A giant robot holding the bodies of four rock stars is one of the most recognizable album covers ever made. The music itself is just as iconic, but the story behind how the album came together remains less widely known.

The album turns 49 today. It holds a quadruple-platinum certification and remains the band’s best-selling studio record, yet the story behind it is full of surprises.

Which Album Turns 49 Today?

The album is News of the World , Queen’s sixth studio record, released on Oct. 28, 1977. American fans got it a few days later, on Nov. 1. It opens with the one-two punch of the legendary tracks “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champions,” which Queen released as singles three weeks earlier, but there’s much more to the album than its two iconic opening tracks.

According to Queen’s official site , the album reached No. 3 on the Billboard chart and No. 4 in Britain.…