Play the Game (3:31)

“Play the Game” is a song by Queen, written by Freddie Mercury. It is the first track on the first side of their 1980 album The Game. It commences with a series of overlapping rushing noises on an Oberheim OB-X synthesizer, heralding the band’s acceptance of electronic instruments into their once explicitly “no synths” sonic repertoire. They played it in their live shows from 1980 to 1982. The single was a hit in Queen’s home country reaching #14 in the charts. In America, however, it gained small response at reaching only #42.

The song features a considerably soft vocal by Freddie complimented by a strong G4 rising in pitch all the way to a C5 in chest voice, contrary to the other C5s being hit in falsetto. He also played piano on the track.

The B-side, “A Human Body”, has never appeared on any Queen album, but was finally released on CD format in the 2009 box set Queen Singles Collection Volume 2.

The cover of the single, as well as its promotional video, marked the first time Freddie Mercury appeared in either format with what later became his trademark moustache. The video is also notable in that Brian May did not use his trademark Red Special guitar, instead using a Fender Stratocaster replica made by Satellite. This was likely due to the risk of damage involved in the shot in which Mercury snatches the guitar away from May, then appears to throw it back to him.