Queen (band)

Queen are a British rock band that started in London in 1970. The original members were Freddie Mercury (who sang and played piano), Brian May (guitar and vocals), and Roger Taylor (drums and vocals). John Deacon joined later on bass. Their early music drew from progressive rock, hard rock, and heavy metal, but over time they moved toward a more accessible, radio-friendly sound, mixing in arena rock and pop rock.

Before Queen, Brian May and Roger Taylor had played together in a band called Smile. Freddie Mercury was a fan of Smile and pushed them to try more elaborate stage shows and recording methods. He joined the group in 1970 and came up with the name "Queen." John 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* came out, and in 1975 *A Night at the Opera* made them international stars. That album included "Bohemian Rhapsody," which spent nine weeks at number one on the UK singles chart 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 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. Freddie Mercury played his last show with Queen in August 1986 at Knebworth, England.

Mercury was diagnosed with AIDS in 1987. The band released two more albums while he was alive: *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 featuring his vocals, *Made in Heaven*, came out in 1995. John Deacon retired in 1997, while Brian May and Roger Taylor have performed together occasionally. Since 2004, they have toured as "Queen +" with different vocalists: Paul Rodgers from 2004 to 2009, and Adam Lambert from 2011 onward.

Queen have been a major part of 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 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. They were given the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018 and the Polar Music Prize in 2025.

**History**

**1968–1971: Foundations**

The future 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 in 1964 with singer Tim Staffell. May left that band in early 1968 to focus on his physics degree at Imperial College and to find a group that wrote original songs. He then formed Smile with Staffell (now on bass) and keyboardist Chris Smith. To find a drummer, May put up a notice asking for a "Mitch Mitchell/Ginger Baker type." Roger Taylor, a dental student, auditioned and got the job. Chris 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, Tim Staffell became friends with 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. He became a big fan of Smile and asked to join as lead singer, but Brian May thought Staffell wouldn't give up that role. Bulsara also ran a stall in Kensington Market with Roger 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 frustrated by their lack of success. He formed a new group, Humpy Bong, with former Bee Gees drummer Colin Petersen. The remaining Smile members accepted Bulsara as lead singer and brought in Taylor's friend Mike Grose on bass. The four 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 group played their first London gig on 18 July. Their early setlist 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 liked their sound but thought they needed a different bassist. After three gigs, Mike Grose left and was replaced by Barry Mitchell, who played thirteen shows with Queen from August 1970 to January 1971. Mitchell then left, and Doug Bogie filled in for two live gigs.

**1971–1974: Queen and Queen II**

In February 1971, John Deacon joined Queen. He was an experienced bassist, had a quiet personality that fit the band, and was skilled with electronics. On 2 July, Queen played their...