Queen

Queen, British rock band whose fusion of heavy metal, glam rock, and camp theatrics made it one of the most popular groups of the 1970s. Although generally dismissed by critics, Queen crafted an elaborate blend of layered guitar work by virtuoso Brian May and overdubbed vocal harmonies enlivened by the flamboyant performance of front man and principal songwriter Freddie Mercury. The members were Mercury, May, bassist John Deacon, and drummer Roger Taylor.

Formation and first successful albums

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Members of two bands composed of university and art-school students combined to form Queen in London in 1971. The group debuted on record with Queen (1973), which was followed by Queen II (1974).

Aided by producer Roy Thomas Baker, Queen shot up the international charts with its third album, Sheer Heart Attack (1974). A Night at the Opera (1975), one of pop music’s most expensive productions, sold even better. Defiantly eschewing the use of synthesizers, the band constructed a sound that was part English music hall, part Led Zeppelin, epitomized by the mock-operatic “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Britain’s top single for nine weeks. The song’s accompanying promotional film helped the music industry recognize its future in video.

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Anthem rockers and Live Aid

Spectacular success followed in 1977 with “We Are the Champions” and “We Will Rock You”—which became ubiquitous anthems at sporting events in Britain and the United States. The Game (1980), featuring “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” and “Another One Bites the Dust,” was Queen’s first number one album in the United States.

Their popularity waned for a period in the 1980s, but a stellar performance at the charity concert Live Aid in 1985 reversed their fortunes commercially. That same year Mercury released a solo album, although he continued to record with Queen.

Death of Freddie Mercury and later band lineup

Mercury died of AIDS in 1991, and the following year the band organized an all-star memorial concert at London’s Wembley Stadium that raised money for Mercury Phoenix Trust, a charity dedicated to raising awareness about AIDS. Queen issued its final album, Made in Heaven, in 1995.

A decade later May and Taylor revived the band, joined by former Bad Company singer Paul Rodgers. (Deacon had essentially retired from performing and recording.) In later years Adam Lambert, of American Idol fame, toured with Queen as its lead singer.

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Honors

Queen was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. Mercury’s life story, Queen’s formation, and the band’s rise to stardom are the topics of the blockbuster film Bohemian Rhapsody (2018). In 2022 the U.S. Library of Congress added “Bohemian Rhapsody” to the National Recording Registry, a list of audio recordings deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

Studio albums

The following is a list of studio albums released by Queen.

• Queen (1973)
• Queen II (1974)
• Sheer Heart Attack (1974)
• A Night at the Opera (1975)
• A Day at the Races (1976)
• News of the World (1977)
• Jazz (1978)
• The Game (1980)
• Flash Gordon (1980)
• Hot Space (1982)
• The Works (1984)
• A Kind of Magic (1986)
• The Miracle (1989)
• Innuendo (1991)
• Made in Heaven (1995)