RockLists.com
Cover of Hot Space by Queen
Cover: Hot Space

Song · Queen

“Under Pressure” by Queen with Bowie and David Bowie

From the album Hot Space (1982) With Bowie and David Bowie

“Under Pressure” by Queen with Bowie and David Bowie appears on 130 radio countdowns from 43 stations between 1981 and 2026. It was first released in 1982 on the album Hot Space. Its best result is #2 on the WYEP 2021 Labor Day Countdown. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #48 alternative song of 1981 and #610 alternative song of all time.

130countdowns
43stations
#2best position
0#1 finishes
6top 10 finishes
1981–2026years charted

Watch

Queen and David Bowie - Under Pressure (Official Video)

Video from YouTube (Queen Official). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube

"Under Pressure" is what happens when Queen and David Bowie get stuck in the same room and nobody backs down. It came out as a single in October 1981 and was later tucked onto Hot Space, Queen's tenth studio album, in 1982, with all five men sharing the writing credit and the production. John Deacon's bass line is the spine, Brian May's guitar flares, Roger Taylor drums, Freddie Mercury and Bowie trade lead vocals like two heavyweights circling the ring, and everybody chips in the snaps and claps.

It gave Queen their second UK number one and Bowie his third, and the band played it at every concert from 1981 until they came off the road for good in 1986. A Rolling Stone poll later voted it the second-best collaboration ever. Decades on, it served as a wake-up call for the Artemis II mission on its way home, much to May's delight.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

Classic Rock

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1981 48 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1981 106
1982 91 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1982 107

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
– 172 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 200 Songs of the 1980s 200
1991 902 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (1991 Edition) 1002
1992 199 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1992) 500
1994 429 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1994) 497
1995 262 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1995) 500
1996 181 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1996) 500
1996 349 WNEW-FM WNEW Firecracker 500 (1996) 500
1997 818 102.3 WBAB WBAB Top 1,023 Rock and Roll Songs of All Time (1997) 1023
1998 85 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1998) 488
1999 368 WFNX WFNX Top 500 Songs of All-Time (June 1999) 500
1999 234 107.7 The End The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1077
1999 536 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
2000 536 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2001 536 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2001 264 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 500
2002 536 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2002 293 100.7 WZLX WZLX Memorial 500 (2002) 500
2003 536 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2003 60 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) 2044
2004 536 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2004 190 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 500
2005 534 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2005 80 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 500
2005 100 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 100 Brit Songs of All-Time (May 2005) 100
2006 494 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2006 222 Live 105 Live 105 500 Co-Op Countdown (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2006 64 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2006) 500
2007 114 WTMD WTMD Top 897 Songs of All Time 897
2008 94 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2008) 500
2009 475 Live 105 Live 105 Memorial 500 Song List (2009) 500
2009 315 WYEP WYEP 913 Essential Songs 913
2009 283 WXPN WXPN 885 Desert Island Songs (2009) 885
2011 752 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1100 Countdown (2011) 1100
2011 362 97.9 The Loop The Loop Rock N Roll 500 (2011) 500
2012 45 WYEP WYEP Top 500 Songs Countdown 500
2012 188 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2012) 500
2012 777 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1200 Countdown (2012) 1200
2012 394 WXPN WXPN 885 Greatest Rock Songs (2012) 885
2013 88 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2013) 500
2013 430 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Firecracker 500 (2013) 500
2013 221 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR CT 500 (2013) 500
2013 468 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Grand Jam 1000 (2013) 1000
2013 235 Big 100 BIG 500 Labor Day Countdown (2013) 500
2014 108 Big 100 BIG 1000 New Year's Countdown (2014) 1000
2014 295 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Firecracker 400 (2014) 400
2014 53 WXPN WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2014) 885
2014 545 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX 1K Countdown (2014) 1000
2015 163 102.9 The Whale 102.9 The Whale Hartford 500 (2015) 500
2015 137 I-95 I-95 Memorial Day Weekend Top 500 (2015) 500
2015 468 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1007 Classic Rock Countdown (2015) 1007
2015 355 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Firecracker 500 (2015) 499
2016 160 100.7 WZLX 100.7 WZLX Top 1007 Countdown for 2016 1007
2016 46 102.9 The Whale 102.9 The Whale Hartford 500 (2016) 500
2016 84 103.5 The Fox The Fox Memorial Day 500 (2016) 299
2016 92 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2016) 500
2016 321 Qfm96 Qfm96 Memorial Day 500 (2016) 500
2017 123 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2017) 500
2017 99 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2017) 500
2017 103 97.9 The Loop 97.9 The Loop Top 540 Countdown (2017) 540
2018 93 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2018) 100
2018 98 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2018) 500
2018 11 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs 892
2018 89 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2018) 500
2019 138 WYEP WYEP Labor Day Weekend Countdown 2019 1099
2019 97 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Big 500 (2019) 499
2019 138 WYEP WYEP Big Spring Countdown 2019 1017
2019 119 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2019) 500
2019 28 102.5 KZOK KZOK Top 1025 of 2019 1025
2019 85 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2019) 100
2019 77 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2019) 500
2019 109 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ 500 (2019) 500
2019 66 Big 100 BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2019) 500
2020 127 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2020) 500
2020 36 102.5 KZOK KZOK Classic Rock Top 1025 (2020) 1025
2020 64 Q105.7 Q105.7 Memorial Day 500 (2020) 499
2020 32 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2020) 500
2020 59 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ 500 (2020) 500
2020 84 WXPN WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time 2020
2021 7 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '80s 909
2021 206 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2021) 500
2021 43 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Big 500 (2021) 500
2021 246 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2021) 500
2021 50 WCSX WCSX Rock & Roll 500 (2021) 499
2021 45 100.7 KSLX KSLX Arizona 500 (2021) 499
2021 90 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2021) 1043
2021 2 WYEP WYEP 2021 Labor Day Countdown 168
2021 48 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ 500 (2021) 500
2022 54 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2022) 500
2022 72 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2022) 500
2022 10 KEXP KEXP Top Songs of the Last 50 Years (1972-2022) 491
2022 39 94.1 KRNA KRNA Memorial Day 500 (2022) 500
2022 4 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Big 500 (2022) 500
2022 75 102.5 KZOK KZOK Classic Rock Top 1025 (2022) 1025
2022 120 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2022) 500
2022 124 97.1 The River River 500 (2022) 500
2022 67 WMGK WMGK Philly 500 (2022) 500
2022 31 100.7 KSLX KSLX Arizona 500 (2022) 500
2022 134 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2022) 1043
2023 20 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 850 Songs of the 1980s 850
2023 55 WMGK WMGK Philly 500 (2023) 500
2023 39 101.5 WPDH WPDH Top 1015 (2023) 1015
2023 54 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2023) 1043
2023 116 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2023) 500
2023 9 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of All Time 909
2023 41 97.1 The Drive 97.1 The Drive Memorial Day Weekend Rock N Roll 500 (2023) 500
2023 59 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2023) 500
2023 173 KSHE 95 KSHE 95 Rock N' Roll 500 (2023) 500
2023 24 WYEP WYEP Countdown to Fall 2023 1229
2023 235 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2023) 500
2024 33 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2024) 500
2024 324 WMGK WMGK Philly 500 (2024) 500
2024 177 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2024) 1043
2024 71 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2024) 500
2024 9 WYEP WYEP Best Songs of the Past 50 Years 1049
2024 271 KQRS KQRS KQ 500 (2024) 499
2024 59 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2024) 499
2024 93 KSHE 95 KSHE 95 Rock N' Roll 500 (2024) 500
2025 341 102.5 WDVE DVE Memorial Day 500 (2025) 500
2025 152 WMGK WMGK Philly 500 (2025) 500
2025 117 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2025) 1043
2025 58 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2025) 500
2025 58 97 Rock 97 Rock N Roll 500 (2025) 500
2026 52 WFPK WFPK Top 500 Songs of the '80s 498
2026 14 100.7 KSLX KSLX Arizona 500 (2026) 500
2026 406 WMGK WMGK Philly 500 (2026) 500
2026 27 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2026) 500
2026 32 KSHE 95 KSHE 95 U-Man 500 (2026) 499
2026 34 WYEP WYEP Greatest Songs of All Time 1180

Also listed as: Under Pressure ft. David Bowie.

Charting alongside it in 1981

Best songs of 1981 →
  1. 1Start Me UpThe Rolling Stones
  2. 2Tom SawyerRush
  3. 3I Love Rock-N-RollJoan Jett
  4. 4Every Little Thing She Does Is MagicThe Police
  5. 5Jukebox HeroForeigner
  6. 6For Those About to RockAC/DC

Comments

Log in or create a free account to join the conversation about "Under Pressure" by Queen.

Be kind and stay on topic. Guidelines

No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.