Queen (band)

Queen, a British rock band, came together in London in 1970. The original members were Freddie Mercury (lead vocals and piano), Brian May (guitar and vocals), and Roger Taylor (drums and vocals); John Deacon (bass) joined later. Their early sound drew from progressive rock, hard rock, and heavy metal, but over time they moved toward more accessible, radio-friendly music, blending in arena rock and pop rock. May and Taylor had previously played together in a band called Smile. Mercury, a fan of Smile, pushed them to try more elaborate stage shows and recording techniques. He joined the group in 1970 and proposed the name "Queen." Deacon came aboard in February 1971, and the band released their first album, Queen, in 1973. Their second album, Queen II (1974), gave them their first UK chart success. Later that year, Sheer Heart Attack and the 1975 album A Night at the Opera brought worldwide fame. That album included "Bohemian Rhapsody," which held the top spot on the UK singles chart for nine weeks and helped make music videos popular. The 1977 album News of the World featured "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions," songs that became anthems at sporting events. By the early 1980s, Queen were one of the biggest stadium rock acts globally. "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 gone 9× Platinum in the US. Their 1985 Live Aid performance is often called one of the greatest in rock history. Mercury performed with Queen for the last time in August 1986 at Knebworth, England. Mercury was diagnosed with AIDS in 1987. The band released two more albums with him: The Miracle (1989) and Innuendo (1991). On 23 November 1991, Mercury publicly revealed his AIDS diagnosis; he died the next day from bronchopneumonia, a complication of AIDS. A final album featuring his vocals, Made in Heaven, came out in 1995. Deacon retired in 1997, while May and Taylor have made occasional appearances together. Since 2004, they have toured as "Queen +" with vocalists Paul Rodgers (until 2009) and Adam Lambert (from 2011 onward). Queen have been a major force in popular culture for over fifty years. Their record sales are estimated between 250 million and 300 million, placing them among the best-selling music artists ever. In 1990, they received 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 earned the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Song Collection. They received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018 and the Polar Music Prize in 2025. The band's roots go back to west London in the late 1960s. Guitarist Brian May built his own guitar with his father in 1963 and formed a group called 1984 the following 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 complete the lineup, May posted a notice at college for a drummer like Mitch Mitchell or Ginger Baker; 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. At Ealing Art College, Staffell became friends with Farrokh "Freddie" Bulsara, a student from Zanzibar of Indian Parsi descent. Bulsara had studied fashion design before switching to graphic art and became a big fan of Smile. He asked to join as lead singer, but May thought Staffell would keep that role. Bulsara also ran a stall in Kensington Market with Taylor. In 1970, Staffell quit 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 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 fundraiser in Truro on 27 June 1970. Bulsara suggested renaming the group "Queen." The others were unsure, but he said, "it's wonderful, dear, people will love it." He also 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." Producer John Anthony noticed them but thought they needed a different bassist. After three live shows, Mike Grose left and was replaced by Barry Mitchell (ex Crushed Butler). Mitchell played thirteen gigs with Queen from August 1970 to January 1971.