1983 in Los Angeles to start work on the new album, the first time that the band recorded in the United States. While continuing on with synthesized music and funk influences, there was also a return to the classical rock elements; as the recording began Roger Taylor made the comment "Let's give them the works!", thus the name. The album didn't sell as strong in the United States as their past output, but it remained popular in Europe, selling more than six million copies and spending a record 94 weeks in the UK Albums Chart.

** "Radio Ga Ga" can be seen as a direct rebuttal to "Video Killed the Radio Star", calling for radio to stay viable in the face of MTV (which, in 1982, was nothing more than a visual radio station). The updated version used in the play ''Theatre/WeWillRockYou'' directly attacks the mass-produced, digital pop that appeared in the 2000's.

radio goo goo, radio ga ga\\

radio blah blah,\\