Queen - music, lyrics, videos... queen-zone.com
Queen is the best music band in the world. At last it was since Freddie Mercury died and John Deacon retired. Queen are an english band, formed by Freddie Mercury, Brian May and Roger Taylor. It was in 1970 and it was the best year for the music ever, maybe since Ravel was born (March 7, 1875).
The following year (1971) bass guitarist John Deacon has joined the band and for some people this year is the correct date to say Queen's beginning. Queen rose to prominence during the 1970s and 1980s, and are arguably world's most successful band of the past thirty years. And please, do not argue with this one - take me as a psycho ;)
The band is noted for their multi-layered arrangements, vocal harmonies, musical diversity and incorporation of audience participation into their live performances. Their 1985 Live Aid co-performance was voted the best live rock performance of all time in an industry poll. It wasn't surprise after all - the next day headlines shouted such like "Queen is the King" or "Queen stolen Live Aid".
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 (especially "Killer Queen" song) and A Night at the Opera (the great "Bohemian Rhapsody") the following year that the band gained international success.
Since 1975, eighteen of the band's albums have reached number one on numerous charts around the world. Since 1973, they have released fifteen studio albums, five live albums, and numerous compilation albums, inluding special rarities albums with backstage recordings. Even in communist Poland (before 1989) Queen was well known.
Following Mercury's death in 1991 and Deacon's retirement later in the decade, Brian May and Regoer Taylor have performed infrequently under the Queen+ (Queen plus somebody) name. Since 2005, they have been collaborating with Paul Rodgers, under the name of Queen+ Paul Rodgers, which has led to Queen recording their first studio album in 13 years. I don't like it, if truth be told.
Queen - the name
I thought up the name Queen. It's just a name, but it's very regal obviously, and it sounds splendid, It's a strong name, very universal and immediate. It had a lot of visual potential and was open to all sorts of interpretations. - Freddie Mercury.
These were the days of their lives...
On 23 November 1991, in a prepared statement made on his deathbed, Mercury finally confirmed that he had AIDS. He died the following day at the age of 45. His funeral service was private, held in accordance with the Zoroastrian religious faith of his family.