Under Pressure

In 1990, American rapper Vanilla Ice sampled the intro bassline and piano chords of "Under Pressure" for his single "Ice Ice Baby" without giving credit to Queen or David Bowie. When asked about it, he first denied having sampled the song, then acknowledged the sample but claimed he had modified it. Queen and Bowie sued and received a songwriting credit on his record. Vanilla Ice later claimed that he had purchased the publishing rights to "Under Pressure".

The collaboration behind the track began in September 1981 at Mountain Studios in Montreux, Switzerland. Queen, working on material for their 1982 album Hot Space, had been unsatisfied with a song called "Feel Like", written by drummer Roger Taylor. Bowie happened to be living near the studio, so the band invited him down, and the track took shape during one marathon evening session. Vocals and mixing were completed a couple of weeks later at the Power Station in New York. John Deacon said in 1982 that Bowie created the bassline, though May and Taylor later credited the riff to Deacon, and Bowie himself said it was written before he got involved.

The single reached number one on the UK Singles Chart in October 1981, becoming Queen's second chart-topper at home and Bowie's third. Freddie Mercury, per Deacon, was the song's primary musical songwriter, with all five musicians credited as co-writers. Brian May later recalled that Bowie took over the song lyrically, and that he and Mercury had a fierce battle over the mix.