Queen named the UK’s most played rock act in the 21st century

Queen have been named the most played rock act on UK radio and TV in the 21st century according to the music licensing company, Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL).

Formed in the 1970s, the rock band continues to resonate in the present day with A Kind Of Magic, I Want To Break Free, Don’t Stop Me Now, Somebody To Love, and Radio Ga Ga among their most played songs.

Queen guitarist Sir Brian May said: “Astounding news! Bearing in mind that most of Queen’s major works were done in the 20th century, it’s amazing to top a 21st century list.

“Big thanks to all our fans.”

PPL, which licenses the use of recorded music on radio, TV and in public places, used airplay data from radio and TV stations across the country to put the list together.

It found that the rock band amassed over 400 million seconds of radio and TV airplay which is roughly the equivalent of 12.5 years of continuous play this century, with A Kind Of Magic being Queen’s most-played track.

The band, which is also known for hit songs We Will Rock You and Bohemian Rhapsody, featured guitarist Sir Brian, drummer Roger Taylor, late frontman Freddie Mercury and bassist John Deacon.

Queen scored several number ones in their 70s and 80s heyday, including the ground-breaking epic Bohemian Rhapsody. They became one of the biggest and best live touring acts in the world.

Mercury, the band’s flamboyant and charismatic frontman, who was lauded for his impressive vocal range, died at the age of 45 in 1991 after suffering from bronchial pneumonia resulting from Aids.

The group were later inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame by Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins in 2001, and had all four members inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame in 2003.

David Bowie – who collaborated with Queen on the 1981 number one hit single Under Pressure – was in second place on PPL’s most played rock acts of the 21st century list, with U2 landing at number three.

Meanwhile, Oasis, who are midway through their highly anticipated reunion world tour, placed fourth on the list, with Fleetwood Mac completing the top five.

Peter Leathem, PPL chief executive, said: “This chart underlines how rock music across the decades continues to thrive on UK airwaves.

“Congratulations to Queen on this great accolade in such a significant anniversary year for their first number one album.

“It’s a testament to their expansive and much-loved music catalogue that they continue to mean so much to UK audiences to this very day.”

Queen released their classic album A Night At The Opera nearly 50 year ago, in November 1975. It became their first number one album in the UK and spawned Bohemian Rhapsody, which topped the UK singles chart in the same year. The song repeated the feat in 1991 following Mercury’s death.

Interest in Queen remains strong to the present day, with the band’s performance at Live Aid in 1985 widely seen as one of the greatest of all time. The band were also the subject of the 2018 Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. Rami Malek won the Academy Award for best actor over his portrayal of Mercury.

Queen – featuring Sir Brian and Taylor, with Deacon declining to perform as part of the band after Mercury’s death – have continued to tour, most recently with US singer Adam Lambert.

The remaining acts on the top ten list includes Stereophonics (6), The Rolling Stones (7), The Police (8), The Killers (9) and Kings of Leon (10).

Published: 08/10/2025 by Radio NewsHub