The band ‘Queen’ was formed by guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor who had previously played in a band together. They were joined in 1971 by singer Freddie Mercury and bassist John Deacon. Their first album, Queen, was released in 1973. The band worked hard to create their own sound and were one of the first to experiment with new and advanced recording techniques, giving the music an almost orchestral sound. All four members of the band were songwriters and their long list of hits include — Bohemian Rhapsody, We Will Rock You, We Are the Champions, Another One Bites the Dust and many others.

One reason for the bands huge success was their advanced musical skills. Freddie Mercury played piano but is chiefly remembered for his incredible voice with a range covering an amazing 5 octaves, moving effortlessly from low bass notes to high falsetto. Brian May is a virtuosic guitarist with a great technique, famous for his guitar solos.

The style of Queen’s music is often described as stadium rock . With ever powerful sound systems of the 70s and 80s, bands were able to play in huge venues such as football stadiums to audiences of over 100 000. Large drum kits were used and mounted on special platforms, stage effects, such as dry ice and fireworks and complex lighting all added to the theatrical nature of live shows and Queen were at the forefront of this. Add to this the flamboyantly glamourous clothes (hence the nickname ‘glam rock’) and it is clear why Queen are still regarded as one of the worlds greatest ever bands. As Lady Gaga, whose name was inspired by the Queen song ‘Radio Gaga’ said:

‘I adored Freddie Mercury. Freddie was unique—one of the biggest personalities in the whole of pop music. He was not only a singer but a fantastic performer, a man of the theatre and someone who constantly transformed himself. In short: a genius’

Released in 1974, ‘Killer Queen’, from the album Sheer Heart Attack, was the first of Queen’s songs to become popular, reaching number 2 in the UK charts. It has a lighter sound than their previous songs, which may have something to do with the fact that May was in hospital when Mercury was composing it.