Description
Queen – Tear It Up In Tokyo – All The Hits From Tokyo – Vinyl Record
Tear It Up in Tokyo is a live album and bootleg recording capturing Queen’s performance at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan, on May 11, 1985. This show was part of The Works Tour, which supported their 1984 album The Works and served as Queen’s final full-length tour before their legendary Live Aid performance later that year. The Tokyo concert was notable for featuring one of Queen’s most powerful setlists, filled with both arena-rock anthems and intimate acoustic moments, showcasing the band at the height of their performance abilities.
Background & The Works Tour
By 1985, Queen had firmly established themselves as one of the biggest rock bands in the world, with a career that had spanned over a decade and produced a string of hit albums. However, the early 1980s had been a tumultuous time for the band, especially in terms of their musical direction and public perception. After the release of Hot Space (1982), which incorporated disco and funk elements that alienated some fans, The Works (1984) was seen as a return to Queen’s rock roots. Featuring songs like “Radio Ga Ga,” “Hammer to Fall,” and “I Want to Break Free,” the album revitalized the band’s image, and The Works Tour became one of their most successful live undertakings.
The Japanese leg of the tour, including the Tokyo show, was a testament to Queen’s immense popularity in the country. Japan had always been a stronghold for Queen, dating back to the early days of their career, and their concerts there were known for drawing some of the most passionate and devoted audiences. The Tokyo performance was one of their last major shows before Live Aid and would be immortalized in various formats over the years.
Performance & Sound
Queen’s setlist for the Tokyo show was a high-energy mix of their greatest hits, deep cuts, and fan favorites. The concert opened with “Machines (Or ‘Back to Humans’)” as an introduction, before launching into the powerful “Tear It Up”, a song that reaffirmed Queen’s hard rock credentials. The performance continued with a mix of their 1970s classics (“Killer Queen,” “Seven Seas of Rhye,” “Keep Yourself Alive”) and newer anthems from The Works and Hot Space.
One of the most memorable aspects of the Tokyo show was the band’s ability to transition seamlessly between hard-hitting rock songs and intimate acoustic ballads. Tracks like “Love of My Life” and “Is This the World We Created?” allowed Freddie Mercury to connect with the audience in an emotional way, showcasing his legendary vocal ability. The show closed with a climactic run of hits, including “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Radio Ga Ga,” “We Will Rock You,” and “We Are the Champions,” sending the Tokyo crowd into a frenzy.
Though Tear It Up in Tokyo was not an official album release by Queen at the time, footage from the concert was later compiled into the video release *We Are the Champions: Final Live in Japan (1992). This concert film became a must-watch for Queen fans, as it provided a rare, full-length look at one of their final full-scale shows before Live Aid. In later years, high-quality versions of the audio began to circulate, further solidifying the Tokyo show’s reputation as one of Queen’s best-documented live performances from the mid-’80s.
The 1985 Japan show was significant for several reasons. First, it captured Freddie Mercury in peak form, just months before he would deliver one of the most legendary performances in rock history at Live Aid. Second, it demonstrated Queen’s unwavering ability to command a massive international audience, proving that their appeal extended far beyond the UK and US markets. Finally, it was one of the last tours where Queen played in their classic four-piece lineup, as their live performances became less frequent in the late 1980s due to Mercury’s declining health.
Setlist Highlights from Tear It Up in Tokyo
Although Queen continued touring in 1986 for the Magic Tour (their last with Freddie Mercury), Tear It Up in Tokyo remains one of the last full-scale performances of their golden era. It stands as a testament to their ability to deliver a spectacular, high-energy live experience that blended rock theatrics with musical excellence.
For Queen fans, Tear It Up in Tokyo offers a snapshot of the band at a pivotal moment, bridging their 1970s rock roots with their polished, stadium-filling 1980s sound. While Live Aid would become their most famous concert, the Tokyo 1985 show captures them on a more extensive, traditional tour, playing deep cuts alongside their biggest hits.
Grey Vinyl
Limited edition 1000 copies
The legendary broadcast 11th May 1985
Brand new, never played and still sealed in the factory plastic
Track Listing
Tear It Up
Tie Your Mother Down
Keep Yourself Alive
Liar
Instrumental Inferno
It‘s A Hard Life
Dragon Attack
Is This The World We Created
Love Of My Life
Bohemian Rhapsody
