Roger Taylor

Lore & Background

Taylor's songwriting contributions have been vital to Queen's catalog. He wrote or co-wrote three UK number ones: 'These Are the Days of Our Lives', 'Innuendo' and 'Under Pressure', and wrote a further five major hits: 'Radio Ga Ga', 'A Kind of Magic', 'Heaven for Everyone', 'Breakthru' and 'The Invisible Man'. As a singer, Taylor possesses a countertenor vocal range. During the 1980s, in addition to his work with Queen, he formed a parallel band known as the Cross, in which he was the lead singer and rhythm guitarist. During the early 1980s, Taylor was also a panellist on the UK quiz show Pop Quiz, hosted by Mike Read. In 2014, he appeared in Brian Pern as himself. He is the father of The Darkness' drummer Rufus Tiger Taylor.

Reader's Guide

Roger Taylor serves as Queen's drummer and a key songwriter, known for driving their rhythmic foundation with power and precision. His tenure spans from the band's inception in 1970 to the present day, making him one of its longest-standing members. In addition to his drumming, Taylor contributes high-pitched backing vocals and occasionally takes lead vocal duties on select tracks, adding a unique texture to Queen's harmonies. His songwriting often leans toward hard rock and punk influences, providing a counterbalance to the band's more theatrical compositions. Outside of Queen, Taylor has pursued a successful solo career, releasing six albums. His first solo album, released in 1981, was Fun in Space, on which he performed all vocals and played all instruments aside from about half of the keyboards. His next solo venture, Strange Frontier, came in June 1984. In 1994, Taylor worked with Yoshiki and released the song 'Foreign Sand'. In 1998, Taylor released his fourth solo album Electric Fire. On 11 November 2013, Taylor released the album Fun on Earth and the compilation album The Lot, which includes all of his work outside of Queen. Taylor also co-produced Vigilante, the sixth studio album by rock band Magnum, in 1986.

Did You Know?

• Taylor turned down the chance to become drummer for Genesis in 1970, which led to Phil Collins joining instead.
• At age 15, Taylor was a member of Johnny Quale and the Reactions, a semi-professional rock band made up mainly of boys from Truro School.
• Taylor taught himself to tune his drums, inspired by Keith Moon of the Who because of the 'great drum sounds' on the early Who records.
• Taylor performed one of the first Internet-gigs, for which he got a mention in the Guinness Book of World Records.
• Taylor's first solo single was '(I Wanna) Testify' in 1977, recorded during Queen's sessions for the News of the World album.