Queen are an English rock band, formed in 1970 in London by Brian May, Freddie Mercury and Roger Taylor, with John Deacon joining the following year. Queen rose to prominence during the 1970s and were Britain's most successful band of the past three decades. The band are noted for their musical diversity, multi-layered arrangements, vocal harmonies and incorporation of audience participation into their live performances. They are regarded as one of the most accomplished rock acts on stage. Queen had moderate success in the early 1970s, with the albums Queen and Queen II, but it was with the release of Sheer Heart Attack in 1974 that the band gained international success. From that album onwards, all of the band's studio albums reached number one on numerous charts around the world. Since 1973, they have released fifteen studio albums, five live albums and numerous compilation albums and have sold more than 300 million records worldwide.

Following Mercury's death and Deacon's retirement in the 1990s, May and Taylor are currently collaborating with Paul Rodgers, under the moniker Queen + Paul Rodgers.

Early days (1969-1973)

In 1969, at the time a student at London's Imperial College, guitarist Brian May and bassist Tim Staffell formed a group when May placed an advertisement on the college notice board for a "Mitch Mitchell type" drummer. Roger Taylor, a young dental student, auditioned and got the job, being the only drummer to answer the advert. They called the group 'Smile' and served as a support act for bands such as Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Yes and the original Genesis. Smile were signed to Mercury Records in 1969 and had their first experience of a recording studio in Trident Studios that year. Staffell was attending Ealing Art College with Farrokh Bulsara, later known as Freddie Mercury and introduced him to the band. Bulsara soon became a keen fan. When Staffell left Smile in 1970 to join another band, Humpy Bong, Smile effectively disbanded. Bulsara persuaded May and Taylor to continue, changing the band's name from "Smile" to "Queen" in the process. The band had a number of bass players during this period that did not fit with the band's chemistry. It was not until February 1971 that they settled on John Deacon and began to rehearse for the first album.

The band had been playing the club/college circuit in and around London for almost two years when they were given opportunity to test out De Lane Lea Studios' new recording facilities to put together a fairly polished demo tape of five songs: "Keep Yourself Alive", "The Night Comes Down", "Great King Rat", "Jesus" and "Liar". Despite its quality, no record company would take them on, except for a low bid from Chrysalis Records, which they used to try to entice other companies. They were finally taken aboard in 1972 by Norman and Barry Sheffield, who were setting up Trident Studios, but they were allowed to record only during the studio's downtime. The downtime arrangement lasted from June to November 1972. In 1973, after much delay, Queen released their first album, a self-titled project. The album was received well by critics. Gordon Fletcher of Rolling Stone said "their debut album is superb" and Chicago's Daily Herald called it an "above average debut". However, it drew little mainstream attention and the lead single "Keep Yourself Alive", a Brian May composition, sold poorly. The album was influenced by the heavy metal and progressive rock of the day.

The album Queen II was released in 1974. The album reached No.5 on the British album charts, while the Freddie Mercury-written lead single "Seven Seas of Rhye", reached No.10 in the UK, giving the band their first hit. The album is their heaviest and darkest release, with long complex instrumental passages, fantasy themed lyrics and showcased the band's virtuosity. The band toured as support to Mott the Hoople in the United States during this period and they began to gain notice for their energetic and engaging stage shows. However, album sales in the United States were, like its predecessor, low.

Breakthrough era (1974–1979)

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Work on the band's third album, Sheer Heart Attack, started without May due to medical complications and was recorded and released in 1974. Considered by many fans as the band's first true classic, the album reached No.1 in the UK, sold well throughout Europe and went gold in the US, giving the band their first real taste of commercial success. The album experimented with a wide variety of musical genres, including British Music Hall ("Killer Queen"), heavy metal ("Flick of the Wrist", "Now I'm Here" and "Stone Cold Crazy" - a song which Metallica would later cover and earn a Grammy for), hard rock ("Brighton Rock", "Tenement Funster"), ballads ("Lily Of The Valley" and "Dear Friends"), ragtime ("Bring Back That Leroy Brown", and Caribbean ("Misfire"). At this point Queen started to move away from the progressive tendencies of their first two releases into a more radio-friendly, song-oriented vein. The single "Killer Queen" reached number two on the British charts and became their first US hit, reaching No.12 on The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits. It combined camp, vaudeville, British music hall with May's guitar virtuosity. The album's second single, "Now I'm Here", a more traditional hard rock composition, was a No.11 hit in Britain.

In 1975, the band left for a world tour with each member clad resplendently in Zandra Rhodes created costumes and banks of lights and effects. They toured the US on their first headlining tour and their first Canadian dates during April with support act Kansas. Also at this time, the band's manager Jim Beach negotiated the band out of their Trident contract, leaving the band without a manager. They had a number of options, one of which was Led Zeppelin's manager, Peter Grant. Grant wanted them to sign with Led Zeppelin's own production company, Swan Song Records. As this was unacceptable to Queen, they contacted John Reid, Elton John's manager, who accepted the position. April of 1975 saw the band tour Japan for the first time, causing nation wide hysteria.

Later that year the band recorded and released A Night at the Opera. At the time, it was the most expensive album ever produced. Like its predecessor, the album features diverse musical styles and experimentation with stereo sound. In "The Prophet's Song", an eight-minute epic, the middle section is simple phrases layered to create a full-choral sound. The album was a smash in Britain and went three times platinum in the United States. It is considered one of their finest works and in 2003, the album was ranked No.230 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. The album also featured the worldwide hit single "Bohemian Rhapsody" which was No.1 in the United Kingdom for nine weeks and is Britain's third best selling single of all time, it also reached No.9 in the United States. The second single from the album, "You're My Best Friend", peaked at sixteen in the US and went on to become a worldwide Top Ten hit.

By 1976, Queen were back in the studio, where they recorded A Day at the Races, which is sometimes mistaken simply as a companion album to A Night at the Opera. It again borrowed the name of a Marx Brothers' movie and its cover was similar to that of A Night at the Opera, a variation on the same Queen Crest. Musically, the album was by both fans' and critics' standards a strong effort and reached No.1 in the British charts. The major hit on the album was "Somebody to Love", a gospel-inspired song in which Mercury, May and Taylor multi-tracked their voices to make a 100-voice gospel choir. The song went to No.2 in the UK and No.13 in the US singles chart. During this same year Queen played one of their most famous gigs, a 1976 concert in Hyde Park, London. It set an attendance record, with 150,000 people confirmed to be in attendance. The actual number in attendance is thought to be closer to 180,000 and is usually stated as between 150,000 and 200,000. By comparison, the 2005 London Live 8 concert, which featured a number of the world's highest-drawing acts (including The Who, U2, Madonna, Elton John, Robbie Williams and a reunited Pink Floyd) drew about 150,000.

In 1977 News of the World was released, an album that was critically panned at the time but has since gained recognition as being one of the stand-out hard rock albums of the late 1970s, as well as being one of the albums most influential in creating stadium rock. This album had many songs that were tailor-made to be performed live, including "We Will Rock You" and the rock ballad "We Are the Champions", both of which reached No.4 in the US and both of which would become enduring, international sports anthems. In 1978 the band released Jazz, including the hit singles "Fat Bottomed Girls" and "Bicycle Race", which were also released as a double-A-side single. Although the word 'Jazz' was not used in the strict sense of the term, the album was targeted by critics for its collection of different styles, jazz not being one of them. Ironically, Rolling Stone criticized it for being "dull", continuing to say "Queen hasn't the imagination to play jazz — Queen hasn't the imagination, for that matter, to play rock & roll". The album cover was inspired by a painting on the Berlin Wall. Important tracks of the album were "Dead on Time", "Don't Stop Me Now", "Let Me Entertain You" and "Mustapha", an Arabesque-sounding song by Mercury, combined with heavy rock guitar. In 1979 the band did not release a studio album, instead focusing on a new album to come out in 1980. They did, however, release their very first live album. Entitled Live Killers, it went platinum twice in the US. They also released the very successful single, "Crazy Little Thing Called Love", a rockabilly song done in the style of Elvis Presley; the single made the top 10 in many countries and was the band's first number one single in the United States.

New sound and the introduction of synthesizers (1980–1989)

Queen began the 1980s with the commercially successful album, The Game, which turned out to be their highest-selling album. The album featured the singles "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" and "Another One Bites the Dust", both of which reached No.1 in the United States. The album stayed No.1 for four weeks in the US and went four times platinum. It was also the only album to ever top the Billboard rock, dance and R&B charts simultaneously. The album also marked the first appearance of a synthesizer on a Queen album and included two popular ballads, "Play the Game" and "Save Me", the latter of which became a fan favourite and concert staple. 1980 also saw the release of the soundtrack Queen had recorded for Flash Gordon. The album sold poorly, reaching No.10 in the UK.

In 1981, Queen collaborated with another artist for the first time, David Bowie, on the single "Under Pressure". The collaboration was spontaneous, when Bowie happened to drop by the studio while Queen were recording. While the band were immediately pleased with the results, Bowie did not begin playing it during his concerts until years later. Upon its release, the song was extremely successful, reaching No.1 in Britain. The bass riff was later used for Vanilla Ice's 1990 hit, "Ice Ice Baby", prompting a successful lawsuit over the use of the sample. Queen released their first compilation album, titled Greatest Hits, which showcased the group's rock highlights from 1974-1981. It was highly successful and as of 2007, it remains the United Kingdom's best selling album of all time. In 1982 the band released the funk album Hot Space. After working solidly for over ten years, Queen decided that they would not perform any live shows in 1983. During this time, they recorded the album The Works and several members of the band explored side projects and solo work.

In 1984, Queen released the album The Works, which included the successful singles "Radio Ga Ga" and "I Want to Break Free". Despite these hit singles, the album failed to do well in the US. In late 1984, Queen embarked on a set of dates in Bophuthatswana, South Africa at the arena at Sun City. Upon returning to England they were the subject of outrage, having played there during the height of apartheid. In response, the band stated that they were playing music for people who wanted to hear it and stressed that the concerts were played before integrated audiences. In 1985, the band played a performance at Live Aid, held at Wembley on July 13, 1985, Queen performed some of their greatest hits which was considered to be their best performance to date. Revitalised by the response to Live Aid and the resulting increase in record sales, Queen ended 1985 by releasing the single "One Vision". In early 1986, Queen recorded the album A Kind of Magic, containing several songs written for the Russell Mulcahy film Highlander, which was released that year. This album was very successful, producing a string of hits including the title track "Kind of Magic", "Friends Will Be Friends", "Who Wants to Live Forever" and "Princes of the Universe". Later that year, Queen went on a sold-out tour, known as "The Magic Tour", in support of A Kind of Magic. The tour's highlight was at Wembley Stadium in London and resulted in the live double album, Queen Live At Wembley Stadium, released both on CD and as a live concert film on VHS and DVD. They could not book Wembley for a third night because it was already booked but they managed to secure Knebworth Park. It sold out within two hours and over 120,000 fans packed the park for what turned out to be Queen's final live performance with Mercury. Ultimately, the Magic Tour was the largest tour Queen had ever played. A total of more than 1 million people saw the show, with 400,000 for the United Kingdom alone, which was the record at the time.

Mercury's death and the final albums (1990–1997)

Beginning in the late 1980s, rumours started spreading in the tabloid press and elsewhere that Mercury was suffering from AIDS. Although the rumours turned out to be true, Mercury flatly denied them at the time. However, the band decided to keep making albums free of conflict and differences; starting with The Miracle and continuing with 1991's Innuendo. Although his health was deteriorating, Mercury continued to contribute, working in a creative fervor. Highlights of Innuendo were the epic title track, the hard-rocking powerhouse "Headlong", the quirky, synthesizer-heavy, pop-styled "I'm Going Slightly Mad" and the reflective anthems "The Show Must Go On" and "These Are the Days of Our Lives". The band later released their second greatest hits compilation, Greatest Hits II. On 23 November 1991, in a prepared statement made on his deathbed, Mercury finally confirmed that he had AIDS. Within twenty-four hours of the announcement, Mercury died at the age of forty-five. His funeral services were private, held in accordance with the Zoroastrian religious faith of his family. "Bohemian Rhapsody" was re-released shortly after Mercury's death, along with "These Are the Days of Our Lives". Initial proceeds from the single – approximately £1,000,000 – were donated to the Terrence Higgins Trust.

On 20 April 1992, the public shared in the mourning of Mercury's passing at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, held at London's Wembley Stadium in Mercury's honor. Musicians including Tony Iommi (of Black Sabbath), Robert Plant (of Led Zeppelin), Annie Lennox, James Hetfield, Axl Rose (of Guns N' Roses), Extreme, Roger Daltrey (of The Who), Def Leppard, Elton John, George Michael, David Bowie, Mick Ronson, Metallica and Liza Minnelli, along with the three remaining members of Queen, performed many of Queen's major hits. It was a successful concert that was televised to over 1 billion viewers worldwide. The concert is in The Guinness Book of Records as "The largest rock star benefit concert" and raised over £20,000,000 for AIDS charities.

Queen never actually disbanded, although their last album of original material (not including compilations) was released in 1995, titled Made in Heaven, released four years after Mercury's death. It was constructed from Mercury's final recording sessions in 1991, plus material left over from their previous studio albums; in addition, re-worked material from Mercury's solo album Mr. Bad Guy and a track originally featured on the first album of Taylor's side-project, The Cross, were included. May and Taylor have often been involved in projects related to raising money for AIDS research and promoting its support. John Deacon's last involvement with the band was in 1997, when he recorded the track "No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young)" with the other two members. It was the last original song recorded by all three remaining members of Queen, and it was released as a bonus track on the Queen Rocks compilation album later that year.

In film and television

Queen contributed music directly to the movies Flash Gordon (1980, directed by Mike Hodges) and Highlander (the original 1986 film, directed by Russell Mulcahy). The theme song, "Princes of the Universe", was also used in the Highlander TV series (1992–1998).

"Bohemian Rhapsody" was re-released as a single in 1991 after appearing in Wayne's World. The single subsequently reached No.2 on the United States Billboard chart (with "The Show Must Go On" as the first track on the single) and helped rekindle the band's popularity in North America.

Several films have featured their songs performed by other artists. A cover of "Somebody to Love" by Anne Hathaway featured in the 2004 film Ella Enchanted. In 2006, Brittany Murphy also recorded a cover of the same song for the 2006 movie Happy Feet. In 2001, a version of "The Show Must Go On" was performed by Jim Broadbent and Nicole Kidman in the movie musical Moulin Rouge!. The closing credits of A Knight's Tale released in 2001 has a version of "We Are The Champions" performed by Robbie Williams.

Many other films have featured their songs or sections of their songs. These include:

• FM
• Iron Eagle
• National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon
• The Break-up
• Small Soldiers
• Son in Law
• Encino Man
• Stepmom
• High Fidelity
• Super Size Me
• The Girl Next Door
• Revenge of the Nerds
• The Mighty Ducks
• How High
• Happy Feet
• Chicken Little
• Cheaper By The Dozen 2
• Grosse Pointe Blank
• Blackball
• Shaun of the Dead
• Blades of Glory

"Killer Queen"

"Bohemian Rhapsody"

"Somebody to Love"

"We Will Rock You"

"We Are the Champions"

"Bicycle Race"

"Another One Bites the Dust"

"Crazy Little Thing Called Love"

"Flash's Theme"

"Under Pressure"

"Radio Ga Ga" live at Live Aid

"I Want to Break Free"

"Kind of Magic" live at Wembley

"I Want It All"

"Show Must Go On"

"Made In Heaven"