QUEEN

The rock group Queen blended pure pop, hard rock, and quasi-classical arrangements to make some of the cleverest popular music of the 1970s and 1980s. Their flamboyant frontman, Freddie Mercury, had a keen sense of the dramatic, and his onstage theatrics were solidly backed up by the band’s inventive musicianship. A combination of well-crafted albums and dynamic live presentation made them rock superstars.

The group was formed in 1970, and consisted of vocalist Mercury (b. Frederick Bulsara, September 1946; d. November 1991), guitarist Brian May (b. July 1947), and drummer Roger Taylor (b. July 1949). Bassist John Deacon (b. August 1951) joined in early 1971. Queen signed with EMI in late 1972 and, after appearing in several showcase gigs, their breakthrough finally came when their song “Seven Seas of Rhye” reached the Top 10 in 1974.

The early to mid-1970s saw the band with a foot in both the glam rock and the heavy metal genres, but in 1975, the multilayered “Bohemian Rhapsody” set Queen apart from the less imaginative practitioners of both styles. The single made a massive impact on the charts, staying there for nine weeks—the longest-running British No. 1 hit for 18 years. An innovative song lasting close to seven minutes, it moved swiftly from Mercury accompanying himself on piano, through a frenzied guitar cadenza, to all four members of the group singing in an operatic style. It took the band three weeks to record. The close vocal harmonies of this record became one of the strongest features of Queen’s subsequent recordings. The success of “Bohemian Rhapsody” was greatly helped by a promotional video that used innovative film techniques. The single was featured on the album, A Night at the Opera, which was one of the most expensive albums ever made and quickly settled at No. 1 in the British charts, hitting the U.S. Top 5 soon after.

In the late 1970s, Queen subtly adjusted their style to take account of changing tastes in mainstream rock. They proved expert at creating crowd-pleasing and long lasting anthems such as “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champions“—popular songs for the burgeoning stadium-rock circuit. The final month of 1979 saw Queen achieve their first U.S. No. 1 hit with “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” a useful springboard into the 1980s. The next decade proved as eventful for the group as the 1970s. In 1980, The Game topped the album charts in the U.S., and Queen made a foray into soundtrack work, recording the music for the film Flash Gordon. Although a critical failure, the music blends well with the film itself. A year later, Queen’s Greatest Hits had one of the longest chart runs in Britain.

During the 1980s, the band’s output slowed as various members pursued individual projects. However, their popularity was unaffected and in 1991, Queen’s last album, Intuition, entered the British charts at No. 1. This album was a remarkable achievement as Mercury was by this time very ill. November of that year saw Queen build on their success in the U.S., where the album Classic Queen reached No. 4. Sadly, having finally achieved superstardom in America, Mercury died from an AIDS-related illness later that month, after a two-year battle with the disease.

In April of 1992, a concert was held at Wembley Stadium and broadcast to 70 countries to commemorate Mercury’s life and music.

Queen were among the most professional of rock bands, ceaselessly seeking perfection in the production and performance of their music. They were at the forefront of an era when rock music was becoming more business-like and technologically advanced, but their innate wit ensured that the music always had a human element. As an example of how to play heavy rock with a light touch, Queen were unequalled.

Graham McColl

FURTHER READING

Hodkinson, Mark. Queen: The Early Years (New York: Omnibus Press, 1995);

Hogan, Peter. The Complete Guide to the Music of Queen (New York: Omnibus Press, 1994).

SUGGESTED LISTENING

Classic Queen; A Night at the Opera; Queen ’s Greatest Hits; Sheer Heart Attack