10 Greatest Rock Anthems Of All Time

It's virtually unavoidable to talk about the great anthems in rock history and not bring up Queen. From day one, the theatrical nature of their sound combined with the winning antics of Freddie Mercury made almost every track these rock royals wrote destined for legendary status. When it comes to straight ahead anthems though, that honor goes to the sonic juggernaut that is We Are the Champions.

While many would vote for Queen's opus Bohemian Rhapsody to be in this slot, Champions is much more effective at communicating what it is trying to do. Often played in conjunction with We Will Rock You, Mercury wanted to use this song as a way to have a dialogue with the audience. Being the ultimate victory lap tune, the band pull out all of the stops for this track, as we go from a balladeer piano opening to one of the most gratifying crescendos ever to be felt in the rock world.

Then again, you don't really have the full appreciation for this song unless you have seen it performed live. No better space really captures the essence of Queen's relationship with their audience than this song being performed at Live Aid, with everyone in Wembley Arena rising almost like a single entity for the majesty of this tune. Although you can't lose when picking any Queen songs in this spot, there can only stand one victor among the rest, and this song fits that spirit to a tee.