Empire (Queensrÿche song)

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"Empire"
Single by Queensrÿche
from the album Empire
ReleasedSeptember 1990
RecordedSpring 1990
Genre
Length5:24
LabelEMI USA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Peter Collins
Queensrÿche singles chronology
"Last Time in Paris"
(1990) 		"Empire"
(1990) 		"Best I Can"
(1990)
Audio sample
Music video
"Empire" on YouTube

"Empire" is a song by the heavy metal band Queensrÿche, appearing on their 1990 album Empire. The lyrical content of the song warns of a foreboding and unstoppable "Empire" of drug trafficking within the United States and its related crimes, that will inevitably lead to the breakdown of civility in American society.

Known as a fan favorite, the group has played the song often live, doing so over a thousand times as of April 2016, and the track is the band's second most played song in its setlist history. It is exceeded only by "Eyes of a Stranger".[5]

Track listing[edit]

7" single
Side A
No.TitleLength
1."Empire" (radio edit)5:07
Side B
No.TitleLength
1."Scarborough Fair"3:53
12" single
Side A
No.TitleLength
1."Empire" (radio edit)5:07
Side B
No.TitleLength
1."Scarborough Fair"3:53
2."Prophecy"3:58
CD single
No.TitleLength
1."Empire" (radio edit)5:12
2."Scarborough Fair"3:50
3."Prophecy"3:59
4."Della Brown"7:03

Chart performance[edit]

Chart (1990–91) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA Charts)[6] 150
UK Singles[7][8] 61
U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock[9] 22

Personnel[edit]

Additional personnel[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Silver, Stephen (26 June 2020). "Queensrÿche's "Empire": The Heavy Metal Song that Argued for More Police Spending". LIVING LIFE FEARLESS. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  2. ^ Rivadavia, Eduardo (April 25, 2017). "Queensryche Albums Ranked". Loudwire. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  3. ^ Begrand, Adrien (October 6, 2010). "Queensrÿche: Empire (20th Anniversary Edition)". PopMatters. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  4. ^ Cornell, Jeff (August 20, 2021). "31 Years Ago: Queensryche Unleash 'Empire'". Loudwire. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  5. ^ "Queensrÿche Tour statistics - songs played total". setlist.fm. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
  6. ^ "Bubbling Down Under". bubblingdownunder. October 22, 2021. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  7. ^ "QUEENSRYCHE [sic]". Official Charts Company. An archive containing all UK charts for Queensrÿche
  8. ^ "musicvf.com".
  9. ^ "Queensrÿche". Billboard.com. Single charts for Queensrÿche
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