Queen (band)

Queen are a British rock band that started in London in 1970. The original members were Freddie Mercury (lead vocals, piano), Brian May (guitar, vocals), and Roger Taylor (drums, vocals). John Deacon (bass) joined later. At first, their music drew from progressive rock, hard rock, and heavy metal, but over time they moved toward more accessible, radio-friendly sounds like arena rock and pop rock. Before Queen, May and Taylor played together in a band called Smile. Mercury was a fan of Smile and pushed them to try more elaborate stage shows and recording methods. He joined in 1970 and came up with the name "Queen." Deacon was brought in during February 1971, and the band released their first album, *Queen*, in 1973. Their second album, *Queen II*, gave them their first UK chart success in 1974. Later that year, *Sheer Heart Attack* and then *A Night at the Opera* in 1975 made them international stars. That album included "Bohemian Rhapsody," which stayed at number one on the UK singles chart for nine weeks and helped make music videos popular. The 1977 album *News of the World* had "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions," songs that became anthems at sports events. By the early 1980s, Queen were one of the biggest stadium rock acts in the world. "Another One Bites the Dust," from *The Game* (1980), became their best-selling single. Their 1981 compilation *Greatest Hits* is the best-selling album in the UK and has been certified 9× Platinum in the US. Their 1985 Live Aid performance is often called one of the greatest in rock history. Mercury’s last show with Queen was at Knebworth, England, in August 1986. Mercury was diagnosed with AIDS in 1987. The band released two more albums: *The Miracle* in 1989 and *Innuendo* in 1991. On 23 November 1991, Mercury publicly announced he had AIDS, and he died the next day from bronchopneumonia, a complication of the disease. Another album with his vocals, *Made in Heaven*, came out in 1995. Deacon retired in 1997, while May and Taylor continued to perform together occasionally. Since 2004, they have toured as "Queen +" with vocalists Paul Rodgers (until 2009) and Adam Lambert (from 2011 onward). Queen have been a major part of global popular culture for over fifty years. Their record sales are estimated between 250 million and 300 million, making them one of the best-selling music artists ever. In 1990, they won the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, and all four members were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003. In 2005, they received the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Song Collection. In 2018, they were given the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and they won the Polar Music Prize in 2025. **History**

**1968–1971: Foundations** The founding members of Queen met in west London in the late 1960s. Brian May built his own guitar with his father in 1963 and formed a group called 1984 (named after George Orwell’s novel) the next year with singer Tim Staffell. May left in early 1968 to focus on his physics degree at Imperial College and to find a band that wrote original material. He then formed Smile with Staffell (now on bass) and keyboardist Chris Smith. To find a drummer, May put up a notice at college asking for a "Mitch Mitchell/Ginger Baker type." Roger Taylor, a dental student, auditioned and got the job. Smith left in early 1969, just before a gig at the Royal Albert Hall with Free and the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. While at Ealing Art College, Staffell became friends with fellow student Farrokh "Freddie" Bulsara, who was from Zanzibar and of Indian Parsi descent. Bulsara had studied fashion design for a year before switching to graphic art and design, and he became a big fan of Smile. He asked to join as lead singer, but May thought Staffell wouldn’t give up that role. Bulsara also ran a stall in Kensington Market with Taylor. In 1970, Staffell left Smile because his interest in soul and R&B clashed with the band’s hard rock sound, and he was tired of their lack of success. He formed a new group, Humpy Bong, with former Bee Gees drummer Colin Petersen. The remaining members accepted Bulsara as lead singer and recruited Taylor’s friend Mike Grose on bass. They played their first gig at a fundraising event in Truro on 27 June 1970. Bulsara suggested renaming the group "Queen." The others were unsure at first, but he said, "it's wonderful, dear, people will love it." Around the same time, he changed his surname to Mercury, inspired by the line "Mother Mercury, look what they've done to me" from the song "My Fairy King." The band played their first London gig on 18 July. Their early set included material that later appeared on their first two albums, along with rock and roll covers like Cliff Richard and the Shadows’ "Please Don’t Tease." They caught the attention of producer John Anthony, who liked their sound but thought they needed a different bassist. After three live shows, Mike Grose left the band and was replaced by Barry Mitchell (ex Crushed Butler). Mitchell played thirteen gigs with Queen between August 1970 and January 1971. He then left and was replaced by Doug Bogie for two live shows. **1971–1974: Queen and Queen II** In February 1971, John Deacon joined Queen. Besides being an experienced bassist, his quiet personality fit the band, and he was skilled with electronics.