Queen Biography

Defined by many as the embodiment of the 70s, Queen is the British quartet of prog rock, hard rock, and heavy metal. One of the best bands in the world, the group was led by Freddy Mercury into flamboyancy, humor, opera, and classical arrangements.

Early Formation

The first attempt at a forming a band was made by guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor in 1967. The new band Smile needed a new lead vocalist, so Freddy Mercury joined in 1971 soon followed by bassist John Deacon. They would mainly rehearse and perform at several gigs. Now called Queen, the group released their first self-titled album. Queen II, however, became a surprise English breakthrough in 1974.

British Breakthrough

Seven Seas of Rhye and the performance at the TV Show Top of the Pops was a major success as it got them a top 10 single and the album Queen II peaked at number 5. Thanks to their dramatic and theatrical performances, the album reached number 43 in the US and Queen embarked on their first American tour. Said to be the most expensive made LP at the time, Sheer Heart Attack reached number 2 in the UK album charts. Bohemian Rhapsody the lead single became a signature song, reaching number 1 and breaking the record by staying there for 9 weeks. The album was certified platinum in America after their performance of the song at A Night at the Opera.

Superstars and Decline

Now, they were established as bonified superstars, releasing hit after hit, partying and indulging and working all at the same time. In the next 5 years, all albums would eventually get a platinum or gold certification as a result. Although loved by the public, critics were not impressed with their music as the counterattack of punk was just starting to flourish in the UK. Their most diverse album was released in 1980 as The Game, reaching number 1 in the US. It spawned hits like Crazy Little Thing Called Love and the disco Another One Bites the Dust. Unfortunately, the flourishment of Queen stopped in the 80s with the release of the moderate album Hot Space and the rock-inspired The Works. Radio Ga-Ga was the only hit single of that period.

Live Aid and Reemergence

Understanding that their popularity was not the same, Queen changed labels with Elektra for Capitol and started touring in other continents like Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Their 1985 phenomenal performance at Live Aid put them back on the map in Europe, but no so much in America. The A Kind of Magic record was commercially well received in Europe as well as the 1989 LP The Miracle, followed by the gold-certified 1991 Innuendo. 

The Loss of Freddy

In 1991, the world was shocked to find out Freddy Mercury had been diagnosed with AIDS, finally dying on November 24th, 1991 at just 45 years old. The next year a concert was held at Wembley Stadium in Freddy’s honor, where the remaining 3 members were joined by acts like David Bowie, Elton John, and Guns N’ Roses. Queen reunited in 1995 with the release of Made in Heaven, which contained the vocals of Freddy while on his deathbed. In 2005 a comeback was made with Paul Rodgers as the vocalist as Queen + Paul Rodgers. Rodgers left in 2009 and a number of compilation albums and TV performances were next. Along with Adam Lambert, Queen made a series of concerts in 2012 and 2013, and a full tour in 2014. The archival live album, A Night at the Odeon was released in 2015.

Photo credit: All Music