Sixteen years ago this weekend the world lost the ultimate showman, a once-in-a-generation performer who couldn’t singlehandedly erase the Village People from public consciousness yet still managed to make butch flamboyance a relatively cool endeavor. So to celebrate the life and times of the great Freddie Mercury on this day, I now present this not-so-fitting tribute of Don’t Stop Me Now:

Alright, here’s a fantastic video of the real thing. As you scope out those clips, we now take a long look back at a sample of the week that was at Hidden Track…

• The Stevie Wonder Bar Mitzvah Band puts on a helluva show
• Watch exclusive video of Simple from Phish Inc.’s Vegas ‘96 release
• Clapton’s everywhere: Here’s a chance to win the new Crossroads DVD
• We’ve got the scoop on Marco Benevento’s new solo studio effort
• Neil Diamond finally reveals the inspiration behind Sweet Caroline; no word on what makes Red Sawx Nation such d-bags when they sing it
• There’s only one real way to celebrate Thanksgiving: The Last Waltz
• Hey, who doesn’t love the [Silver] Jews (or The Bad Plus)?
• Link Dumps Galore: Hors d’Oeuvres, Intermezzo and Leftovers
• And give your iPod a reacharound with these downloads: MP3 Boot Camp, Stormy Mondays and the Friday Mix Tape