Queen axe 'Fat Bottomed Girls' from new Greatest Hits release over fears it may offend

21 August 2023, 13:07 | Updated: 5 October 2023, 13:19

'Fat Bottomed Girls' used to make the rocking world go round, but not any more.

That's after Queen's classic ode to larger ladies was left off of the newest version of the band's behemoth Greatest Hits album.

The song that originally featured on the British rock legend's 1978 album Jazz has long since been a fan favourite.

Released that same year alongside 'Bicycle Race', 'Fat Bottomed Girls' reached No.11 in the UK charts.

The Double A-side singles even referenced each other - Freddie Mercury shouts "get on your bikes and ride!" at the end of 'Fat Bottomed Girls', and reciprocates in 'Bicycle Race' by singing "fat bottomed girls, they'll be riding today."

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But those certainly aren't the lyrics which have been deemed a potential risk to cause offence for next generation of Queen fans.

With lyrics like "Left alone with big fat Fanny. She was such a naughty nanny. Heap big woman, you made a bad boy out of me”, the track has been dropped from the new edition.

The new compilation was released earlier this month on Yoto, an audio platform aimed at children, and its content is deemed unsuitable.

Queen - Fat Bottomed Girls (Official Video)

A description on the platform's website doesn't directly address the omission of 'Fat Bottomed Girls', but reads:

"It’s the ideal introduction to the music of Queen for young music lovers and the perfect soundtrack to kitchen dance parties, road trip singalongs, bedtime air guitar sessions….and much much more."

A warning was also issued about the content of Queen's classic songs, stating: "Please note that the lyrics in some of these songs contain adult themes, including occasional references to violence and drugs."

"These are the original and unedited recordings. Whilst no swear words are used, parental discretion is advised when playing this content to or around younger children."

After its inclusion on Queen's best-selling Greatest Hits compilation album, 'Fat Bottomed Girls' was cemented as one of the band's favourites.

But Universal Music Group, who have mysteriously dropped the song from the album have yet to address its disappearance.

UMG recently signed a partnership with Yoto, and plan to release music from Bob Marley & The Wailers as well as partner labels like Motown Records and Disney Music Group in the coming months according to Music Week.

Queen's Greatest Hits was originally released in 1981, and featured iconic tracks like 'Bohemian Rhapsody', 'We Are The Champions', and 'Killer Queen'.

Having shifted over 25 million copies since, it is actually Queen's best-selling album of all time. Though, there's no place for 'Fat Bottomed Girls' any more it seems.

Who knows if the decision will prove to be a lucrative one, and keep Queen's music alive with the next generations of music lovers.

That aside, the rock legends were recently awarded a Brit Billion Award by the BPI for surpassing one billion streams in the UK.

Queen guitarist Brian May shared his gratitude in a recent statement saying: "Thank you for presenting Queen with a Brit Billion Award."

"We're grateful to all our fans that support us and continue to enjoy our music. Rock on BPI," proving that their music transcends generations and is continuing to do so.