ânews of the world â the name alludes to the newspaper â is the sixth studio album by the british rock band queen, released on 28 october 1977 by emi records in the united kingdom and by elektra records in the united states. [âŠ] in 1977, punk rock acts, most notably the sex pistols, sparked massive backlash against progressive rock artists such as queen, to which the band responded by simplifying their symphonic rock sound and gearing towards a more spontaneous hard rock sound. the album subsequently went 4Ă platinum in the united states, reaching number 3 on the us billboard 200, number 4 on the uk albums chart and achieving high certifications around the world. it has sold over 10 million copies and remains one of the bandâs best-selling studio albums to date. its lead single, âwe are the championsâ/âwe will rock youâ, reached number two on the uk singles chart and number four on the billboard hot 100. critical reaction to news of the world was initially mixed, with many reviewers commenting on the bandâs change in musical style. however, it has since come to be regarded as one of queenâs greatest albums, while âwe are the championsâ and âwe will rock youâ have since become rock anthems.â