What year was the song "Who Wants to Live Forever" released? It was released in 1986. Queen recorded the power ballad for the soundtrack of the film Highlander, and it also became the sixth track on the band's album A Kind of Magic, released that year. The single was issued in the United Kingdom on 15 September 1986.
Brian May wrote the song after watching an early cut of Highlander showing the death of Connor MacLeod's mortal wife, Heather. He reportedly began composing it in the back of his car after seeing the emotional scene. The lyrics reflect the film's central contrast between immortality and the inevitable aging and death of loved ones.
The recording combines Queen with an orchestra conducted by film composer Michael Kamen. Freddie Mercury sings the main vocals in the film version, while the album version begins with Brian May singing the first verse before Mercury takes over. The song reached No. 24 on the UK chart and became one of Queen's best-known dramatic ballads.