The man with the world’s greatest moustache and even greater stage presence would have been sixty five this year. I am of course referring to the late Freddie Mercury, lead singer of the iconic rock band Queen. And to mark the occasion, Queen are reissuing their last five studio albums on September 5th.
The release of the collection also falls in line with the band’s 40th anniversary, and features every audible masterpiece from 1984-1995 including hits such as Radio Gaga, I Want to Break Free and One Vision as well as lesser known tracks and rare gems. The third instalment of the Deep Cuts series is also being re-released alongside the albums.
Queen formed in 1971, after having met during their college years and trying out various line ups. It wasn’t until 1973 however, that the band signed with EMI and released their debut album ‘Queen’. And so began the career of a band who would go on to affect and inspire generations of youths and musicians alike (Lady GaGa, Foo Fighters, Metallica and Radiohead are amongst those citing Queen as influences).
With their own musical inspiration spanning a variety of genres, including the progressive rock sounds of the early 70s, the bluesy sounds of Elvis, contemporary pop and even opera, Queen have produced a plethora of diverse hits such as Killer Queen, Crazy Little Thing Called Love and Barcelona. Not forgetting the sheer genius that is Bohemian Rhapsody, which is the third biggest sellingUK single of all time.
Their remarkable take on rock music and their lack of boundaries pushed music and artistic creation to new levels in the 70s and 80s, as was the case for rock-opera Bohemian Rhapsody. Their video for I Want to Break Free was even banned from MTV USA.
Throughout their career, the band have produced fifteen fantastic studio albums, each with their own unique sound and collection of hits. Their Greatest Hits CD, released in 2006, is the biggest selling album ever in the UK; beating their nearest competitors – that little-known band The Beatles – by more than half a million copies. In fact, Queen hold more than a handful of records, achievements and awards to date, including having all four members inducted in the Songwriters Hall Of Fame (2003).
Despite their talent, achievements and popularity during the 70’s and 80’s, Queen’s success as a stadium-rocking four piece was cut short in 1991, as the brilliantly flamboyant Freddie Mercury passed away on November 23rd that year. Mercury had been suffering from AIDS, unbeknownst to fans.
And while Queen have celebrated success since Mercury’s passing, and still remain popular with this generation, nothing compares to the musical works of art created on their studio albums.
So September 5th sees the release of the last instalment of Queen’s studio album collection, which celebrates the music and success both before and after Freddie. The Queen legacy is definitely still going strong, and this collection is a true testament to some of the greatest performers and songwriters of all time.
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