“What year was the song ‘I Want to Break Free’ released?” — 1984. Queen released the song as a single on 2 April 1984, and it also appeared on the band’s album The Works, released that year. Bassist John Deacon wrote the song, while Queen and producer Reinhold Mack handled its production.
The track became especially memorable because of its music video, in which all four Queen members dressed in drag to parody the long-running British soap opera Coronation Street. The video was warmly received in the United Kingdom but caused controversy in the United States, where MTV gave it limited exposure.
The single reached number three on the UK chart and performed strongly across Europe and South America. In the United States, however, it peaked at number 45. A common mix-up is confusing the song’s release year with its recording year: Queen recorded it in 1983, but released it in 1984. The song exists in album, single, and extended versions, which have different running times.