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Alaina Montanez

Tia Jaynes

Music 1010

30 April 2020

Queen
“Queen is a British rock band founded in 1970 by its singer, Freddie Mercury, Brian May

on guitar, Roger Taylor on drums and John Deacon on bass,” (History Biography.) Queen is one

of the most “known” rock bands still to this day. Queen was very popular for its sound, its

culture, and its originality. There is not one band that is similar to what Queen created. Queen

was very diverse with its amazing hits. Some being Bohemian Rhapsody, and We Will Rock You.

The music Queen wrote still lives on to this day even in a new generations.

Queen had an interesting way of coming together. According to History Biography

Queen wasn’t originally Queen. Brian May and Roger Taylor originally founded the band called

Smile. Freddie had already known of this band and was one of their biggest supporters. Tim

Staffell was the vocalist of this band. Freddie knew Brian and Roger from college. They all

attended Ealing Art College. Little did they know Tim Staffell leaving to join another band was

the best thing that could've happened for them. When this incident occurred the first person

that came to their head for their new vocalist was Freddie. Freddie decided the name smile

wouldn’t suit them and demanded they be called Queen.

One day the band was at a bar and ended up meeting their new member of the band,

John Deacon. After they met John they felt like their band was completed. “Freddie Mercury

designed the logo of the band inspired by the zodiacal signs of its members: that is why you see
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two lions, by Deacon and Taylor who were Leo, a crab for May, who was Cancer, and two fairies

for Mercury, who was Virgo,” (History Biography.) One of Brian May’s friends told him he had a

studio but May insisted he had to see. They ended up recording four songs there and that is

where it all began.

Bohemian Rhapsody is what some called a rule breaking song. “I remember Freddie

coming in with loads of bits of paper from his dad’s work, like Post-it notes, and pounding on

the piano,” May said in 2008. “He played the piano like most people play the drums. And this

song he had was full of gaps where he explained that something operatic would happen here

and so on. He’d worked out the harmonies in his head,” (Martin Chilton.) Originally Mercury

expected this to be three different songs but had a great idea. He wanted to combine it all into

one and ended up making a six minute song. The biggest taboo of this song was that it included

operatic music. There are some really interesting parts of the song which I will break down,

(Bohemian Rhapsody Link.) 0:00-0:26 The group sings together and harmonizes with each other

in a very slow and peaceful manner. 0:50-1:18 The music continues to go at a slow pace.

Freddie begins to sing alone and starts the piano in a complementing manner to his voice. 1:21-

1:45 The other instruments join in which speed up the tempo a bit. 3:05-4:08 Throughout this

entire portion there are sections of operatic music. They all harmonize together at different

pitches. 4:10-4:55 This is a section of what would be considered more traditional rock. The

guitars, drums, and vocalist intensify the music and perform at a much higher volume.

“The rhythm is irresistible: stomp, stomp, clap, stomp, stomp clap. The chorus is a call to

arms for anyone who has ever been beaten up, pushed down or disregarded,” (Billboard.) We
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Will Rock You has represented something for so many different people. Whether it be for

people who have been disregarded or sporting events, that is exactly what makes it so big.

People have used it and loved it for so many different reasons. “And yet, here we are, four

decades on and both songs are not just a permanent part of the rock lexicon, but pump-up

anthems that are still played on an almost-daily basis on radio and at just about every major

sporting event on the planet -- transcending time, fashion and their own seeming obstacles to

popularity,” (Billboard.) This quote is referring to We Will Rock You and We are the Champions.

We Will Rock You continues to live on just because Queen made a song that they wanted the

audience to really get involved with, (We Will Rock You link.) 0:00-0:16 Is the stomp, stomp,

clap beginning. It continues in the same rhythm, the same time frame, the entire song. There is

no vocalist in this little section which I believe is so they could give the audience a minute to

join in. 0:17-0:29 The vocalist begins to add words with this beat. 0:30-0:40 The chorus begins

in this section. The rest of the song continues in this exact pattern.

Queen has and will be forever one of the most unique groups there ever was. Queen’s

music was loved and still is loved by many people to this day. “Who but they would think it a

good idea to sweep high-operatic arias over low-down heavy metal? To plunk an outrageously

camp singer in front of a balls-to-the-wall rock & roll band? In short, to take the noble risk of

looking ridiculous by mixing the most florid sounds with the most guttural,” (Jim Farber.)

Because of the risks they took, they ended up being in the Rock and Roll hall of fame and for

that, they will always be remembered.

Works Cited
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History-biography. “Queen.” History and Biography, 26 June 2018, history-

biography.com/history-of-queen/.

Chilton, Martin. “'Bohemian Rhapsody': The Story Behind Queen's Rule-Breaking Classic Song.”

UDiscover Music, 20 Nov. 2019, www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/queen-bohemian-

rhapsody-song-history/.

“Queen's 'We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions': Interview With Brian May, Roger Taylor &

Adam Lambert.” Billboard, 22 Sept. 2017,

www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/7972856/queen-we-will-rock-you-we-are-

the-champions-jock-jam-interview.

“Queen.” Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, www.rockhall.com/inductees/queen?

gclid=EAIaIQobChMInL2O_peM6QIVSrzACh24CgPJEAAYASAAEgIW1PD_BwE.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tJYN-eG1zk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ9rUzIMcZQ