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"Driven by You"
"Driven by You"
Single by Brian May
from the album Back to the Light
B-side	"Just One Life"
Released	25 November 1991
Length	4:11
Label	Parlophone (Europe); Hollywood (North America);
Songwriter(s)	Brian May
Producer(s)	Brian May; David Richards; Justin Shirley-Smith;
Brian May singles chronology

"Driven by You" is a song by Queen lead guitarist Brian May from his 1992 solo album, Back to the Light. It was released as the lead single on November 25, 1991, a day after the death of May's Queen bandmate Freddie Mercury.

Promotion

Shortly before releasing it as single, May played it on the Guitar Legends concert in October 1991, having a super-group backing him: Cozy Powell on drums, Neil Murray on bass, Steve Vai on rhythm guitar, Rick Wakeman and Mike Moran on keyboards, Maggie Ryder, Miriam Stockley and Chris Thompson on backing vocals.

Release and versions

Besides the original album/single version, there are at least three additional studio versions of the song. The first, originally written for a series of television advertisements for Ford in the UK, is a shorter take with alternative lyrics; it was released as a B-side exclusive to the 12-inch single in the UK. Following the single's release, a version was produced featuring a new drum track by Cozy Powell; this version was released as B-side to the single "Too Much Love Will Kill You" and as a bonus track on the US release of Back to the Light. Finally, May recorded a short instrumental version of the song, titled "Driven by You Two"; this was released as B-side to his single "Resurrection".

"Driven by You" was included on Queen's 1999 album Greatest Hits III; and later re-released on 25 June 2021 to promote the re-release and remastering of Back to the Light (released August 2021), accompanied by a newly-edited and remastered video.

Chart performance

"Driven by You" peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart,^[2] number nine in Portugal,^[3] number 10 in the Netherlands,^[4]^[5] number 14 in Ireland,^[6] and number 35 in Belgium.^[7] On the Eurochart Hot 100, it reached number 20.^[8] In 1993, the song charted in North America, reaching number nine on the US Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart and number 70 on the Canadian RPM Top Singles chart.^[9]^[10]

Track listings

"Just One Life" is dedicated to the memory of British actor Philip Sayer.

7-inch and cassette single^[11]^[12]^[13]

"Driven by You" – 4:11
"Just One Life" – 3:43

12-inch single^[14]

A1. "Driven by You" – 4:11

B1. "Just One Life" – 3:43

B2. "Just One Life" (guitar version) – 3:38

B3. "Driven by You" (Ford Ad version) – 1:30

CD single^[15]

"Driven by You" – 4:13
"Just One Life" – 3:38
"Just One Life" (guitar version) – 3:38

Personnel

Brian May – lead and backing vocals, guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, drum programming
Design by Richard Gray
Photography by Brian May, Simon Fowler
Written by Brian May

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1991–1993)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)^[16]	162
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[7]	35
Canada Top Singles (RPM)^[10]	70
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)^[8]	20
Ireland (IRMA)^[6]	14
Luxembourg (Radio Luxembourg)^[17]	2
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[4]	10
Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[5]	10
Portugal (AFP)^[3]	9
UK Singles (OCC)^[2]	6
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)^[9]	9

Year-end charts

Chart (1991)	Position
UK Singles (OCC)^[18]	73

Chart (1992)	Position
Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[19]	88

In popular culture

"Driven by You" was used by the Ford Motor Company in advertisements for the whole of the Ford range and included World Rally Championship footage of the Ford Sierra Sapphire Cosworth Rally Car. It was then used, at a later date, in an edited version for the launch of the Ford Escort RS Cosworth, in which the Ford Sierra Sapphire Rally car was replaced by the Ford Escort RS Cosworth; in this advertisement, Miki Biasion (a Ford rally driver at the time) compared his rally car to the road-going version.

References

^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 23 November 1991. p. 21. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
^ ^a ^b "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
^ ^a ^b "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 16. 18 April 1992. p. 14. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
^ ^a ^b "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 8, 1992" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
^ ^a ^b "Brian May – Driven by You" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
^ ^a ^b "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Driven by You". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
^ ^a ^b "Brian May – Driven by You" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
^ ^a ^b "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 2. 11 January 1992. p. 19. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
^ ^a ^b "Brian May Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
^ ^a ^b "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1781." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
^ Driven by You (UK 7-inch single vinyl disc). Brian May. Parlophone. 1991. R 6304, 20 4586 7.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ Driven by You (UK cassette single sleeve). Brian May. Parlophone. 1991. TCR 6304, 20 4586 4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ Driven by You (US cassette single sleeve). Brian May. Hollywood Records. 1993. HR-64642-4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ Driven by You (UK 12-inch single vinyl disc). Brian May. Parlophone. 1991. 12R 6304, 20 4586 6.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ Driven by You (UK CD single liner notes). Brian May. Parlophone. 1991. CDR 6304, 20 4586 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ "Bubbling Down Under Week Commencing 2 March 1992". Bubbling Down Under. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
^ "Ultimate Music Database". Archived from the original on 9 December 2013.
^ "1991 Top 100 Singles". Music Week. 11 January 1992. p. 20.
^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1992" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 3 August 2019.