Before forming Queen, May and Taylor had played together in the bandSmile. Mercury was a fan of Smile and encouraged them to experiment with more elaborate stage and recording techniques. He joined in 1970 and suggested the name "Queen". Deacon was recruited in February 1971, before the band released theirself-titled debut album in 1973. Queen first charted in the UK with their second album,Queen II, in 1974.Sheer Heart Attack later that year andA Night at the Opera in 1975 brought them international success. The latter featured "Bohemian Rhapsody", which topped theUK singles chart for nine weeks and helped popularise the music video format. The band's 1977 albumNews of the World contained "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions", which have becomeanthems at sporting events. By the early 1980s, Queen were one of the biggest stadium rock bands in the world. "Another One Bites the Dust" fromThe Game (1980) became their best-selling single, and their 1981 compilation albumGreatest Hits is thebest-selling album in the UK and is certified9x Platinum in the US by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Their performance at the 1985Live Aid concert is ranked among the greatest in rock history by various publications. In August 1986, Mercury gave his last performance with Queen atKnebworth, England.
Mercury was diagnosed withAIDS in 1987. The band released two more albums,The Miracle in 1989 andInnuendo in 1991. On 23 November 1991, Mercury publicly revealed his AIDS diagnosis, and the next day died ofbronchopneumonia, a complication of AIDS. One more album was released featuring Mercury's vocals, 1995'sMade in Heaven. Deacon retired in 1997, while May and Taylor continued to make sporadic appearances together. Since 2004, they have toured as "Queen +", with vocalistsPaul Rodgers andAdam Lambert.
The founding members of Queen met in west London during the late 1960s. GuitaristBrian May had builthis own guitar with his father in 1963, and formed the group 1984 (named afterOrwell's novel) the following year with singerTim Staffell.[1] May left the group in early 1968 to focus on his degree in Physics and Infrared Astronomy atImperial College and find a group that could write original material.[2] He formed the groupSmile with Staffell (now playing bass) and keyboardist Chris Smith.[3] To complete the line-up, May placed an advertisement on a college notice board for a "Mitch Mitchell/Ginger Baker type" drummer;Roger Taylor, a young dental student, auditioned and got the job.[4] Smith left the group in early 1969, immediately before a gig at theRoyal Albert Hall withFree and theBonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band.[5]
Queen in 1970. Left to right; Mike Grose (who was the first of the band's three early bass players before John Deacon joined in 1971), Roger Taylor, Freddie Mercury and Brian May
While attendingEaling Art College in west London, Staffell became friends with fellow studentFarrokh "Freddie" Bulsara, who was fromZanzibar and of IndianParsi descent.[6][7] Bulsara had studied fashion design for a year before switching to graphic art and design,[8] and soon became a keen fan of Smile. He asked if he could join the group as lead singer, but May felt Staffell would not give up that role.[9] He also ran a stall inKensington Market with Taylor.[10]
In 1970, Staffell quit Smile, feeling his interests insoul andR&B clashed with the group's hard rock sound and being fed up with the lack of success. He formed the groupHumpy Bong with formerBee Gees drummerColin Petersen.[11] The remaining members accepted Bulsara as lead singer, and recruited Taylor's friend Mike Grose as bassist. The four played their first gig at a fundraising event inTruro on 27 June 1970.[12] Bulsara suggested the group should be renamed to "Queen". The others were uncertain at first, but he said, "it's wonderful, dear, people will love it".[12] At the same time, he decided tochange his surname to Mercury, inspired by the line "Mother Mercury, look what they've done to me" in the song "My Fairy King".[13] The group played their first London gig on 18 July.[14] The early set consisted of material that later appeared on the first two albums, along with various rock and roll covers, such asCliff Richard andthe Shadows' "Please Don't Tease". They attracted the attention of producerJohn Anthony, who was interested in the group's sound but thought they had the wrong bass player.[13] After three live gigs, Mike Grose decided not to continue with the band and was replaced by Barry Mitchell (exCrushed Butler). Mitchell played thirteen gigs with Queen between August 1970 and January 1971.[15] In turn, Mitchell left in January 1971 and was replaced by Doug Bogie for two live gigs.[16]
1971–1974:Queen andQueen II
In February 1971,John Deacon joined Queen. In addition to being an experienced bassist, his quiet demeanour complemented the band, and he was skilled in electronics.[17] On 2 July, Queen played their first show with the classic line-up of Mercury, May, Taylor and Deacon at a Surrey college outside London.[18] May called Terry Yeadon, an engineer at Pye Studios where Smile had recorded, to see if he knew anywhere where Queen could go. Yeadon had since moved toDe Lane Lea Studios' new premises inWembley, and they needed a group to test out the equipment and recording rooms. He tried askingthe Kinks but couldn't get hold of them. Therefore, he told Queen they could record some demos in exchange for the studio's acoustic tests.[19] They recorded five of their own songs, "Liar", "Keep Yourself Alive", "Great King Rat", "The Night Comes Down" and "Jesus". During the recording, producers John Anthony andRoy Thomas Baker visited the band. The two were taken with "Keep Yourself Alive" and began promoting the band to several record companies.[20]
Queen guitar (right, next to a Rolling Stones guitar) at theCavern Club in Liverpool, marking a 31 October 1970 Queen concert at the venue
Promoter Ken Testi managed to attract the interest ofCharisma Records, who offered Queen an advance of around £25,000, but the group turned them down as they realised the label would promoteGenesis as a priority. Testi then entered discussions withTrident Studios'Norman Sheffield, who offered the band a management deal under Neptune Productions, a subsidiary of Trident, to manage the band and enable them to use their facilities, while the management searched for a deal. This suited both parties, as Trident were expanding into management, and under the deal, Queen were able to make use of the hi-tech recording facilities used by signed musicians.[21] Taylor later described these early off-peak studio hours as "gold dust".[22]
Queen began 1972 with a gig atBedford College, London where only six people turned up. After a few more shows, they stopped live performances for eight months to work on the album with Anthony and Baker.[21] During the sessions at Trident, they sawDavid Bowie withthe Spiders from Mars live and realised they needed to make an impact with the album, otherwise they would be left behind.[23] Co-producers Anthony and Baker initially clashed with the band (May in particular) on the direction of the album, bringing the band's inexperience in the studio to bear.[24] The band's fighting centered around their efforts to integrate technical perfection with the reality of live performances, leading to what Baker referred to as "kitchen sink overproduction".[25] The resulting album was a mix ofheavy metal andprogressive rock.[24] The group were unhappy with the re-recording of "The Night Comes Down", so the finished album uses the De Lane Lea demo. Another track, "Mad the Swine" was dropped from the running order after the band and Baker could not agree on a mix.[26]Mike Stone created the final mix for "Keep Yourself Alive", and he went on to work on several other Queen albums.[27] By January 1972, the band finished recording their debut album, but had yet to secure a record contract.[24] In order to attract record company interest, Trident booked a "showcase" gig on 6 November atThe Pheasantry, followed by a show at theMarquee Club on 20 December.[28]
Queen promoted the unreleased album in February 1973 onBBC Radio 1, still unsigned. The following month, Trident managed to strike a deal withEMI Records. "Keep Yourself Alive" was released as a single on 6 July, with the albumQueen appearing a week later. The front cover showed a shot of Mercury live on stage taken by Taylor's friend Douglass Puddifoot. Deacon was credited as "Deacon John" while Taylor used his full name, Roger Meddows-Taylor.[29] The album was received well by critics; Gordon Fletcher ofRolling Stone called it "superb",[30] and Chicago'sDaily Herald called it an "above-average debut".[31] However, it drew little mainstream attention, and "Keep Yourself Alive" sold poorly. Retrospectively, it is cited as the album's highlight, and in 2008Rolling Stone ranked it 31st in the "100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time", describing it as "an entire album's worth of riffs crammed into a single song".[32] The album was certified gold in the UK and the US.[33][34]
A sample of "The March of the Black Queen" fromQueen II (1974). The band's earlier songs (such as this) leaned more towards progressive rock and heavy metal compared to their later work.
The group began to record their second album,Queen II in August 1973. Now able to use regular studio time, they decided to make full use of the facilities available. May created a multi-layer guitar introduction "Procession", while Mercury wrote "The Fairy Feller's Master Stroke" based onthe painting of the same name byRichard Dadd.[35] The group spent the remainder of the year touring the UK, supportingMott the Hoople, and began to attract an audience.[36] The tour ended with two shows at theHammersmith Odeon on 14 December, playing to 7,000 people.[37]
In January 1974, Queen played theSunbury Pop Festival in Australia. They arrived late, and were jeered and taunted by the audience who expected to see home grown acts. Before leaving, Mercury announced, "when we come back to Australia, Queen will be the biggest band in the world!"[38][39]Queen II was released in March, and featuresMick Rock's iconicDietrich-inspired image of the band on the cover.[40] This image would later be used as the basis for "Bohemian Rhapsody" music video production.[41][42] The album reached number five on theBritish album chart and became the first Queen album to chart in the UK. The Mercury-written lead single "Seven Seas of Rhye" reached number 10 in the UK, giving the band their first hit.[43] The album featured a 'layered' sound which would become their signature, and features long complex instrumental passages, fantasy-themed lyrics, and instrumental virtuosity.[44][45] Aside from its only single, the album also included the song "The March of the Black Queen", a six-minute epic which lacks a chorus.[46] Critical reaction was mixed; theWinnipeg Free Press, while praising the band's debut album, describedQueen II as an "over-produced monstrosity".[47]AllMusic has described the album as a favourite among the band's hardcore fans,[48] and it is the first of three Queen albums to feature in the book1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[49] The group ended their early 1974 UK tour with a show at theRainbow Theatre on 31 March. Mercury chose to a wear aZandra Rhodes-designed tunic for the gig, changing into a slashed black top midway through the show.[50]
1974–1976:Sheer Heart Attack toA Night at the Opera
In May 1974, a month into the band's first US tour opening for Mott the Hoople, May collapsed and was diagnosed with hepatitis, forcing the cancellation of their remaining dates.[44] May was still absent when the band started work on their third album, but he returned midway through the recording process.[51] Released in 1974,Sheer Heart Attack reached number two in the UK,[52] sold well throughout Europe, and went gold in the US.[34] It gave the band their first real experience of international success, and was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic.[53] The album experimented with a variety of musical genres, includingBritish music hall,heavy metal, ballads, ragtime, andCaribbean. May's "Now I'm Here" documented the group's curtailed American tour, and "Brighton Rock" served as a vehicle for his regular on-stage solo guitar spot. Deacon wrote his first song for the group, "Misfire", while the live favourite "Stone Cold Crazy" was credited to the whole band. Mercury wrote the closing number, "In the Lap of the Gods", with the intention that the audience could sing along to the chorus when played live. This would be repeated later on, more successfully, in songs such as "We Are the Champions.[54]
The single "Killer Queen" was written by Mercury about a high-class prostitute.[56] It reached number two on the British charts,[33] and became their first US hit, reaching number 12 on theBillboard Hot 100.[57] The song was partly recorded atRockfield Studios in Wales.[58] With Mercury playing the grand piano, it combines camp,vaudeville, and British music hall with May's guitar. "Now I'm Here" was released as the second single, reached number eleven.[59] In 2006,Classic Rock rankedSheer Heart Attack number 28 in "The 100 Greatest British Rock Albums Ever",[60] and in 2007,Mojo ranked it No.88 in "The 100 Records That Changed the World".[61] It is also the second of three Queen albums to feature in the book1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[49]
In January 1975, Queen left for a world tour with an upgraded light show. They toured the US as headliners, and played in Canada for the first time.[62] Several dates were cancelled after Mercury contractedlaryngitis.[63] The band then toured Japan from mid-April to the beginning of May. They were greeted by thousands of screaming fans, and played eight times in seven cities.[64][65] Despite the success, Queen were still tied to the original Trident deal and wages. They were all living in relative poverty in bedsits, and Deacon was refused money for a deposit on a house. EMI contacted lawyerJim Beach, who tried to find a way of extracting them from their contract. Trident complained that they had invested £200,000 in Queen and wanted their money back first.[66] In August, after an acrimonious split with Trident, the band negotiated themselves out of their contract and searched for new management.[67] One of the options they considered was an offer fromLed Zeppelin's manager,Peter Grant, who wanted them to sign with Led Zeppelin's own production company,Swan Song Records. The band were concerned about being a lower priority than Zeppelin andBad Company (also signed to Swan Song) and instead contactedElton John's manager,John Reid, who accepted the position.[67][68] Reid's first instruction to the band was "I'll take care of the business; you make the best record you can".[69]
Queen started work on their fourth albumA Night at the Opera, taking its name from the popularMarx Brothers movie. At the time, it was the most expensive album ever produced, costing £40,000 and using three different studios.[70] Like its predecessor, the album features diverse musical styles and experimentation with stereo sound. Mercury wrote the opening song "Death on Two Legs", a savage dig at perceived wrongdoers (and later dedicated to Trident in concert)[71][62] and the camp vaudeville "Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon" and "Seaside Rendezvous".[71] May's "The Prophet's Song" was an eight-minute epic; the middle section is acanon, with simple phrases layered to create a full-choral sound. The Mercury penned ballad, "Love of My Life", featured a harp and overdubbed vocal harmonies.[72]
He knew exactly what he was doing. It was Freddie's baby. We just helped him bring it to life. We realized we'd look odd trying to mime such a hugely complex thing on TV. It had to be presented in some other way.
—Brian May on Mercury writing "Bohemian Rhapsody" and the groundbreaking music video.[73]
The best-known song on the album, "Bohemian Rhapsody", originated from pieces of music that Mercury had written at Ealing College. Mercury played a run-through of the track on piano in his flat to Baker, stopping suddenly to announce, "This is where the opera section comes in".[74] When the rest of the band started recording the song they were unsure as to how it would be pieced together. After recording the backing track, Baker left a 30-second section of tape to add the operatic vocals. Reportedly, 180 overdubs were used, to the extent that the original tape wore thin.[74] EMI initially refused to release the single, thinking it too long, and demanded a radio edit which Queen refused. Mercury's close friend and advisor,Capital London radio DJKenny Everett, played a pivotal role in giving the single exposure.[75] He was given a promotional copy on the condition he didn't play it, but ended up doing so fourteen times over a single weekend.[76] Capital's switchboard was overwhelmed with callers inquiring when the song would be released.[75] With EMI forced to release "Bohemian Rhapsody" due to public demand, the single reached number one in the UK for nine weeks.[33][77] It is thethird-best-selling single of all time in the UK, surpassed only byBand Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" andElton John's "Candle in the Wind 1997", and is the best-selling commercial single (i.e.not for charity) in the UK. It also reached number nine in the US (a 1992 re-release reached number two on theBillboard Hot 100 for five weeks).[57] It is the only single ever to sell a million copies on two separate occasions,[78] and became theChristmas number one twice in the UK, the only single ever to do so. It has also been voted the greatest song of all time in three different polls.[79][80][81]
"Bohemian Rhapsody" was promoted with a music video directed byBruce Gowers, who had already shot several of Queen's live concerts. The group wanted a video so they could avoid appearing on the BBC'sTop of the Pops, which would clash with tour dates, and it would have looked strange miming to such a complex song.[82] Filmed atElstree Studios in Hertfordshire, the video cost £3,500, five times the typical promotional budget, and was shot in three hours. The operatic section featured a reprise of theQueen II cover, with the band member's heads animated.[77][83] On the impact of the "Bohemian Rhapsody" promotional video,Rolling Stone states: "Its influence cannot be overstated, practically inventing the music video seven years before MTV went on the air."[84] Ranking it number 31 on their list of the 50 key events in rock music history,The Guardian stated it "ensured videos would henceforth be a mandatory tool in the marketing of music".[85] Radio broadcasterTommy Vance states, "It became the first record to be pushed into the forefront by virtue of a video. Queen were certainly the first band to create a 'concept' video. The video captured the musical imagery perfectly. You cannot hear that music without seeing the visuals in your mind's eye."[87]
A Night at the Opera was very successful in the UK,[33] and wenttriple platinum in the United States.[34] The British public voted it the 13th-greatest album of all time in a 2004Channel 4 poll.[88] It has also ranked highly in international polls; in a worldwideGuinness poll, it was voted the 19th-greatest of all time,[89] and anABC poll saw the Australian public vote it the 28th-greatest of all time.[90]A Night at the Opera has frequently appeared in "greatest albums" lists reflecting the opinions of critics. Among other accolades, it was ranked number 16 inQ magazine's "The 50 Best British Albums Ever" in 2004, a poll done in collaboration with British music and entertainment retailerHMV.[91] It was also placed at number 230 onRolling Stone magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" in 2003.[92]A Night at the Opera is the third and final Queen album to be featured in the book1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[49] The second single from the album was Deacon's "You're My Best Friend", which peaked at number sixteen on the USBillboard Hot 100,[57] and went on to become a worldwide top-ten hit.[78] The band'sA Night at the Opera Tour began in November 1975, and covered Europe, the US, Japan, and Australia.[93] On 24 December, Queen played a special concert at the Hammersmith Odeon which was broadcast live on the BBC showThe Old Grey Whistle Test, with the audio being later broadcast on BBC Radio 1. It became one of the band's most popularbootleg recordings for decades before beingofficially released in 2015.[94]
1976–1979:A Day at the Races toLive Killers
By 1976, Queen were back in the studio recordingA Day at the Races, which is often regarded as a sequel album toA Night at the Opera.[95][96] It again borrowed the name of a Marx Brothers movie, and its cover was similar to that ofA Night at the Opera, a variation on the same Queen logo.[97] The most recognisable of the Marx Brothers,Groucho Marx, invited Queen to visit him in his Los Angeles home in March 1977; there the band thanked him in person, and performed "'39"a cappella.[98] Baker did not return to produce the album; instead the band self-produced with assistance from Mike Stone, who performed several of the backing vocals.[99] The major hit on the album was "Somebody to Love", a gospel-inspired song in which Mercury, May, and Taylor multi-tracked their voices to create a gospel choir.[100] The song went to number two in the UK,[33] and number thirteen in the US.[57] The album also featured one of the band's heaviest songs, May's "Tie Your Mother Down", which became a staple of their live shows.[101][102] Musically,A Day at the Races was by both fans' and critics' standards a strong effort, reaching number one in the UK and Japan, and number five in the US.[33][97]
Queen played alandmark gig on 18 September 1976, a free concert inHyde Park, London, organised by the entrepreneurRichard Branson.[103] It set an attendance record at the park, with 150,000 people confirmed in the audience.[103][104] Queen were late arriving onstage and ran out of time to play an encore; the police informed Mercury that he would be arrested if he attempted to go on stage again.[96] May enjoyed the gig particularly, as he had been to see previous concerts at the park, such as the first one organised byBlackhill Enterprises in 1968, featuringPink Floyd.[105]
Queen press photo in early 1977 in promotion ofNews of the World
On 1 December 1976, Queen were the intended guests on London's early eveningToday programme, but they pulled out at the last-minute, which saw their late replacement on the show, EMI labelmate theSex Pistols, give their infamous expletive-strewn interview withBill Grundy.[106][107] During theA Day at the Races Tour in 1977, Queen performed sold-out shows atMadison Square Garden, New York, in February, supported byThin Lizzy, and Mercury and Taylor socialised with that group's leaderPhil Lynott.[108] They ended the tour with two concerts atEarls Court, London, in June, which commemorated theSilver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, and at the cost of £50,000 the band used a lighting rig in the shape of a crown for the first time.[109][110][111]
The band's sixth studio albumNews of the World was released in 1977, which has gonefour times platinum in the US, and twice in the UK.[34] The album contained many songs tailor-made for live performance, including two of rock's most recognisable anthems, "We Will Rock You" and the rock ballad "We Are the Champions", both of which became enduring internationalsports anthems, and the latter reached number four in the US.[57][112] Queen commenced theNews of the World Tour in November 1977, andRobert Hilburn of theLos Angeles Times called this concert tour the band's "most spectacularly staged and finely honed show".[113] During the tour they sold out another two shows at MSG, and in 1978 they received theMadison Square Garden Gold Ticket Award for passing more than 100,000 unit ticket sales at the venue.[114]
In 1978, Queen releasedJazz, which reached number two in the UK and number six on theBillboard 200 in the US.[115] The album included the hit singles "Fat Bottomed Girls" and "Bicycle Race" on a double-sided record. Critical reviews of the album in the years since its release have been more favourable than initial reviews.[116][117] Another notable track fromJazz, "Don't Stop Me Now", provides another example of the band's exuberant vocal harmonies.[118]
In 1978, Queentoured the US and Canada, and spent much of 1979 touring in Europe and Japan.[119] They released their first live album,Live Killers, in 1979; it went platinum twice in the US.[120] Queen also released the very successful single "Crazy Little Thing Called Love", arockabilly inspired song done in the style ofElvis Presley.[121][122] The song made the top 10 in many countries, topped the AustralianARIA Charts for seven consecutive weeks, and was the band's first number one single in the US where it topped theBillboard Hot 100 for four weeks.[57][123] Having written the song on guitar and played rhythm on the record, Mercury played rhythm guitar when performing the song live, the first time he ever played guitar in concert.[122] On 26 December 1979, Queen played the opening night at theConcert for the People of Kampuchea in London, having accepted a request by the event's organiser,Paul McCartney.[122] The concert was the last date of theirCrazy Tour of London.[124]
1980–1982:The Game,Hot Space and stadium tours
Queen began their 1980s career withThe Game. It featured the singles "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" and "Another One Bites the Dust", both of which reached number one in the US.[57] After attending a Queen concert in Los Angeles,Michael Jackson suggested to Mercury backstage that "Another One Bites the Dust" be released as a single, and in October 1980 it spent three weeks at number one.[125] The album topped theBillboard 200 for five weeks,[126] and sold over four million copies in the US.[34] It was also the first appearance of a synthesiser on a Queen album. Heretofore, their albums featured a distinctive "No Synthesisers!" sleeve note. The note is widely assumed to reflect an anti-synth, pro-"hard"-rock stance by the band,[127] but was later revealed by producerRoy Thomas Baker to be an attempt to clarify that those albums' multi-layered solos were created with guitars, not synths, as record company executives kept assuming at the time.[128] In September 1980, Queen performed three sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden.[42] In 1980, Queen also releasedthe soundtrack they had recorded forFlash Gordon.[130] At the1981 American Music Awards in January, "Another One Bites the Dust" won the award for Favorite Pop/Rock Single, and Queen were nominated for Favorite Pop/Rock Band, Duo, or Group.[131]
In February 1981, Queen travelled to South America as part ofThe Game Tour, and became the first rock band outsidethe Americas to play stadiums in Latin America.[132] On playing the concerts,Classic Rock magazine states, "They were under the spotlight from all quarters, as the entire music industry waited to see if their ambitious plans would bear fruit".[132] Tom Pinnock in the March 1981 issue ofMelody Maker wrote,
Queen chalked up a major international "first" by becoming the band to do for popular music in South America what The Beatles did for North America 17 years ago. Half a million Argentinians and Brazilians, starved of appearances of top British or American bands at their peak, gave Queen a heroic welcome which changed the course of pop history in this uncharted territory of the world rock map. The ecstatic young people saw eight Queen concerts at giant stadia, while many more millions saw the shows on TV and heard the radio broadcasts live.[133]
Queen played to over 250,000 over two concerts at theMorumbi Stadium in São Paulo, Brazil during the South American part of The Game Tour
The tour included five shows in Argentina, one of which drew the largest single concert crowd in Argentine history with an audience of 300,000 inBuenos Aires[134] and two concerts at theMorumbi Stadium in São Paulo, Brazil, where they played to more than 131,000 people in the first night (then the largest paying audience for a single band anywhere in the world)[135] and more than 120,000 people the following night.[136] A region then largely ruled by military dictatorships, the band were greeted with scenes of fan-fever, and the promoter of their first shows at theVélez Sarsfield Stadium in Buenos Aires was moved to say: "For music in Argentina, this has been a case of before the war and after the war. Queen have liberated this country, musically speaking."[133] The group's second show at Vélez Sarsfield was broadcast on national television and watched by over 30 million. Backstage, they were introduced to footballerDiego Maradona.[137]
Topping the charts in Brazil and Argentina, the ballad "Love of My Life" stole the show in South American concerts. Mercury would stop singing and would then conduct the audience as they took over, withLesley-Ann Jones writing "the fans knew the song by heart. Their English was word-perfect."[138] Later that year Queen performed for more than 150,000 on 9 October at Monterrey (Estadio Universitario) and 17 and 18 at Puebla (Estadio Zaragoza), Mexico.[139] Though the gigs were successful, they were marred by a lack of planning and suitable facilities, with audiences throwing projectiles on stage. Mercury finished the final gig saying, "Adios, amigos, you motherfuckers!"[140] On 24 and 25 November, Queen played two nights at theMontreal Forum, Quebec, Canada.[141] One of Mercury's most notable performances ofThe Game's final track, "Save Me", took place in Montreal, and the concert is recorded in the live album,Queen Rock Montreal.[142]
Queen worked withDavid Bowie on the 1981 single "Under Pressure". The first-time collaboration with another artist was spontaneous, as Bowie happened to drop by the studio while Queen were recording. Mercury and Bowie recorded their vocals on the track separately to each other, each coming up with individual ideas. The song topped the UK charts.[143] In October, Queen released their first compilation album, titledGreatest Hits, which showcased the group's highlights from 1974 to 1981.[144] Thebest-selling album in UK chart history, it is the only album to sell over seven million copies in the UK.[145] As of July 2022, it has spent over1000 weeks in the UK Album Chart.[146][147] According toThe Telegraph, approximately one in three families in the UK own a copy.[148] The album is certifiednine times platinum in the US.[34] As of August 2024, it has spent over600 weeks on the USBillboard 200.[149]Greatest Hits has sold over 25 million copies worldwide.[150]
We moved out to Munich to isolate ourselves from normal life so we could focus on the music. We all ended up in a place that was rather unhealthy. A difficult period. We weren't getting along together. We all had different agendas. It was a difficult time for me, personally – some dark moments.
— May on the recording ofHot Space during a difficult period for the band.[151]
In 1982, the band released the albumHot Space, a departure from their trademark seventies sound, this time being a mixture ofpop rock, dance, disco,funk, andR&B.[152] Most of the album was recorded inMunich during the most turbulent period in the band's history.[153] Mercury and Deacon enjoyed the new soul and funk influences, but Taylor and May were less favourable, and were critical of the influence Mercury's personal managerPaul Prenter had on him.[154] According toMack, Queen's producer, Prenter loathed rock music and was in Mercury's ear throughout theHot Space sessions.[155] May was also scathing of Prenter—Mercury's manager from 1977 to 1984—for being dismissive of the importance of radio stations and their vital connection between the artist and the community, and for denying them access to Mercury.[156] May states, "this guy, in the course of one tour, told every record station to fuck off".[155] Queen roadie Peter Hince wrote "None of the band cared for him [Prenter], apart from Freddie", with Hince regarding Mercury's favouring of Prenter as an act of "misguided loyalty".[155] During the Munich sessions, Mercury spent time with Mack and his family, becoming godfather to Mack's first child.[157]Q magazine would listHot Space as one of the top fifteen albums where great rock acts lost the plot.[158] Though the album confused some fans with the change of musical direction, it still reached number 4 in the UK.[159]
Queen performing in Norway during theHot Space Tour in 1982
Queen toured to promoteHot Space, but found some audience unreceptive to the new material. At a gig inFrankfurt, Mercury told some people heckling the new material, "If you don't want to listen to it, go home!"[160] Former Mott the Hoople keyboardistMorgan Fisher joined as an additional touring member.[161] Shows were planned atArsenal Stadium andOld Trafford, but these were cancelled asPope John Paul II was touring Britain, leading to a lack of available outdoor facilities such as toilets. The gigs were moved to theMilton Keynes Bowl andElland Road,Leeds instead. The Milton Keynes concert was filmed byTyne Tees Television and later released on DVD.[159] On 14 and 15 September 1982, the band performed their last two gigs in the US with Mercury on lead vocals, playing atThe Forum in Inglewood, California.[162] Fisher was replaced as touring keyboardist byFred Mandel for the North American shows.[163] The band stopped touring North America after their Hot Space Tour, as their success there had waned, although they performed on American television for the only time during the eighth-season premiere ofSaturday Night Live on 25 September of the same year;[164] it became the final public performance of the band in North America before the death of their frontman. Their fall in popularity in the US has been partially attributed tohomophobia:[165] Mikal Gilmore forRolling Stone writes, "At some shows on the band's 1980 American tour, fans tossed disposable razor blades onstage: They didn't like this identity of Mercury—what they perceived as a brazenly gay rock & roll hero—and they wanted him to shed it."[166] The group finished the year with a Japanese tour.[167]
1983–1984:The Works
After the Hot Space Tour concluded with a concert atSeibu Lions Stadium inTokorozawa, Japan in November 1982, Queen decided they would take a significant amount of time off. May later said at that point, "we hated each other for a while".[167] The band reconvened nine months later to begin recording a new album at theRecord Plant Studios, Los Angeles andMusicland Studios, Munich.[168] Several members of the band also explored side projects and solo work. Taylor released his second solo album,Strange Frontier. May released the mini-albumStar Fleet Project, collaborating withEddie Van Halen.[169] Queen leftElektra Records, their label in the US, Canada, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, and signed ontoEMI/Capitol Records.[155]
Queen on stage in Frankfurt, West Germany in 1984
In February 1984, Queen released their eleventh studio album,The Works. Hit singles included "Radio Ga Ga", which makes a nostalgic defence of the radio format, "Hammer to Fall" and "I Want to Break Free".[170][171]Rolling Stone hailed the album as "theLed Zeppelin II of the eighties."[155] In the UKThe Works went triple platinum and remained in the albums chart for two years.[172] The album failed to do well in the US, where, in addition to issues with their new record label Capitol Records (who had recently severed ties with their independent promotions teams due to a government report onpayola),[155] the cross-dressing video for "I Want to Break Free", a spoof of the British soap operaCoronation Street, proved controversial and was banned byMTV.[173] The concept of the video came from Roger Taylor via a suggestion from his girlfriend.[155] He toldQ magazine: "We had done some really serious, epic videos in the past, and we just thought we'd have some fun. We wanted people to know that we didn't take ourselves too seriously, that we could still laugh at ourselves."[174] Director of the videoDavid Mallet said Mercury was reluctant to do it, commenting "it was a hell of a job to get him out of the dressing room".[155]
That year, Queen beganThe Works Tour, the first tour to feature keyboardistSpike Edney as an extra live musician. The tour featured nine sold-out dates in October inBophuthatswana, South Africa, at the arena inSun City.[175][176] Upon returning to England, they were the subject of outrage, having played in South Africa during the height ofapartheid and in violation of worldwidedivestment efforts and a United Nations cultural boycott. The band responded to the critics by stating that they were playing music for fans in South Africa, and they also stressed that the concerts were played before integrated audiences.[177] Queen donated to a school for the deaf and blind as a philanthropic gesture but were fined by theBritish Musicians' Union and placed on the United Nations'blacklisted artists.[178] In 2021, Taylor voiced his regret for the decision to perform at Sun City, saying that "we went with the best intentions, but I still think it was kind of a mistake."[179]
1985–1986: Live Aid,A Kind of Magic and tours
In January 1985, Queen headlined two nights of the firstRock in Rio festival atRio de Janeiro, Brazil, and played in front of over 300,000 people each night.[180]The Boston Globe described it as a "mesmerising performance".[181] Highlights from both nights were released on VHS asQueen: Live in Rio, which was broadcast on MTV in the US.[181][182] In April and May 1985, Queen completed the Works Tour with sold-out shows in Australia and Japan.[183]
Queen were absolutely the best band of the day ... they just went and smashed one hit after another ... it was the perfect stage for Freddie: the whole world.
AtLive Aid, held atWembley on 13 July 1985, in front of the biggest-ever TV audience of an estimated 400 million, Queen performed some of their greatest hits. Many of the sold-out stadium audience of 72,000 people clapped, sang, and swayed in unison.[185][186] The show's organisers,Bob Geldof andMidge Ure; other musicians such asElton John andCliff Richard; and journalists writing for theBBC,CNN,Rolling Stone,MTV,The Guardian andThe Daily Telegraph, among others, described Queen as the highlight.[187][188][189] Interviewed backstage,Roger Waters stated: "Everybody's been buzzing about Queen that I've run into. They had everybody completely spellbound."[190] An industry poll in 2005 ranked it the greatest rock performance of all time.[187][191] Mercury's powerful, sustained note—"Aaaaaay-o"—during thecall-and-responsea cappella segment came to be known as "The Note Heard Round the World".[192][193] The band were revitalised by the response to Live Aid—a "shot in the arm" Roger Taylor called it—and the ensuing increase in record sales.[194] In 1986 Mercury commented: "From our perspective, the fact that Live Aid happened when it did was really lucky. It came out of nowhere to save us. For sure that was a turning point. Maybe you could say that in the history of Queen, it was a really special moment."[195]
Queen ended 1985 by releasing the single "One Vision" and a limited-edition boxed set of Queen albums,The Complete Works. The package included the 1984 Christmas single "Thank God It's Christmas" and previously unreleased material.[196] In early 1986, Queen recorded the albumA Kind of Magic, containing several reworkings of songs written for the fantasy action filmHighlander.[197] The album was successful in the UK, West Germany and several other countries, producing a string of hits including "A Kind of Magic", "Friends Will Be Friends", "Princes of the Universe" and "Who Wants to Live Forever"; the latter featuring an orchestra conducted byMichael Kamen. The album was less successful in North America, reaching 46 in the US, and was described by biographerMark Blake as "a so-so album" and "a somewhat uneven listening experience".[198] In 2007,Classic Rock ranked it the 28th greatest soundtrack album of all time.[199]
Mercury's yellow military jacket (one of three designed by Diana Moseley) worn during the 1986Magic Tour
In mid-1986, Queen went on theMagic Tour, their final tour with Mercury.[200] They once again hired Spike Edney.[201][202] Queen began the tour at theRåsunda Stadium in Stockholm, Sweden, and later performed aconcert atSlane Castle, Ireland, in front of an audience of 95,000, which broke the venue's attendance record.[203] The band also played behind theIron Curtain when they performed to a crowd of 80,000 at theNépstadion inBudapest (released in the concert filmHungarian Rhapsody: Queen Live in Budapest), in what was one of the biggest rock concerts ever held in Eastern Europe.[204] More than one million people saw Queen on the tour—400,000 in the UK alone, a record at the time.[176]
The Magic Tour's highlight was at Wembley Stadium and resulted in the live double albumQueen at Wembley, released on CD and as a live concert VHS/DVD, which has gone five times platinum in the US and four times platinum in the UK.[34][205] The demand for tickets saw extra dates added to the tour, with concert promoterHarvey Goldsmith stating "they seem to have an endless market."[206] Queen could not book Wembley for a third night, but played atKnebworth Park in Hertfordshire on 9 August. The show sold out within two hours and over 120,000 fans packed the park for what was Queen's final performance with Mercury.[207][208] At the end of the concert the band appeared on stage for the final time to an encore of "God Save the Queen", with Mercury, in his crown and gown, bidding the crowd "goodnight and sweet dreams".[206] Roadie Peter Hince states, "At Knebworth, I somehow felt it was going to be the last for all of us"; Brian May recalled Mercury saying "I'm not going to be doing this forever. This is probably the last time."[155]
1988–1992:The Miracle,Innuendo and Mercury's final years
There was all that time when we knew Freddie was on the way out, we kept our heads down.
In October 1986, two months after his final concert, Mercury, on his return to London from holiday, was confronted by a tabloid frenzy atHeathrow Airport with the British newspapers theNews of the World andThe Sun reporting he had his blood tested for HIV/AIDS at aHarley Street clinic, but Mercury was quoted as saying he was "perfectly fit and healthy".[206] Fans noticed his increasingly gaunt appearance in 1988, with Mercury insisting he was merely "exhausted" and too busy to provide interviews; he was now 42 years old and had been involved in music for nearly two decades.[210] He had in fact been diagnosed as HIV positive in 1987, but did not make his illness public, with only his inner circle of colleagues and friends aware of his condition.[209]
Queen recorded six studio albums atMountain Studios in Montreux, Switzerland from 1978 to 1995, with Mercury making his final recording here in June 1991.
After working on various solo projects during 1988 (including Mercury's collaboration withMontserrat Caballé,Barcelona), the band releasedThe Miracle in 1989. The album continued the direction ofA Kind of Magic, using a pop-rock sound mixed with a few heavy numbers. It spawned the hit singles "I Want It All"—which became an anti-apartheid anthem in South Africa—"Scandal", and "The Miracle".[212][213]The Miracle also began a change in direction of Queen's songwriting philosophy. Beforehand, nearly all songs had been written by and credited to a single member. WithThe Miracle, their songwriting became more collaborative, and they vowed to credit the final product only to Queen as a group.[214]
In 1990, Queen ended their contract with Capitol and signed withHollywood Records; through the deal,Disney acquired the North American distribution rights to Queen's catalogue for $10 million, and remains the group's music catalogue owner and distributor in the US and Canada; the band retained ownership of the global rights through the UK-based Queen ProductionsLtd.[215][216] In February that year, Mercury made what would prove to be his final public appearance when he joined the rest of Queen onstage at theDominion Theatre in London to collect theBrit Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music.[217]
Their fourteenth studio album,Innuendo, was released in early 1991 with "Innuendo" and other charting singles released later in the year. The music video for "The Show Must Go On" featured archive footage of Queen's performances between 1981 and 1989, and along with the manner of the song's lyrics, fuelled reports that Mercury was dying.[218][219] Mercury was increasingly ill and could barely walk when the band recorded "The Show Must Go On" in 1990. Because of this, May had concerns about whether he was physically capable of singing it, but May recalled that he "completely killed it".[220] The rest of the band were ready to record when Mercury felt able to come into the studio, for an hour or two at a time. May says of Mercury: "He just kept saying. 'Write me more. Write me stuff. I want to just sing this and do it and when I am gone you can finish it off.' He had no fear, really."[211] The band's second-greatest hits compilation,Greatest Hits II, followed in October 1991; it is thetenth best-selling album in the UK,[221] theseventh best-selling album in Germany,[222] is certified Diamond in France where it is one of thebest-selling albums,[223] and has sold 16 million copies worldwide.[224][225]
Following Mercury's death on 24 November 1991,his tribute concert was held at the originalWembley Stadium in London on 20 April 1992, the same venue where Queen performed at Live Aid in July 1985
On 23 November 1991, in a prepared statement made on his deathbed, Mercury confirmed that he had AIDS.[226] Within 24 hours of the statement, hedied ofbronchial pneumonia, which was brought on as a complication of the disease.[227] His funeral service on 27 November inKensal Green, West London was private, and held in accordance with theZoroastrian religious faith of his family.[228][229]
"Bohemian Rhapsody" was re-released as a single shortly after Mercury's death, with "These Are the Days of Our Lives" as the double A-side. Themusic video for the latter contains Mercury's final scenes in front of the camera. Ron Hart ofRolling Stone wrote, "the conga-driven synth ballad "These Are the Days of Our Lives" isInnuendo's most significant single, given that its video marked the last time his fans were able to see the singer alive."[230] The video was recorded on 30 May 1991 (which proved to be Mercury's final work with Queen).[231] The single went tonumber one in the UK, remaining there for five weeks—the only recording to top the Christmas chart twice and the only one to be number one in four different years (1975, 1976, 1991, and 1992).[232] Initial proceeds from the single—approximately £1,000,000—were donated to theTerrence Higgins Trust, an AIDS charity.[233]
Queen's popularity was stimulated in North America when "Bohemian Rhapsody" was featured in the 1992 comedy filmWayne's World.[234] Its inclusion helped the song reach number two on theBillboard Hot 100 for five weeks in 1992 (including its 1976 chart run, it remained in the Hot 100 for a combined 41 weeks),[234] and won the band anMTV Award at the1992 MTV Video Music Awards.[235] The compilation albumClassic Queen also reached number four on theBillboard 200, and is certified three times platinum in the US.[34][234]Wayne's World footage was used to make a new music video for "Bohemian Rhapsody", with which the band and management were delighted.[236]
Queen's last album with Mercury, titledMade in Heaven, was released in 1995, four years after his death.[239] Featuring tracks such as "Too Much Love Will Kill You" and "Heaven for Everyone", it was constructed from Mercury's final recordings in 1991, material left over from their previous studio albums and re-worked material from May, Taylor, and Mercury's solo albums. The album also featured the song "Mother Love", the last vocal recording Mercury made, which he completed using a drum machine, over which May, Taylor and Deacon later added the instrumental track.[240] After completing the penultimate verse, Mercury had told the band he "wasn't feeling that great" and stated, "I will finish it when I come back, next time". Mercury never returned to the studio afterwards, leaving May to record the final verse of the song.[211] Both stages of recording, before and after Mercury's death, were completed at theband's studio inMontreux, Switzerland.[241] The album reached number one in the UK following its release, theirninth number one album, and sold 20 million copies worldwide.[242][243] On 25 November 1996, a statue of Mercury was unveiled in Montreux overlookingLake Geneva, almost five years to the day since his death.[241][244]
You guys should go out and play again. It must be like having a Ferrari in the garage waiting for a driver.
—Elton John, on Queen being without a lead singer since the death of Freddie Mercury.[245]
In 1997, Queen returned to the studio to record "No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young)", a song dedicated to Mercury and all those who die too soon.[246] It was released as a bonus track on theQueen Rocks compilation album later that year, and features inGreatest Hits III.[247] In January 1997, Queen performed "The Show Must Go On" live with Elton John and theBéjart Ballet in Paris on a night Mercury was remembered, and it marked the last performance and public appearance of John Deacon, who chose to retire.[248] The Paris concert was only the second time Queen had played live since Mercury's death, prompting Elton John to urge them to perform again.[245] Brian May and Roger Taylor performed together at several award ceremonies and charity concerts, sharing vocals with various guest singers. During this time, they were billed asQueen + followed by the guest singer's name. In 1998, the duo appeared atLuciano Pavarotti's benefit concert with May performing "Too Much Love Will Kill You" with Pavarotti, later playing "Radio Ga Ga", "We Will Rock You", and "We Are the Champions" withZucchero. They again attended and performed at Pavarotti's benefit concert inModena, Italy in May 2003.[249] Several of the guest singers recorded new versions of Queen's hits under theQueen + name, such asRobbie Williams providing vocals for "We Are the Champions" for the soundtrack ofA Knight's Tale (2001).[250]
In November 1999,Greatest Hits III was released. This featured, among others, "Queen +Wyclef Jean" on arap version of "Another One Bites the Dust". A live version of "Somebody to Love" byGeorge Michael and a live version of "The Show Must Go On" withElton John were also featured in the album.[251] By this point, Queen's vast amount of record sales made them the second-bestselling artist in the UK of all time, behindthe Beatles.[243] In November 2000, the band released the box set,The Platinum Collection. It is certified seven times platinum in the UK and five times platinum in the US.[252][253] On 18 October 2002, Queen were awarded the 2,207th star on theHollywood Walk of Fame, for their work in the music industry, which is located at 6358Hollywood Blvd.[254] On 29 November 2003, May and Taylor performed at the46664 Concert hosted byNelson Mandela atGreen Point Stadium, Cape Town, to raise awareness of the spread of HIV/AIDS in South Africa.[255] A new song, "Invincible Hope", featuring Mandela's speech and credited to Queen + Nelson Mandela, was performed during the concert and later released on the46664: One Year On EP.[256] During that period May and Taylor spent time at Mandela's home, discussing how Africa's problems might be approached, and two years later the band were made ambassadors for the 46664 cause.[255]
At the end of 2004, May and Taylor announced that they would reunite and return to touring in 2005 withPaul Rodgers (founder and former lead singer ofFree andBad Company). Brian May's website also stated that Rodgers would be "featured with" Queen as "Queen + Paul Rodgers", not replacing Mercury.[257] In November 2004, Queen were among the inaugural inductees into theUK Music Hall of Fame, and the award ceremony was the first event at which Rodgers joined May and Taylor as vocalist.[255]
Between 2005 and 2006, Queen + Paul Rodgers embarked on aworld tour, which was the first time Queen toured since theirlast tour with Freddie Mercury in 1986.[258] Taylor said: "We never thought we would tour again, Paul came along by chance and we seemed to have a chemistry. Paul is just such a great singer. He's not trying to be Freddie."[258] The first leg was in Europe, the second in Japan, and the third in the US in 2006.[259] Queen received the inauguralVH1 Rock Honors at theMandalay Bay Events Center inLas Vegas, Nevada, on 25 May 2006.[260]Foo Fighters performed "Tie Your Mother Down" to open the ceremony before being joined on stage by May, Taylor, and Rodgers, who played a selection of Queen hits.[261]
Queen + Paul Rodgers performed at theNelson Mandela 90th Birthday Tribute held inHyde Park, London on 27 June 2008, to commemorate Mandela's ninetieth birthday, and again promote awareness of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.[262] The first Queen + Paul Rodgers album, titledThe Cosmos Rocks, was released in Europe on 12 September 2008 and in the US on 28 October 2008.[242] The band again toured Europe, opening onKharkiv's Freedom Square in front of 350,000 Ukrainian fans;[263] the concert wasreleased on DVD.[263] The tour then moved to Russia, and the band performed two sold-out shows at theMoscow Arena.[264] Having completed the first leg of the European tour, which saw the band play 15 sold-out dates across nine countries, the UK leg of the tour sold out within 90 minutes of going on sale and included three London dates, the first of which wasthe O2 Arena on 13 October.[265] The last leg of the tour was in South America, and included a sold-out concert atJosé Amalfitani Stadium, Buenos Aires.[264]
Queen and Paul Rodgers split up on 12 May 2009.[266] Rodgers stated: "My arrangement with [Queen] was similar to my arrangement withJimmy [Page] inThe Firm in that it was never meant to be a permanent arrangement".[266] Rodgers did not rule out the possibility of working with Queen again.[267][268]
2009–2011: Departure from EMI, 40th anniversary
On 20 May 2009, May and Taylor performed "We Are the Champions" live on the season finale ofAmerican Idol with winnerKris Allen and runner-upAdam Lambert providing a vocal duet.[269] A new greatest hits compilationAbsolute Greatest was released on 16 November and peaked at number 3 in the UK.[270] It contains 20 of Queen's hits spanning their career and was released in four different formats: single disc, double disc (with commentary), double disc with feature book, and avinyl record. Before its release, Queen ran an online competition to guess the track listing as a promotion for the album.[271] On 15 November 2009, May and Taylor performed "Bohemian Rhapsody" live on the British TV showThe X Factor alongside the finalists.[272]
Many of you will have read bits and pieces on the internet about Queen changing record companies and so I wanted to confirm to you that the band have signed a new contract with Universal Music ... we would like to thank the EMI team for all their hard work over the years, the many successes and the fond memories, and of course we look forward to continuing to work with EMI Music Publishing who take care of our songwriting affairs. Next year we start working with our new record company to celebrate Queen's 40th anniversary and we will be announcing full details of the plans over the next 3 months. As Brian has already said Queen's next moves will involve 'studio work, computers and live work.
—Jim Beach, Queen's Manager, on the change of record label.[273]
On 20 August 2010, Queen's managerJim Beach announced that the band had signed a new contract with Universal Music[273] after almost 40 years withEMI.[274] On 22 September, May confirmed that the band's new deal was withIsland Records, a subsidiary ofUniversal Music Group.[275][276]Hollywood Records remained as the group's label in the US and Canada. For the first time since the late 1980s, Queen's catalogue now has the same distributor worldwide, as Universal distributes for both the Island and Hollywood labels (for a time in the late 1980s, Queen was on EMI-ownedCapitol Records in the US).[277]
On 14 March 2011, the band's 40th anniversary, Queen's first five albums were re-released in the UK and some other territories as remastered deluxe editions; the US versions were released on 17 May.[278] The second five albums of Queen's back catalogue were released worldwide on 27 June, and on 27 September in the US and Canada.[279][280] The final five were released in the UK on 5 September.[281]
In May 2011,Jane's Addiction vocalistPerry Farrell said that Queen were scouting their live bassistChris Chaney to join the band.[282] In the same month, Paul Rodgers stated he might tour with Queen again in the future.[283] At the 2011Broadcast Music, Incorporated (BMI) Awards held in London on 4 October, Queen received the BMI Icon Award for their airplay success in the US.[284][285] At the2011 MTV Europe Music Awards on 6 November, Queen received theGlobal Icon Award, whichKaty Perry presented to Brian May.[286] Queen closed the awards ceremony, with Lambert singing "The Show Must Go On", "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions".[286] The collaboration received a positive response from fans and critics, resulting in speculation about future projects together.[287]
On 25 and 26 April, May and Taylor appeared on the eleventh series ofAmerican Idol at theNokia Theatre, Los Angeles, performing a Queen medley with the six finalists on the first show, and the following day performed "Somebody to Love" with the 'Queen Extravaganza' band.[288] Queen were scheduled to headlineSonisphere atKnebworth on 7 July 2012 with Adam Lambert[289] before the festival was cancelled.[290] Queen said that they were looking to find another venue.[291] Queen + Adam Lambert played two shows at theHammersmith Apollo, London on 11 and 12 July 2012.[292][293] Both shows sold out within 24 hours of tickets going on sale.[294] A third London date was scheduled for 14 July.[295] On 30 June, Queen + Lambert performed inKyiv, Ukraine at a joint concert withElton John for the Elena Pinchuk ANTIAIDS Foundation.[296] Queen also performed with Lambert on 3 July 2012 at Moscow'sOlympic Stadium,[297][298] and on 7 July 2012 at theMunicipal Stadium in Wroclaw, Poland.[299]
Lambert on stage with Queen at Madison Square Garden, New York City in July 2014 performing "Who Wants to Live Forever"
On 12 August 2012, Queen performed at theclosing ceremony of the2012 Summer Olympics in London.[300] The performance at London'sOlympic Stadium opened with a remastered video clip of Mercury on stage performing hiscall and response routine during their 1986 concert at Wembley Stadium.[301] Following this, May performed part of the "Brighton Rock" solo before being joined by Taylor and solo artistJessie J for a performance of "We Will Rock You".[301][302]
On 20 September 2013, Queen + Adam Lambert performed at theiHeartRadio Music Festival at theMGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.[303] Queen + Adam Lambert toured North America in 2014[304][305] and Australia and New Zealand in August and September 2014.[306] In an interview withRolling Stone, May and Taylor said that although the tour with Lambert is a limited thing, they are open to him becoming an official member, and cutting new material with him.[307] In November 2014 Queen released a new albumQueen Forever.[308] The album is largely a compilation of previously released material but features three new tracks featuring vocals from Mercury with backing added by the surviving members of Queen. One new track, "There Must Be More to Life Than This", is a duet between Mercury and Michael Jackson.[309] Queen + Adam Lambert performed inCentral Hall, Westminster, at theBig Ben New Year concert on New Year's Eve 2014 and New Year's Day 2015.[310]
Queen performing with Lambert during their2017 tour
Because Queen were not able to tour due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, they released a live album with Adam Lambert on 2 October 2020. The song collection, titledLive Around the World, contains highlights selected by the band members from over 200 shows throughout their history. It marked their first live album with Lambert who, as of 2020, has played 218 shows with the band.[320] On 31 December 2020, Queen performed on the Japanese New Year's Eve television specialKōhaku with composerYoshiki and vocalistSarah Brightman.[321] In 2021, Queen received theJapan Gold Disc Award for the fourth time (having previously won it in 2005, 2019 and 2020) as the most popular Western act in Japan.[322]
On 4 June 2022, Queen + Adam Lambert opened thePlatinum Party at the Palace outside Buckingham Palace to mark the Queen'sPlatinum Jubilee.[323] Performing a three-song set, they opened with "We Will Rock You" which had been introduced in a comedy segment where Queen Elizabeth II andPaddington Bear tapped their tea cups to the beat of the song.[324][325] A previously unheard Queen song with Mercury's vocals, "Face It Alone", recorded over thirty years previously and originally thought "unsalvageable" by May and Taylor, was released on 13 October 2022; five more songs — "You Know You Belong to Me", "When Love Breaks Up", "Dog With a Bone", "Water", and "I Guess We're Falling Out" — were released on 18 November 2022 as part ofThe Miracle Collector's Edition box set.[326]
Music style and influences
Brian May playing his custom-madeRed Special atthe O2 Arena in London in 2017. He has used this guitar almost exclusively since the band's advent in the early 1970s.
Queen drew artistic influence from British rock acts of the 1960s and early 1970s, such asthe Beatles,the Kinks,Cream,Led Zeppelin,Pink Floyd,the Who,Black Sabbath,Slade,Deep Purple,David Bowie,Genesis, andYes,[327] with Mercury also inspired by therock and roll singersLittle Richard,[328]Elvis Presley[329] and thegospel singerAretha Franklin.[330] On the Beatles, Brian May stated they "built our bible as far as musical composition, arrangement and production went.The White Album is a complete catalogue of how you should use a studio to build songs."[331] Mercury said, "John Lennon was larger than life, and an absolute genius. Even at a very early stage when they were the Beatles, I always preferred John Lennon's things. I don't know why. He just had that magic."[329] May and Mercury were influenced byJimi Hendrix, with Mercury saying "he really had everything any rock 'n' roll star should have",[332] and May saying "Jimi is, of course, my number one. And I've always said that [...] I never stop learning from Jimi."[333] Mercury's thesis for his Ealing College diploma was on Hendrix, and Mercury and Taylor closed their Kensington Market stall on 18 September 1970 to commemorate his death.[334]
At their outset in the early 1970s, Queen's music has been characterised as "Led Zeppelin meets Yes" due to its combination of "acoustic/electric guitar extremes and fantasy-inspired multi-part song epics".[335] Although Mercury statedRobert Plant as his favourite singer and Led Zeppelin as "the greatest" rock band, he also said Queen "have more in common withLiza Minnelli than Led Zeppelin. We're more in the showbiz tradition than the rock'n'roll tradition".[329] In his book onEssential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal,Eddie Trunk described Queen as "ahard rock band at the core but one with a high level of majesty and theatricality that delivered a little something for everyone", as well as observing that the band "sounded British".[336]Rob Halford ofJudas Priest commented, "It's rare that you struggle to label a band. If you're aheavy metal band you're meant to look and sound like a heavy metal band but you can't really call Queen anything. They could be a pop band one day or the band that wrote 'Bicycle Race' the next and a full-blown metal band the next. In terms of the depth of the musical landscape that they covered, it was very similar to some extent to the Beatles."[337] While stating they were influenced by various artists and genres, Joe Bosso ofGuitar World magazine writes, "Queen seemed to occupy their own lane."[338]
A sample of "We Will Rock You". The stamping and clapping effects were created by the bandoverdubbing sounds of themselves stamping and clapping many times, and adding delay effects to create a sound that seemed many people were participating.
In 1963, the teenage Brian May and his fathercustom-built his signature guitarRed Special, which was purposely designed tofeedback.[355][356] May has usedVoxAC30 amplifiers almost exclusively since a meeting withRory Gallagher at a gig in London during the late 1960s or early 1970s.[357] He also uses asixpence as a plectrum.[358] Sonic experimentation figured heavily in Queen's songs. A distinctive characteristic of Queen's music are thevocal harmonies which are usually composed of the voices of May, Mercury, and Taylor best heard on the studio albumsA Night at the Opera andA Day at the Races. Some of the development of this sound is attributed to the producerRoy Thomas Baker and engineerMike Stone.[359][360] Queen were also known formulti-tracking voices to imitate the sound of a large choir throughoverdubs. For instance, according to Brian May, there are over 180 vocal overdubs in "Bohemian Rhapsody".[361] The band's vocal structures have been compared withthe Beach Boys.[341][362]
Media
Logo
Having studied graphic design in art college, Mercury also designed Queen's logo, called the Queen crest, shortly before the release of the band's first album.[363] The logo combines thezodiac signs of all four members: two lions forLeo (Deacon and Taylor), a crab forCancer (May), and twofairies forVirgo (Mercury).[363] The lions embrace a stylised letter Q, the crab rests atop the letter with flames rising directly above it, and the fairies are each sheltering below a lion.[363] There is also a crown inside the Q and the whole logo is over-shadowed by an enormousphoenix. The whole symbol bears a passing resemblance to theroyal coat of arms of the United Kingdom, particularly with the lion supporters.[363] The original logo, as found on the reverse side of the cover of the band's first album, was a simple line drawing. Later sleeves bore more intricately coloured versions of the logo.[363][364]
Music videos
Mercury in a Harlequin outfit. He appears in a half black, half white version in the 1977 music video for "We Are the Champions".
The music video for "Innuendo" combinesstop motion animation withrotoscoping and band members appear as illustrations and images taken from earlier Queen music videos on a cinema screen akin to the dystopian filmNineteen Eighty-Four (1984).[369] The music videos for "Flash" (fromFlash Gordon) and "Princes of the Universe" (fromHighlander) are themed on the films the band recorded soundtracks for, with the latter featuring Mercury briefly re-enact the sword-fighting scene with the titular character.[370] Queen also appeared in conventional music videos. "We Will Rock You" was filmed outdoors in Roger Taylor's back garden during a cold day in early January 1977.[371] Filmed at theNew London Theatre later that year, the music video for "We Are the Champions" features the band—with Mercury in a trademark Harlequin outfit—performing in front of an enthusiastic crowd who wave Queen scarves in a manner similar to English football fans.[371] The last music video of the group while Mercury was alive, "These Are the Days of Our Lives", was filmed in black and white to hide the full extent of his illness.[372]
In May 2002, a musical or "rock theatrical" based on the songs of Queen, titledWe Will Rock You, opened at theDominion Theatre in London'sWest End.[373] The musical was written by British comedian and authorBen Elton in collaboration with Brian May and Roger Taylor, and produced byRobert De Niro. It has since been staged in many cities around the world.[373] The launch of the musical coincided withQueen Elizabeth II'sGolden Jubilee. As part of the Jubilee celebrations, Brian May performed aguitar solo of "God Save the Queen",[374] as featured on Queen'sA Night at the Opera, from the roof ofBuckingham Palace. The recording of this performance was used as video for the song on the 30th Anniversary DVD edition ofA Night at the Opera.[375][376] Following the Las Vegas premiere on 8 September 2004, Queen were inducted into theHollywood RockWalk inSunset Boulevard, Los Angeles.[377]
We Will Rock You musical in Tokyo, Japan, November 2006
The original London production was scheduled to close on Saturday, 7 October 2006, at theDominion Theatre, but due to public demand, the show ran until May 2014.[378]We Will Rock You has become the longest-running musical ever to run at this prime London theatre, overtaking the previous record holder, the musicalGrease.[379] Brian May stated in 2008 that they were considering writing a sequel toWe Will Rock You.[380] The musical toured around the UK in 2009, playing atManchester Palace Theatre,Sunderland Empire,Birmingham Hippodrome,Bristol Hippodrome, andEdinburgh Playhouse.[381] By December 2022 the musical had been seen by 20 million people across 28 countries.[382] In the summer of 2023 it returned to London with a 12-week run at theLondon Coliseum.[382]
Sean Bovim created "Queen at the Ballet", a tribute to Mercury, which uses Queen's music as a soundtrack for the show's dancers, who interpret the stories behind tracks such as "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Radio Ga Ga", and "Killer Queen".[383] Queen's music also appears in the Off-Broadway productionPower Balladz, most notably the song "We Are the Champions", with the show's two performers believing the song was "the apex of artistic achievement in its day".[384]
Software and digital releases
In conjunction withElectronic Arts, Queen released the computer gameQueen: The eYe in 1998.[385] The game received mixed reviews. Several reviewers described the fight sequences as frustrating, due to unresponsive controls and confusing camera angles.[386][387]PC Zone found the game's graphics unimpressive,[386] althoughPC PowerPlay considered them "absolutely stunning".[387] The extremely long development time resulted in graphic elements that already seemed outdated by the time of release.[388]
Under the supervision of May and Taylor, numerous restoration projects have been under way involving Queen's lengthy audio and video catalogue. DVD releases of their 1986 Wembley concert (titledLive at Wembley Stadium), 1982 Milton Keynes concert (Queen on Fire – Live at the Bowl), and two Greatest Video Hits (Volumes 1 and 2, spanning the 1970s and 1980s) have seen the band's music remixed into5.1 andDTSsurround sound. So far, only two of the band's albums,A Night at the Opera andThe Game, have been fully remixed into high-resolution multichannel surround onDVD-Audio.A Night at the Opera was re-released with some revised 5.1 mixes and accompanying videos in 2005 for the 30th anniversary of the album's original release (CD+DVD-Video set). In 2007, a Blu-ray edition of Queen's previously released concerts,Queen Rock Montreal &Live Aid, was released, marking their first project in 1080p HD.[389]
Queen have also been featured multiple times in theRock Band franchise: a track pack of 10 songs which are compatible withRock Band,Rock Band 2, andRock Band 3 (three of those are also compatible withLego Rock Band). Their hit "Bohemian Rhapsody" was featured inRock Band 3 with full harmony and keys support.The band also appeared in the video gameLego Rock Band as playable Lego avatars.[395] In March 2009,Sony Computer Entertainment released a Queen branded version of the company's karaoke franchise,SingStar. The game, which is available onPlayStation 2 andPlayStation 3, is titledSingStar Queen and has 25 songs on the PS3 and 20 on the PS2.[396] "We Will Rock You" and other songs by Queen also appear inDJ Hero.[397]
In a September 2010 BBC interview, Brian May announced thatSacha Baron Cohen was to play Mercury in a biographical film about the band.[398]Time commented with approval on his singing ability and visual similarity to Mercury.[399] However, in July 2013, Baron Cohen dropped out of the role due to "creative differences" between him and the surviving band members.[400] In December 2013, it was announced thatBen Whishaw, known for playingQ in theJames Bond filmSkyfall, was a possible replacement for Baron Cohen in the role of Mercury,[401] but Whishaw pulled out a few months later amidst uncertainty about how the film was progressing.[402]
The two remaining members of Queen's classic line-up, May and Taylor (pictured in 2017), were creative consultants forBohemian Rhapsody
The project regained momentum in 2016. It was announced on 4 November that the film had secured the backing of20th Century Fox,New Regency andGK Films. By this time, the film's working title wasBohemian Rhapsody, after the band'ssong of the same name. Freddie Mercury was to be played byRami Malek, and shooting was scheduled to begin in early 2017.[403] The motion picture was written byAnthony McCarten, with a story by McCarten andPeter Morgan, who receivedOscar nominations for his screenplaysThe Queen andFrost/Nixon.[404]
Released in October 2018,Bohemian Rhapsody focuses on Queen's formative years and the period leading up to the celebrated performance at the1985 Live Aid concert.[405] The film has grossed over $900 million worldwide,[406] making it the highest-grossing musical biographical film of all time.[407] Despite receiving mixed reviews, it won theGolden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama. Malek received wide acclaim and numerous accolades for his portrayal of Mercury, including theAcademy Award for Best Actor.[408] The Live Aid segment was praised, but there was criticism from not exploring more complex themes involving Mercury, with theNew York Post's Johnny Oleksinski stating, "What we ultimately wanted from Bohemian Rhapsody was not carbon-copied concerts, but behind-closed-doors insight into a deeply private, complicated, internationally beloved superstar."[409] After the release of the film, "Bohemian Rhapsody" re-entered the USBillboard Hot 100 for the third time (having previously charted in 1976 and 1992), charting at number 33 on 12 November 2018.[410]Bohemian Rhapsody: The Original Soundtrack received anAmerican Music Award forTop Soundtrack.[411]
Robbie Williams, on stage in 2015 with the Queen image in the background, performed "We Are the Champions" for the 2001 medieval adventure filmA Knight's Tale
Several films have featured their songs performed by other artists. A version of "Somebody to Love" byAnne Hathaway was in the 2004 filmElla Enchanted.[415] In 2006,Brittany Murphy also recorded a cover of the same song for the 2006 filmHappy Feet.[416] In 2001, a version of "The Show Must Go On" was performed byJim Broadbent andNicole Kidman in the film musicalMoulin Rouge!.[417] The 2001 filmA Knight's Tale has a version of "We Are the Champions" performed byRobbie Williams and Queen; the film also features "We Will Rock You" played by the medieval audience.[418]
Keeping in a tradition of naming each season's episodes after songs by 1970s rock bands, the eighth and final season ofThat '70s Show had episodes named after Queen songs. "Bohemian Rhapsody" served as the season premiere.[423] With an entry for the year 1977, Queen featured in theVH1 seriesI Love the '70s, broadcast in the US.[424]The Simpsons has made storylines which have featured Queen songs such as "We Will Rock You", "We Are the Champions" (both sung byHomer), and "You're My Best Friend".[425] The latter also appears inFamily Guy, as does "Another One Bites the Dust", and an episode of the show, "Killer Queen", is named after (and features) the song.[426] Queen were profiled in season 1, episode 16 ofVH1's Legends, broadcast in 1998.[427]
On 11 April 2006, Brian May and Roger Taylor appeared on the American singing contest television showAmerican Idol. Each contestant was required to sing a Queen song during that week of the competition. Songs which appeared on the show included "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Fat Bottomed Girls", "The Show Must Go On", "Who Wants to Live Forever", and "Innuendo". Brian May later criticised the show for editing specific scenes,[428] one of which made the group's time with contestantAce Young look negative, despite it being the opposite. Taylor and May again appeared on theAmerican Idol season 8 finale in May 2009, performing "We Are the Champions" with finalists Adam Lambert andKris Allen.[269] On 15 November 2009, Brian May and Roger Taylor appeared on the singing contest television showThe X Factor in the UK.[429]
In 2007, Queen featured as one of the main artists in the fifth episode of the BBC/VH1 seriesSeven Ages of Rock—focusing onstadium rock, the episode itself was named "We Are the Champions".[430] In the autumn of 2009,Glee featured the fictional high school's show choir singing "Somebody to Love" as their second act performance in the episode "The Rhodes Not Taken". The performance was included on the show'sVolume 1 soundtrack CD.[431] In June 2010, the choir performed "Another One Bites the Dust" in the episode "Funk".[432] The following week's episode, "Journey to Regionals", features a rival choir performing "Bohemian Rhapsody" in its entirety. The song was featured on theepisode's EP. In May 2012, the choir performed "We Are the Champions" in the episode "Nationals", and the song features inThe Graduation Album.[433] In November 2014,The Nation's Favourite Queen Song, a 90-minute television special counting down Britain's 20 favourite Queen songs, aired onITV in the UK.[434] In November 2021,The Queen Family Singalong, featuring performances of songs by Queen accompanied with on-screen karaoke lyrics encouraging viewers to sing along, aired onABC in the US.[435]
Legacy
Upon being awarded thePolar Music Prize in 2025, Queen were described as being "a band synonymous with the very fabric of pop culture" who "have made an impact on music that spans decades, generations and genres", and they are "beloved the world over".[436]In 2002, "Bohemian Rhapsody" was voted "the UK's favourite hit of all time" in a poll conducted by theGuinness World Records British Hit Singles Book.[437] In 2004, the song was inducted into theGrammy Hall of Fame.[438] Many scholars consider the "Bohemian Rhapsody" music video groundbreaking, crediting it with popularising the medium.[84][439][440] Rock historian Paul Fowles stated that the song is "widely credited as the first global hit single for which an accompanying video was central to the marketing strategy".[441] It has been hailed as paving the way for theMTV Generation.[442] In December 2018, "Bohemian Rhapsody" became the most-streamed song from the 20th century, and the most-streamed classic rock song of all time.[443] The song and original video were downloaded more than 1.6 billion times.[444] In March 2021 it wascertified Diamond in the US for combined digital sales and streams equal to 10 million units.[445] Acclaimed for theirstadium rock, in 2005 an industry poll ranked Queen's performance at Live Aid in 1985 as the best live act in history.[446] In 2007, they were also voted the greatest British band in history byBBC Radio 2 listeners.[447]
If you have to go back and watch one performance it has to be Queen. That was not just a career-defining moment ... rock 'n' roll might have peaked right there. Freddie Mercury on stage at Live Aid is the summit of rock 'n' roll. For a band some people said was washed up, that was just the most stunning, breathtaking, flawless, powerful, jubilant performance. It was everything you want in rock 'n' roll.
—1980sMTV VJMartha Quinn speaking in July 2015 on the 30th anniversary of Live Aid.[448]
As of 2005, according to theGuinness Book of World Records, Queen albums have spent a total of 1,322 weeks (twenty-six years) on the UK Album Charts, more time than any other act.[449] Also in 2005, with the release of their live album with Paul Rodgers, Queen moved into third place on the list of acts with the most aggregate time spent on the British record charts.[450] In 2022,Greatest Hits was thebest-selling album in UK chart history, and the only album to sell over seven million copies in the UK.[145] As of August 2024, the album has spent over 600 weeks on the USBillboard 200.[149] TheirGreatest Hits II album is the UK's tenth best seller, with sales of 3,746,404 copies.[221][451] Based on record sales,Billboard charts performance, online views and popularity onSpotify, in 2018Business Insider in the US ranked Queen the third most popular rock band of all time, after the Beatles and Led Zeppelin.[452]
Gold and silver discs issued byEMI in 1982 forGreatest Hits (1981). With more than 25 million copies sold it is Queen's best selling album.
The band have released a total of 18 number-one albums, 18 number-one singles, and 10 number-one DVDs worldwide, making them one of the world'sbest-selling music artists. Estimates of their record sales range from 250 million to 300 million worldwide.[443][453][454][455] Inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, the band is the only group in which every member has composed more than one chart-topping single, and all four members were inducted into theSongwriters Hall of Fame in 2003.[456][457] In 2009, "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions" were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame,[458][459] and the latter was voted the world's favourite song in a 2005Sony Ericsson global music poll.[460] The band receivedIvor Novello Awards for Outstanding Contribution to British Music, in 1987, and Outstanding Song Collection, in 2005, from theBritish Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors.[461][462] In recognition of the vocal harmonies of Mercury, May and Taylor, in 2006 Queen were inducted into theVocal Group Hall of Fame.[463] In 2018 they were presented theGrammy Lifetime Achievement Award.[464] In their list for theGlobal Recording Artist of the Year, theIFPI named Queen the sixth best-selling artist worldwide in 2018, and the fifth best-selling artist in 2019, in both cases the most popular act of their contemporaries.[465][466] In January 2020, Queen became the first band to join Elizabeth II on a British coin, with thecommemorative £5 coin, issued by theRoyal Mint, featuring the instruments of all four bandmembers.[467] In July 2020, Queen became the third band (after the Beatles andPink Floyd) to feature on aseries of UK postage stamps issued by theRoyal Mail.[468]
Queen are one of the most bootlegged bands ever, according to Nick Weymouth, who manages the band's official website.[469] A 2001 survey discovered the existence of 12,225 websites dedicated to Queen bootlegs, the highest number for any band.[470] Bootleg recordings have contributed to the band's popularity in certain countries where Western music is censored, such as Iran.[471] In a project calledQueen: The Top 100 Bootlegs, many of these have been made officially available to download for a nominal fee from Queen's website, with profits going to theMercury Phoenix Trust.[469] In 2004, Queen became the first Western rock act to be officially accepted in Iran following the release of theirGreatest Hits album.[472]Rolling Stone ranked Queen at number 52 on its list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time",[473] while ranking Mercury the 18th-greatest singer,[220] and May the twenty-sixth-greatest guitarist.[474]Rolling Stone readers voted Mercury the second-greatest frontman.[475] Queen were named 13th onVH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock list,[476] and in 2010 were ranked 17th on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time list.[477] In 2012,Gigwise readers named Queen the best band of the past 60 years.[478] Eddie Trunk argued that Queen's importance, in common withThin Lizzy andDeep Purple, was "not as fully recognized" in the US because elsewhere they "often played to much bigger crowds in stadium venues".[336] Queen had stopped touring the US in 1982 as their success there had started to wane, but they remained a touring "juggernaut", filling stadiums and arenas internationally in the 1980s until their final tour (with Mercury) in 1986.[344]
Influence
At 10 years old,Thom Yorke ofRadiohead built a homemade guitar in an attempt to emulate Brian May.
Musicians have been saying for decades Queen are in the pantheon of all-time greats. In the countless interviews I have done over the years they have been name checked by numerous superstars. What is most impressive though is the diversity of artists they've influenced. Why Queen were able to cut across such an incredibly wide range of musicians is easy to see – they are one of the most versatile bands that rock has ever had.
— Steve Baltin writing forForbes magazine in January 2019:Queen's Greatest Legacy: Shaping The Last Two Decades Of Pop And Rock Music.[488]
In the early 1970s, Queen helped spur theheavy metal genre's evolution by discarding much of itsblues influence.[30][517] Queen's 1974 song "Stone Cold Crazy" has been cited as a precursor ofspeed metal.[59]Metallica recorded a cover version of "Stone Cold Crazy", which first appeared on theRubáiyát: Elektra's 40th Anniversary album in 1990, and they still performed it live in the 2000s.[518] Swedish guitaristYngwie Malmsteen, a pioneer of "neo-classical metal", listened to Queen as a kid, and spoke of Brian May being "very inventive when it comes to tones and having all those pickup configurations. Brian tends not to stick to just pentatonics, either; he mixes it all up, which is how I like to think, too."[519]Thom Yorke ofRadiohead received his first guitar at 7 years old, encouraged after seeing May in a broadcast of a Queen concert.[520] At 10 years old, Yorke made his own homemade guitar, trying to imitate what May had done with his Red Special, but he was not satisfied with the result.[521] Subsequently, Queen became one of the first influences of his band.[520]
Band members
Current members
Brian May – guitars, vocals, keyboards, bass guitar(1970–present)
Roger Taylor – drums, vocals, percussion, guitars, keyboards, bass guitar(1970–present)
Former members
Freddie Mercury – vocals, piano, keyboards, occasional guitar(1970–1991; his death)
John Deacon – bass guitar, guitars, keyboards, occasional backing vocals(1971–1997)
Long-term Queen + vocalists
Paul Rodgers – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards(2004–2009)
^"Queen Discography". Queen Online.Archived from the original on 26 August 2012. Retrieved28 May 2011.... and in November released Sheer Heart Attack which was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic.
^"Queen Concertography". Queenconcerts.com.Archived from the original on 24 April 2011. Retrieved2 April 2008."Tie Your Mother Down" has been included in all of the band's tours from the summer of 1976 to the most recentReturn of the Champions tour[verify]
^Cunningham, Mark (October 1995)."AN INVITATION TO THE OPERA: Roy Thomas Baker & Gary Langan: The Making Of Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody'".Sound on Sound.Archived from the original on 11 April 2004. Retrieved25 September 2008.There was no stipulation that we wouldn't have any synths, but the statement 'No synths' was printed on the album sleeves because of peoples' lack of intellect in the ears department. Many people couldn't hear the difference between a multitracked guitar and a synthesiser. We would spend four days multi-layering a guitar solo and then some imbecile from the record company would come in and say, 'I like that synth!'
^"Queen's Flashy Rock".The Washington Post. 27 July 1982.Archived from the original on 16 November 2018. Retrieved15 January 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2011
^Lowry, Max (13 July 2008)."The ones that got away".The Guardian. London.Archived from the original on 23 June 2018. Retrieved16 December 2016.
^Henke, James (11 June 1981) "Queen Holds Court in South America"Rolling Stone Retrieved 15 January 2011
^ab"Interview with Brian May".Total Guitar Magazine. December 1998. Archived fromthe original on 29 June 2007.There was all that time when we knew Freddie was on the way out, we kept our heads down.
^abMichaels, Sean (20 March 2008)."We will rock you – again".The Guardian. London.Archived from the original on 9 December 2013. Retrieved16 January 2011.
^abJackson, Laura (2002).Queen: The Definitive Biography. London: Piatkus. p. 2.ISBN978-0-7499-2317-4.
^"BRIT Certified". BPI.Archived from the original on 21 October 2018. Retrieved22 September 2021.Select albums in the Format field. Type Queen in the "Search BPI Awards" field
^abMcLeod, Ken (2013).We are the Champions: The Politics of Sports and Popular Music: The Politics of Sports and Popular Music. Ashgate Publishing. p. 124.
^Sutcliffe. 2015. page 227. Corey Taylor: "The older I got, the more I got into Queen, and I got into the harmonies, which were just unreal ... It was one of those things where you go, 'Man I wish I would've started listening to this earlier.' I think Freddie Mercury was one of the best singers ever lived. I think he would look around at a lot of this stuff today and laugh his ass off 'cause it would be so funny to him. Then again, he'd probably be a god to some of these people because he was such a great frontman, such a good singer, and just incredibly gifted man."
^Sutcliffe. 2015. page 3. Tom Morello: "There is no band remotely like them. There aren't even imitators that come within a hundred city blocks of Queen, and that can be said about very, very few bands. It's one of the few bands in the history of rock music that was actually best in a stadium. And I miss Freddie Mercury very much."
^Sutcliffe, 2015. page 2. Wayne Coyne: "Musically they really are phenomenal. Freddie Mercury was just a beautiful singer, and they all are so great as musicians and have so many great moments where it's like, oh my God, here's a band that didn't hold back."
^Sutcliffe, 2015. page 242. Kid Rock: "I love Queen. The more you listen to Queen, the more you realize, especially if you're a musician, how much of a genius Freddie Mercury was, and Brian May and those guys are."
^"Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins talks about the records that changed his life" (Queen II).Melody Maker. 14 August 1993.
^Sutcliffe, 2015. page 3. Adele: "I love them. I'm the biggest Queen fan ever ... They're the kind of band that's just in your DNA, really. Everyone just knows who they are."
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