Queen

Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1970 by Freddie Mercury (lead vocals, piano), Brian May (guitar, vocals), and Roger Taylor (drums, vocals), later joined by John Deacon (bass). Their early music was influenced by progressive rock, hard rock, and heavy metal, but the band gradually incorporated more mainstream styles, including arena rock and pop rock.

Before Queen, May and Taylor played together in the band Smile. Mercury, a fan of Smile, encouraged them to experiment with stage and recording techniques and joined in 1970, suggesting the name "Queen". Deacon joined in February 1971, prior to the release of their self-titled debut album in 1973. Queen first charted in the UK with their second album, "Queen II", in 1974. Later that year, "Sheer Heart Attack" and the 1975 album "A Night at the Opera" brought international recognition, the latter featuring "Bohemian Rhapsody", which topped the UK singles chart for nine weeks and helped popularise the music video format. Their 1977 album "News of the World" included "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions", songs that have become widely used anthems at sporting events. By the early 1980s, Queen were one of the largest stadium rock bands in the world. "Another One Bites the Dust" from "The Game" (1980) became their best-selling single, and the 1981 compilation album "Greatest Hits" is the best-selling album in the UK and has been certified 9× Platinum in the United States. Their 1985 performance at Live Aid is regarded as one of the greatest in rock history. Mercury’s final performance with Queen occurred at Knebworth in August 1986.

Mercury was diagnosed with AIDS in 1987. Queen released two further albums, "The Miracle" in 1989 and "Innuendo" in 1991. On 23 November 1991, Mercury publicly revealed his AIDS diagnosis and died the following day from bronchopneumonia, a complication of the disease. A final album featuring his vocals, "Made in Heaven", was released in 1995. Deacon retired in 1997, while May and Taylor continued to perform together. Since 2004, they have toured under the name "Queen +" with vocalists Paul Rodgers until 2009 and Adam Lambert from 2011.

Queen have remained a global presence in popular culture for more than fifty years. Their estimated record sales range from 250 million to 300 million, making them one of the best-selling music artists worldwide. They received the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music in 1990 and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. All four members were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003. In 2005, the band received the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Song Collection, and in 2018 they were presented with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Queen were awarded the Polar Music Prize in 2025.

Studio albums
Queen (1973)
Queen II (1974)
Sheer Heart Attack (1974)
A Night at the Opera (1975)
A Day at the Races (1976)
News of the World (1977)
Jazz (1978)
The Game (1980)
Flash Gordon (1980)
Hot Space (1982)
The Works (1984)
A Kind of Magic (1986)
The Miracle (1989)
Innuendo (1991)
Made in Heaven (1995)