Queen biography
Queen are one of the planet's biggest rock bands with a massive 15 studio albums under their belts. They have sold more than 300 million of albums worldwide since they formed in the early 1970s. Their front man, the late Freddie Mercury, was arguably the greatest showman on earth, with 'Bohemian Rhapsody,' among their greatest hits.
How it all began
At the end of the 1960s, guitarist Brian May decided to put a band together along with college friend and bassist Tim Staffell. They recruited drummer Roger Taylor after he answered their ad and they called themselves 'Smile.' They soon landed a record deal, but after Tim left to join another group, his friend Farrokh Bulsara (as Freddie was known back then), encouraged Smile to change their name to 'Queen.' Fast forward a few years and several bassists and you finally have the band we all grew up with, which consisted of lead singer and pianist Freddie Mercury (he later changed his surname too), Brian May on guitar, drummer Roger Taylor and bassist John Deacon. The rest, as they say, is history!
International Success
Queen's big international break came after they released third album Sheer Heart Attack in 1974, after debut Queen and second album Queen II hit the shelves. Sheer Heart Attack went gold in the US after making it to number 12, while it peaked at number 2 on their British home turf. Their first single 'Killer Queen' was a massive hit, mirroring the chart positions of the album in both America and the UK respectively. From then on, the hits just kept on coming.
Bohemian Rhapsody
Queen released fourth album A Night at the Opera at the end of 1975, which became an expensive record to produce as it was recorded in six different studios. It gave Queen their first UK number one album and peaked at number four in America. It featured the mighty track 'Bohemian Rhapsody' which topped the British charts and stayed there for nine weeks, while reaching number two across the pond. It proved the music industry's initial fears, that at almost six minutes long it would be considered too long for radio play, were unfounded. The song is arguably their most famous, having topped several 'best of' charts, featured in the smash hit movie Wayne's World and reached the number one spot for the second time when it was released as a tribute to Freddie Mercury following his death in November 1991, with the proceeds going to AIDS charity the Terrence Higgins Trust. A few months later, a huge concert was held at Wembley Stadium in honour of Freddie, with the likes of David Bowie, Annie Lennox and Elton John among the performers.
We Will Rock You
After releasing their fifth studio album A Day at the Races in 1976, which went straight to number one in the UK, and spawned their smash hit 'Somebody to Love' the band unleashed their sixth record News of the World. It was one of only a few albums that didn't top the charts, but it was still a massive success, peaking at number four in the UK where it went platinum and number three in America, where it achieved four times platinum status.
It featured the hits 'We Are the Champions,' a power ballad which has become a sporting anthem the world over, with Freddie Mercury apparently having football in mind when he wrote it. 'We Will Rock You' was also a big hit for Queen and has been covered by various acts over the years. We Will Rock You also lent its name to the hit musical based on Queen's songs, which was written by comedian Ben Elton with the help of Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor. It opened in London's West End in 2002 at the Dominion Theatre and was panned by the critics, but fans went to see it in their droves and it has become the longest ever running musical at the venue. A sequel is on its way, along with a film version of the show.
After Freddie Mercury's death
Freddie Mercury hid the fact he lived with AIDS for many years, before finally admitting he had the disease a day before he died from complications connected with it in 1991. In a poignant move, only weeks before, Queen released single 'The Show Must Go On' to promote their second Greatest Hits album, which went on to top the UK charts when it hit the shelves just days after his death. It featured the likes of 'A Kind of Magic,' 'Radio Ga Ga,' 'I Want to Break Free,' and 'Who Wants to Live Forever.'
It would be another four years before the three surviving members of Queen released album Made in Heaven which included Freddie's last recordings from the year he died. It earned the band another UK number one, going triple platinum and giving them five top twenty hits. The record ends with a moving tribute to Freddie lasting more than twenty minutes.
Brian May and Roger Taylor carried on writing and performing together after John Deacon retired before the turn of the millennium, collaborating with Paul Rodgers from the bands Free and Bad Company. Later, and with no hard feelings, Queen ceased collaborating with Rodgers in 2009, but didn't rule out the chance of teaming up again in the future. Later that year, Brian May and Roger Taylor appeared on hit TV show The X Factor, where they performed 'Bohemian Rhapsody' live, along with the finalists, before revealing they had no plans to tour in 2010.
In an interview, Brian May revealed that Borat and Ali G comedian Sacha Baron Cohen is to play Freddie Mercury in a film written by Oscar nominated Peter Morgan. It promises to focus on the band's first years together and the period leading up to their famous performance at the 1985 Live Aid concert with filming due to begin sometime in 2011.