Queen - Review

"We are the champions" – A review of Queen. 

Queen is, without a doubt, one of the most influential rock bands in music history. Known for theatrical performances, a larger-than-life stage presence and genre bending sounds, over the decades Queen's unique sound and style has left a lasting impact on rock and pop culture.

Queen formed in London in 1970 and their classic line up was made up of the legendary lead vocalist and pianist Freddie Mercury, Brian May, lead guitarist and vocalist, Roger Taylor, drummer and vocalist, and John Deacon, bass guitarist. In the early days of the band, they were heavily influenced by prog rock, hard rock and heavy metal, but over time they started to incorporate other styles, such as arena and pop rock, into their music, getting them more airtime on radio.

In 1973, Queen released their self-titled debut album, but it was 1975 that changed everything. A Night at the Opera is considered Queen's magnum opus, featuring the incredible Bohemian Rhapsody and blending rock, opera and pop in incredibly groundbreaking ways. The album also featured the hit "You're my best friend" and the epic "The Prophet's Song", making it a diverse and interesting album, but it was of course the incredible Bohemian Rhapsody which topped the charts worldwide.

In 1985, one of the greatest live performances in music history occurred – Live Aid. Bowie, U2, Dire Straits and of course, Queen, were just some of the acts that performed. Over the course of twenty one minutes, and in front of a huge live audience and around 1.9 billion people watching on TV, Freddie Mercury in particular made the world fall in love with him and Queen's music, as he danced and thrusted across the stage, winked and blew kisses at the audience, and delivered one of, if not the best, vocal performances of all time. Even Brian May commented later that "The rest of us played okay, but Freddie was out there and took it to another level". This was a performance like no other, and one that is still available to watch today – if you've never seen it, stop reading and go watch it immediately.

Queen was one of the biggest bands in the world, and Freddie Mercury was one of the most popular front men of all time, yet tragically, this couldn't continue forever. On the 24^th November 1991, Freddie Mercury passed away from bronchial pneumonia, a complication from AIDS, just one day after announcing to the public that he had the disease. Although he had been diagnosed in 1987, he had chosen to keep his condition private, and he even continued performing until his death aged just 45. There was so much stigma around the illness at the time, and he decided to keep his condition private to protect those he loved from the additional media scrutiny.

Of course, Freddie Mercury has left an enduring legacy, and his passing did not mean the end of Queen.  Even as recently as 2024, Queen was touring with their guest vocalist, Adam Lambert, helping to keep the music and legacy of the band alive. Whilst future tours are unlikely given the age and health of the remaining band members, they haven't ruled out smaller shows in future – so if, like me, you've never had the joy of seeing the band live, there is still hope.

There's never been a band like Queen, and there never will be again. The theatrics, experimentation and unforgettable nature of their music has ensured that they will forever be regarded as icons in the rock world. To this day, they continue to influence artists and captivate fans around the world – and I'm sure they always will.

Written by Tam Page

Posted by Mr. Tomney

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