Queen and their Musical Legacy

Who Was in Queen?

The members of Queen were vocalist and songwriter Freddy Mercury, guitarists Brian May and Roger Taylor, and drummer John Deacon. The band has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice: first as members of the band Smile in 2002, then as members of Queen in 2009. Freddie Mercury - lead vocals, piano, harpsichord Brian May - lead guitar, acoustic guitar, piano, harmonica, vocals Roger Taylor - drums, percussion, vocals John Deacon - bass guitar

How Many Tours Did Queen Go On?

While the band was together, they completed 9 world tours. The first tour was in 1974 and the last was in 1986 shortly before Mercury’s death. Their first tour was the UK leg of an Australian tour followed by a tour of the UK and Ireland in May. They then went on an extensive European tour before a second UK tour in July and August. The UK tour was in support of their second album “Queen II”.

Musicians That Merged to Form Queen

Roger Taylor and Brian May were both in a band called Smile in the early ‘70s when they met each other at Imperial College London. Freddie Mercury was a student at the Westminster School when he met up with Taylor, May and Deacon and formed a band called Wreckage. Hearing about the existence of this band and the tremendous potential of its members, the two bands merged, and the new band was called Queen.

Formation of Queen and Their First Album

After the merger, the band moved to London, signed a record deal with EMI, and in 1973, released their first album, “Queen”. While the album was a success, it was their second album, “Queen II”, released in 1974, that had the world’s attention. “Killer Queen”, “Now I’m Here”, and “The Procession” were tracks from the album that achieved popularity.

The Success of “Bohemian Rhapsody”

“Bohemian Rhapsody”, released in 1975, is still regarded as one of the greatest songs ever written. It is the band’s most successful single, having been voted the best song ever written in a 2002 poll conducted by the BBC. It also happens to be the only single to ever be awarded the highest-ever music accolade: an Oscar for Best Original Song. The song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002, and it was also given the award for being the “Greatest Song of all Time” as part of a poll conducted by Guinness World Records in 2005. In 2012, the song was also inducted into the Music Modernization Act.

Queens Greatest Hits

Here are the most popular songs by Queen:

- We Will Rock You

- The anthem of the soccer world, We Will Rock You, was released in 1977 and has since become the most-played song in sports stadiums worldwide.

- Another One Bites the Dust - Released in 1980, this song is widely regarded as one of the most successful songs about death and disease ever released.

- Somebody to Love - Released in 1976, this song is one of the most popular songs about longing and unrequited love.

- Under Pressure - Released in 1981 as a collaboration with the band David Bowie, this song has been used in various movies and TV shows.

- We are the Champions - Released in 1977, this song is one of the most popular and enduring sports anthems.

- Bohemian Rhapsody - The 1975 song is one of the most progressive, long, and musically complex songs ever released.

Conclusion

The members of Queen were Freddy Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon. They formed the band in the early 1970s and released their first album in 1973. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, first in 2002 as members of the band Smile and then again in 2009 as members of Queen. Their most popular songs include We Will Rock You, Another One Bites the Dust, Somebody to Love, Under Pressure, We are the Champions, and Bohemian Rhapsody. The band completed 9 world tours between 1974 and 1986.