Queen (music group)
Queen is a renowned British rock band that gained immense popularity in the 1970s and 1980s, known for their innovative blend of progressive rock and glam pop. The band was formed in 1970 by guitarist Brian May, drummer Roger Taylor, and lead singer Freddie Mercury, who was known for his remarkable vocal prowess and charismatic stage presence. Their debut album, "Queen," was released in 1973, but it was the follow-up album "Queen II" and the single "Seven Seas of Rhye" that propelled them into the spotlight. Queen's iconic track "Bohemian Rhapsody" from the 1975 album "A Night at the Opera" became their signature song, achieving unprecedented chart success.
Throughout their career, Queen produced numerous hits and dynamic albums, including "A Day at the Races," "The Game," and collaborations like "Under Pressure" with David Bowie. Following Mercury's death from AIDS-related complications in 1991, the band continued to perform and record, releasing posthumous albums featuring his vocals. In the years since, Queen has embraced various collaborations, notably with singer Adam Lambert, and remains a significant presence in the music world, celebrated for their enduring legacy and influence.
Queen (music group)
Queen is a British musical group that peaked in popularity during the 1970s and 1980s. The band quickly became known for its progressive rock and heavy metal sound, which evolved into a more glam pop rock that garnered legions of fans worldwide. Queen's front man, Freddy Mercury, was known for his impressive vocals and flamboyant stage persona. Mercury died the day after he announced that he had AIDS in 1991. Afterward, the band occasionally worked on several projects with other singers and toured. Queen also continued to release albums featuring Mercury's vocals.
Origins
Guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor performed together in the British band Smile in the late 1960s. The group dissolved when Smile's lead singer, Tim Staffell, decided to leave the band in 1971. May and Taylor formed a new band with singer Freddie Mercury, who had fronted the band Wreckage during this time. However, for the next two years, the band members concentrated on finishing college and rehearsed only occasionally in their spare time, putting on a few performances throughout London. In time, they became serious about their music career, and the band released its debut album Queen in 1973. The band toured the United Kingdom in support of the album, which featured a heavy metal sound. However, the album was not successful.
Prior to the release of its second album, Queen II, in 1974, the band released the single "Seven Seas of Rhye," which became a United Kingdom top-ten hit and rocketed the virtually unknown band to stardom. The album peaked at number five on the United Kingdom charts, and the band began its first American tour. Queen's third album, Sheer Heart Attack, came in late 1974. The single "Killer Queen" quickly became a hit, garnering an American audience for the band. Queen continued its frenzied pace, releasing A Night at the Opera in 1975. The single "Bohemian Rhapsody," which featured an excessive operatic structure with a heavy metal presence, further cemented Queen's fame. The single became the band's signature hit, spending nine weeks at the top of the charts in England—the longest run at the time. The album and single found similar success across the sea in America and reached platinum status.
Continued Success
Queen reached superstar status but continued to rapidly release new material. In 1976, the band released the single "Somebody to Love," which also became a top hit. The same year, Queen released the album A Day at the Races to similar acclaim. A Day at the Races hit number one in the United Kingdom and number five in the United States. The band's next few albums spawned numerous hits, including the widely popular anthems "We Are the Champions"/"We Will Rock You" and "Fat Bottomed Girls"/"Bicycle Race," and the albums themselves hit gold and platinum status.
Queen continued its success into the 1980s with The Game (1980), which featured the songs "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" and "Another One Bites the Dust." The album hit number one in the United States. Singer David Bowie joined the band for the 1981 single "Under Pressure," which hit number one in the United Kingdom—the first song to reach the top spot there since "Bohemian Rhapsody." Queen released Hot Space (1982) and The Works (1984), but neither received the same success as Queen's previous albums.
Decline and Death
During the mid-1980s, the band saw its popularity wane in the United Kingdom and the United States, so it began to tour foreign markets to grow its worldwide fan base. Queen regained some popularity in the United Kingdom in 1985 when it performed at Live Aid. The band found moderate success with the 1986 album A Kind of Magic, but its decline continued over the next few years. Queen's release The Miracle (1989) saw a similar fate.
The band rebounded with the 1991 album Innuendo, which reached gold status in the United States. Around this time, however, Queen was making fewer public performances, leading to rumors about Mercury's health. On November 23, 1991, Mercury publicly confirmed that he was suffering from AIDs. He died the next day at the age of forty-five. Early the next year, the remaining band members held a memorial concert, which featured artists such as David Bowie, Elton John, Annie Lennox and the bands Def Leppard and Guns N' Roses. The proceeds from the concert established the Mercury Phoenix Trust for AIDS awareness. Around the same time, Queen's signature hit "Bohemian Rhapsody" saw renewed popularity after it was featured in the 1992 movie Wayne's World. The song again topped the charts in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Regrouping
After Mercury's death, Queen did not disband, but the band members worked on other projects. May focused on a solo career, and Taylor resumed his relationship with the band Cross, which he had played with since the late 1980s. Deacon retired in the early 1990s, but the trio regrouped in 1994 to record music for vocals Mercury had recorded before his death. The 1995 album Made in Heaven was the result. It saw some success, especially in Europe. Queen's remaining band members continued to release archival live recordings and compilations into the 2000s.
In 2005, Queen reappeared as Queen + Paul Rodgers, which featured May, Taylor, and former Free and Bad Company singer Rodgers. The new band played several live shows and released The Cosmos Rocks in 2008 to mixed reviews and sales. The band dissolved in 2009.
May and Taylor continued to perform as Queen and released the compilation album Absolute Greatest in 2009. The same year, the duo joined American Idol (American reality television competition) runner-up Adam Lambert to perform on the show. Reissues of Queen's older albums followed as did further performances with Lambert, who continued to sing and tour with the band as of late 2015. Queen released the compilation Queen Forever (2014), which included remastered old hits and unreleased material from Mercury. The band then released A Night at the Odeon – Hammersmith 1975 (2015), its live 1975 Christmas Eve performance at London's Hammersmith Odeon.
Bibliography
Gilmore, Mikal. "Queen's Tragic Rhapsody." Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone. 7 July 2014. Web. 29 Nov. 2015. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/queens-tragic-rhapsody-20140707
"Queen." AllMusic. All Media Network, LLC. Web. 29 Nov. 2015. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/queen-mn0000858827/biography
"Queen: Biography. Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone. Web. 29 Nov. 2015. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/queen/biography