Who wrote the song "We Are the Champions"?

Freddie Mercury wrote the song “We Are the Champions.” Queen released it in 1977 on the album News of the World, pairing it with “We Will Rock You” as its famous concert-style companion. Mercury wrote the song with audience participation in mind, which helped turn it into one of rock's most recognizable anthems.

Although Queen performed and recorded the track as a band, the songwriting credit belongs to Mercury. Brian May contributed guitar parts, while Roger Taylor played drums and John Deacon played bass. That distinction is why the other Queen members are not the canonical answer to this question.

The song became strongly associated with sporting victories and public celebrations. It reached number two in the United Kingdom and number four on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The original single was edited to about three minutes, while a later Raw Sessions release restored two additional choruses from the longer recording. In 2009, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.