Queen is an influential British rock band that formed in London in 1970. The classic line up consisted of vocalist Freddie Mercury, guitarist Brian May, bassist John Deacon, and drummer Roger Taylor.
The band released 15 studio albums via EMI and Parlophone. The final was issued posthumously after Freddie Mercury's death in 1991. While their early releases embraced progressive and heavy rock Queen came to embrace arena rock and even pop. They have collectively sold 300 million records making them one of the world's best selling artists.
The ambition, scope of sound, and virtuosity render comparisons useless when it comes to a band like Queen. Consider Bohemian Rhapsody - a five-minute plus epic that encompasses progressive rock, piano balladry, and operatic vocal stylings - is hardly 'hit' material. Yet it was. More than that, it enlarged the artistic scope of the rock: 'three chords and the truth' might work for some, but Queen showed that it was possible to take the style in myriad directions, all within one song.
Of course, it wasn't the band's only smash. Throughout the '70s and '80s, Queen was a beacon of rock stardom - anthemic tunes, an endless capacity for swagger, and an inspiration for generations of future rock stars.
