The effect of a song on its listeners depends a lot on its composition and what kind of audience that composition is specifically designed to appeal to. An easy way to determine an intended audience for a specific song is to judge the complexity and qualities of the composition, beginning with the key signature. “We Will Rock You,” by Queen, is in the key of G major.
The G major key signature has tonal qualities of magnificence, a serious yet fantastic connotation, and a deep sense of friendship on a more emotional platform (Jared H.) These characteristics lend themselves to the idea that Queen, and Freddie Mercury in particular, is forming a subconscious bond on an almost spiritual platform with the audience. The auditory component of the music is a way that this song connects itself to its listeners, and a way the song connects its listeners to the people around them. The bonds formed between people in the unconscious mind can usually be seen as some of the most powerful bonds, as the people have no chance to consciously reject the connection. In other words, the subconscious mind is not usually susceptible to conscious manipulation. The use of this key signature in “We Will Rock You” is a way of creating a sense of harmonic bonding and subconscious community between listeners that is only enforced by the rest of the musical qualities surrounding the song.
The next musical element in the song to analyze is the actual composition and the way that the straightforward notes used within this G major key develop a sense of inclusion in the music. As the percussion for the song is taken up entirely by the audience, the only notes featured are those sung by Freddie Mercury during the verse and the chorus of the song. The verse notes entail primarily an oscillation between the notes D and E with a high flair up to A and then G, and then a descending pattern from E that leads into the chorus. The primary movement between D and E is the item of interest in the verse. This method of rhythmically oscillating between two notes is a basic structure for the verse that is easy to comprehend and enjoyable to listen to for people of varying musical backgrounds. Put simply, an audience member does not need to be a musician in order for this music to speak to them. An important factor for audience participation is a simple and easily performable melody, one such as the melody displayed in this song. For example, if a listener wishes to join in, the verse requires proficiency in vocalizing two common notes.
Furthermore, the simplicity of the song is intentionally void of any sort of virtuosity that might be found in songs of the progressive rock era. Progressive rock is a genre of music in which the music is designed to reflect and display the virtuosity of musicians with complex chord phrasing and intricate harmonies. This music is meant to appeal to people with a higher understanding of music, thus, excluding the people who are not experienced enough in music to comprehend and enjoy such complicated compositions. This is all to say that the simplicity of “We Will Rock You” makes it not just an enjoyable song, but an inclusive song. No one is excluded from the community that the song creates just because they do not have an elaborate understanding of music or music theory.
The chorus of the song showcases the simplicity of both the key and melody of the song even further. The chorus of the song consists of only four independent notes and only six total beats that go along with the six total words that are sung along with the melody. The chorus begins on the G note and moves down to the note D in sequential order with the notes in the key, and then up one whole step for two notes as follows: G, F#, E, D, E, E. These descending notes are as uncomplicated as they look on paper. The tonal characteristics of this descending progression are those that you might find in a simple children’s song or nursery rhyme. The descending notes all exactly 1 note away from each other in the key of G major. In this way, the descending melody makes it easy to hear and reproduce for someone who does not have a lot of music experience. For example, if you give a non-musician those three descending notes of G, F#, and E, and ask them to produce a fourth note, they will most certainly produce the final note D. This is all to say that the descending tonal gravity of the chorus makes it predictable for the audience, almost enough for them to feel like they are creating the rhythm themselves as the pattern progresses. Those final two beats being on the note E instead of the bottom note of the progression D take a simple descending melody and give it enough complexity for an audience of any musical background to enjoy that they are taking part in a creative community and building a creative melody.