Queen: A journey through their biggest moments

Beloved band Queen had the classic line up of Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon for many years. In celebration of the legendary music group, we've taken a look at the band who gave us hits such as 'Another One Bites The Dust', 'Don't Stop Me Now' and 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love'.

Morphing from a 70s hard-rocking band fuelled by elements of prog rock, mock-opera and vaudeville; in the 80s, Queen became masters of the pop hits. Fronted by the incomparable Freddie, how could they fail? As the band celebrate five years since the Bohemian Rhapsody film was released, read on for a history of Queen, including their greatest hits and most memorable moments...

What are Queen doing now?

Queen have remained one of the most enduring and beloved bands of all time, and have kept performing after the tragic death of Freddie as Queen + Adam Lambert.

Queen + Adam Lambert have successfully toured for several years and following their 2022 gigs in London they took part in a Q&A session, part of which as been shared on their social channels, when Brian and Roger had to answer a tricky question.

In July 2023, Brian and Roger were awarded with the prestigious BRIT Billion Award, which marks 1 billion career streams in the UK, as calculated by the Official Charts Company.

The band also celebrated five years since the release of the Bohemian Rhapsody film by sharing a side-by-side video. The video showed the music video for 'I Want to Break Free' alongside the scene from the film, showing how accurate the film was in recreating the video.

How did Queen get famous?

With so many of the 70s contemporaries failing to make the grade in the 1980s, Queen were smart and brave enough to alter their sound as they entered the new decade. They’d already flagged their new direction during the closing months of 1979, with the rockabilly-influenced single, ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’, which peaked at Number 2 in the UK singles charts and gave them their first Billboard Number 1 in the US.

While ‘Save Me’ and ‘Play the Game’ both hit the UK Top 20, no one was expecting the Chic-influenced dancefloor smash that was ‘Another One Bites The Dust’, which gave Queen their second US Number 1 single. With Queen on board, pop music was in a very healthy place indeed.

Who wrote Queen's songs?

Queen were in the fortunate position to have been made up of four songwriters. Interestingly, guitarist Brian May was the only member not to have written a UK or US Number 1 hit single on his own, though he did come close with the 1977 UK Number 2, ‘We Will Rock You’. However, his 1980-penned single, ‘Flash’ went to Number 1 in Austria.

In March 2023, Brian was knighted by King Charles at Buckingham Palace. After receiving his knighthood on 14th March 2023 'for services to music and charity work', he is now officially known as Sir Brian Harold May.

Freddie Mercury’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ hit the top slot in the UK in 1975 and on its re-release in 1991, while bassist John Deacon did likewise in the US with ‘Another One Bites The Dust’. Meanwhile, drummer Roger Taylor went to the top in the UK with 1991’s ‘These Are the Days of Our Lives’.

How successful was the song ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’?

‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ has been incredibly successful. Not only has it reached Number 1 in the UK twice, nearly two decades apart, it has now become the most streamed song of the 20th century.

The single, originally released in 1975 has now had over 2 billion streams globally. Speaking to Variety, Brian May, Queen’s guitarist said: "So the River of Rock Music has metamorphosed into streams! Very happy that our music is still flowing to the max!"

The song received further recognition in April 2022, when it was selected for preservation in America’s National Recording Registry. Each year 25 songs which are deemed 'culturally and historically significant' are added.

In statement at the time, they said: 'We are honoured ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ has been inducted into the National Recording Registry Class of 2022!'

To date, the track is certified 4 x Platinum in the UK, and 10 × Platinum in the US - and that's just the digital copy!

WATCH: The iconic music video for ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’

Despite its success, according to Peter Hince, author of Queen Uncovered, and a former Queen roadie for more than a decade told us: "The band were recording (album) 'Night at the Opera' and we were going around all these different studios in London and doing bits in each place, so I was hearing bits and pieces of 'Bohemian Rhapsody', but I didn’t hear the whole thing for quite some time."

He continued: "I remember hearing the opera bit and thinking it’s going to be an introduction tape for the live show - I had no idea it was a song!"

Peter went on to say that he thought the video helped with its success in the UK, explaining: "The video is arguably what helped it become so huge in Britain, and the other thing is that, sadly, Freddie isn’t around anymore and it’s one of his legacies that piece of music so is still something people find very emotional."

Queen: Bohemian Rhapsody film

‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ became even more popular after the release of the film of the same name in 2018. The film follows Freddie Mercury's life, leading to Queen's Live Aid performance at Wembley Stadium in 1985. The film has brought Queen's incredible music to the attention of younger generations.

Bohemian Rhapsody did extremely well during the award season, picking up the Academy Awards for Best Actor (Rami Malek), Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Film Editing, two BAFTA Awards and several other notable awards!

As mentioned above, in October 2023, the film celebrated five years since its release and the band shared a side-by-side video showing the music video for the 'I Want To Break Free' and the recreation of it.

Will there be another Bohemian Rhapsody film?

Although nothing has been officially confirmed, Brian May revealed that there have been discussions about a Bohemian Rhapsody sequel, and he believes one will happen if they find the right script.

"There's truth to the fact that we talk about it,” Brian said. “We'd love it — we'd love to make a sequel. It's finding the right script. It actually took us 12 years to find the right script for the first one, so I guess it's no surprise that it's not easy.

“We don't wanna put it out there or make it unless we're sure that it's gonna work and it's gonna move people in the same way as the original film did. The short answer is we'd love to, and we haven't found a way of doing it yet."

Did Queen get involved in movie soundtracks?

They certainly did. The 1985 fantasy movie Highlander starring Christopher Lambert and Sean Connery provided the basis of Queen’s 1986 album, ‘A Kind Of Magic’. The album sold a staggering 100,000 copies in its first week of release and, along with the title track, housed another three hit singles in the shape of ‘One Vision’, ‘Friends Will Be Friends’ and ‘Who Wants to Live Forever’.

Queen also contributed to the soundtrack of the 1980 sci-fi movie, Flash Gordon. The main theme song, ‘Flash’, was released as a single and went into the Top 10 here.

WATCH: The music video for 'Flash'

Which other artists did Queen collaborate with?

Queen’s most famous collaboration occurred in 1981 with David Bowie on the single ‘Under Pressure’. The single was created after Bowie’s dissatisfaction with his backing vocals on another Queen song. Evolving from a jam session, the song was credited to all four members of Queen, as well as David Bowie.

While it barely scraped into the US Top 30, the UK loyally sent the single to the top of the charts, a feat that was repeated in the Netherlands and Canada.

WATCH: Queen's 'Under Pressure' music video

Did any Queen members have solo careers?

They did, to varying degrees of success. Brian May’s solo efforts wouldn’t take off until the 90s, releasing three albums by the year 2000 - though Roger Taylor released two solo albums, ‘Fun In Space’ and ‘Strange Frontier’, in the 80s.

By far and away the most successful was Freddie Mercury. His first solo effort, ‘I Can Hear Music’, which he recorded under the name Larry Lurex, was released as far back as 1973, and it it didn't trouble the charts. His 80s output made more of an impact. Hit singles included ‘Love Kills’ (1984), a cover of The Platters’ 1955 track, ‘The Great Pretender’ (1986) and his duet with the Spanish operatic soprano Montserrat Caballé, ‘Barcelona’.

Did Queen play Live Aid?

Did they ever! With no disrespect to the other artists on the bill, it’s fair to say that Queen owned Live Aid. Taking to the stage at 6.41pm at Wembley Stadium on 13th July 1985, it took Queen just 24 minutes and six songs to emphatically display why they were in a league of their own.

Launching straight into ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, Queen went straight for the jugular. With a set that included ‘Radio Gaga’, ‘Hammer to Fall’ and ‘We Will Rock You’, Queen delivered an amazing live performance and one that’s still spoken of in breathless tones to this very day. With not a second or note of music wasted, this was maximum entertainment from a band at the top of their game.

When did Freddie Mercury die?

Freddie Mercury sadly passed away aged 45 on the evening of 24th November 1991 from bronchial pneumonia resulting from AIDS.

On 24th November 2021, tributes poured in on what marked 30-years since the singer sadly passed.

Queen + Adam Lambert

In February 2019, Queen announced The Show Must Go On - The Queen + Adam Lambert Story. The two-hour documentary follows 'Queen and Adam Lambert’s incredible journey since they first shared the stage together on ‘American Idol’ in 2009.'

The documentary also includes rare concert footage and exclusive, revealing portraits of the band members off-stage. The programme was released on Netflix on 11th October 2019.

In 2023, Brian May defended Adam Lambert touring with the group, as many fans have criticised the band continuing after Freddie's death. Brian said in an interview with Guitar World: "There are people on Instagram who get annoyed with me: ‘Why are you still carrying on without Freddie?’ And I go, ‘Don’t tell me what to do! I do what I feel that I should be doing.’

"There are people who feel like we shouldn’t even be going on stage without Freddie. But I think that would have been very sad, and it’s not what Freddie would have wanted either. He would have wanted us to continue developing. And of course, because we are continuing and developing, it keeps that legacy alive."

When are Queen on tour?

Queen toured in the UK in 2022, continuing their tour in North America this autumn, where they played 22 headline shows, however they have not announced anymore UK dates. In August 2023, Brian May told our sister station Planet Rock about their future with touring.

Radio presenter Wyatt asked Brian whether their upcoming tours will be their last, to which Brian replied: "Y’know it always feels a bit that way. It’s like, how long can we do this?

"I don't know how long my legs will deal with what I have to do out there, and the hands too. You get problems as you get older, which you don't really want to talk about, but it makes doing what you do that bit harder every time.

"I don’t want people to be thinking about that when they see me doing my stuff because I will be over it – adrenaline will take over and I’ll be able to handle it. But there will come a day when we can't, it ain't gonna work. For the time being, if we can do it we do it."

The only tour dates the band currently have on their website are for Japan in 2024.

Is Queen bringing out new music?

Following their amazing performance at the Platinum Party at the Palace concert, Queen revealed that they had found a 'lost' song recording which includes Freddie Mercury's vocals. The song was captured during recording sessions for their 13th studio album ‘The Miracle’ in 1988 and 1989.

After some editing by their engineers, the group revealed that they planned to release the track, with Roger Taylor commenting that the song is "a very passionate piece", the band later released the track - titled 'Face It Alone' - in October 2022.

Queen release 'Face It Alone'

The release date for the lost song was pushed back to 13th October 2022, and 'Face It Alone' was shared along with a lyric video.

Brian May said of the song: "I’m happy that our team were able to find this track. After all these years, it’s great to hear all four of us...yes, Deacy is there too...working in the studio on a great song idea which never quite got completed...until now!"

Following the release of the track, Queen shared even more exciting news, revealing that there would be an official music video.

The video premiered on 21st October 2022 and includes photos and video montages of all four band members.

Watch 'Face It Alone' by Queen:

Queen's 'The Miracle' reissue

The band reissued their 1989 album 'The Miracle' on 18th November 2022 as an eight-disc edition called 'Queen The Miracle Collector’s Edition'. As well as new track 'Face It Alone' the release included other previously unreleased recordings, six unpublished songs, and clips of the band together in the studio.

30 years since Queen released 'The Show Must Go On'

On 14th October 2021, Queen paid tribute on Twitter to their song 'The Show Must Go On' which is the final track on their 1991 album 'Innuendo'.

They wrote: '"The show must go on..." 🎤 Released 30 Years today - Queen ‘The Show Must Go On’ 🎸 #TBT 👇 https://youtu.be/t99KH0TR-J4 🎥'

Roger Taylor's 'Outsider' Album

Roger Taylor has released his six solo albums during his career, and his latest album 'Outsider' came out on 1st October 2021. The album made it to Number 3 in the UK Album Charts.

Roger posted a video with a snippet of his song 'We're All Just Trying To Get By' which features KT Tunstall, to his Instagram with the caption: 'Happy 1st October - it’s ‘release day’!! #Outsider #Brandnewalbum'.

The drummer started his 14-date 'Outsider' tour on 2nd October 2021, his first solo tour in 20 years, ahead of the Queen tour in 2022.

As a testament to the impact he has made on the music world, Roger Taylor was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire by the Prince of Wales on 30th March 2022.

Roger Taylor dedicates his OBE to Taylor Hawkins

In March 2022, Roger was recognised for his services to music and was awarded an OBE by Prince Charles. In a touching tribute to Foo Fighters drummer the late Taylor Hawkins, who passed away on 25th March 2022, Roger dedicated the award to the fellow drummer.

The pair had been close friends, and Roger explained that he was "completely devastated" by the loss. After receiving his award he said: "My whole family and his whole family were very close. He was, my wife called him, sunshine in human form. He was the most wonderful man and I can’t quite believe that I’m not going to see him again."

Did John Deacon leave Queen?

Just six years after Freddie Mercury sadly died in 1991, John chose to leave Queen as he was so upset over his friend's passing and found it difficult to remain part of the band. He retired from music altogether and has been living a quiet life out of the public eye.

Brian May revealed that since John left, both he and Roger Taylor have reached out a few times to bring him back into Queen. Brain explained: "I don’t think that it would be easy for John to slip back into the arena that we inhabit. In fact, a couple of times we have asked him, but he always says 'that’s not what I do now'. And we have to respect that John doesn’t want to do it."

Did Queen perform at Queen Elizabeth II's Jubilee concert?

In 2002, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her Golden Jubilee and a Party at the Palace concert was held to commemorate the occasion. At the concert, Brian May put on one of the most memorable performances when he played 'God Save The Queen' on the roof of Buckingham Palace to a crowd of 12,000 people.

Watch Brian May play 'God Save The Queen' on the roof of Buckingham Palace:

In 2022, Her Majesty celebrated her Platinum Jubilee, and the celebration included a Platinum Party at the Palace concert which took place on 4th June 2022. Singer George Ezra was the first act to be confirmed, and following on from their previous performance Brian May had hinted that Queen would be performing.

He said: "There is talk of something happening. What can I tell you? We may be there, we may actually be there. Of course, it’s hard to follow standing on the roof of Buckingham Palace but you never know it might be possible."

The news was confirmed when the full line-up was announced on 18th May 2022, and it was revealed that Queen and Adam Lambert would be opening the prestigious show. Brian May commented: "Twenty years after playing the Queen’s glorious Golden Jubilee we’re very happy to be invited again.

"Then there was a moment when I wondered...after Buckingham Palace roof where can you go? Well… you will see!"

Queen and Adam Lambert opened the prestigious show, with 'We Will Rock You' followed by 'Don't Stop Me Now', and 'We Are The Champions'.

Watch Queen and Adam Lambert perform at the Platinum Party at the Palace:

Brian May joined 2023 New Year's Honours list

Brian May received a knighthood for his services to music and charity having previously been appointed a CBE in 2005.

He took to Instagram to share his happiness over the news, in a video he thanked fans saying: "Thank you so much for all your messages of congratulations following the announcement of my knighthood. I'm very thrilled and very touched by the love that's come from you and the support. I will do my very best to be worthy. Thank you and much love, from Sir Bri."

30th anniversary of the Freddie Mercury tribute concert

With the 30th anniversary of the Freddie Mercury tribute concert in 2022, a new mini series was released on YouTube. The series included clips from the concert as well as interviews with some of the acts who joined Queen on stage.

Brian May releases Stereoscopy Is Good For You: Life in 3-D

Brian's book Stereoscopy Is Good For You: Life in 3-D was published in November 2022, and as part of the promotion he announced a book signing event in London. There was also an immersive exhibition about Stereoscopy at The London Stereoscopic Company Shop which fans could visit until March 2023.

Watch Brian May talk about his Stereoscopy exhibition and book:

Brian May's Queen photograph is for sale

Brian May released a selection of his Queen photography through the years in June 2023, as limited edition fine art prints. He's also put some of the amazing photos on display in London.

Brian took his stereo camera with him throughout Queen’s amazing career and captured scenes as part of the band from the 70s up to the present day.

You can hear Queen's hits on the Greatest Hits Radio playlist.

Take a look at Queen's career highlights:

Now read:

Queen: A celebration of the legendary band in pictures

5 of our favourite Queen live performances 🎶

20 fascinating facts about Queen legend Freddie Mercury 🎶

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