Epic Win: Queen
Submitted by Kerri M
Queen was perhaps one of the most musically versatile rock bands of all time. Led by flamboyant vocalist Freddie Mercury, the band penned a number of awesome stadium anthems (“We Will Rock You,” “We are the Champions”), multiharmony rock numbers (“Don’t Stop Me Now,” “Under Pressure”), and epic rock operas (“Bohemian Rhapsody” of course!).
Is “Bohemian Rhapdsody” the greatest song ever written? No other song has ever sounded anything like it.
Updated: More Videos After the Jump
It’s Friday, and you’re not doing any work anyway.
“Don’t Stop Me Now”
“Fat Bottom Girls”
“Killer Queen”
“Another One Bites the Dust” (live)
“Under Pressure”
But of course, for every epic win, there is an EPIC FAIL:
Nice try, emo kids.
Yezzur
That horrible version of “Under Pressure” is an EPIC fail.
this needs a category of it’s own, really. “epic win” doesn’t seem like strong enough praise.
Too true, Too true, you have win, epic win, then sitting pretty miles above is QUEEN!
Seconded. Period.
Thirded’ Apostrophe’
How about Super-ultra-mega-epic-win-of-all-that-is-in-space-and-time?
Yes, Queen is a one of a kind. And Bohemian Rhapsody … words fail. I still miss Freddie after all these years — flamboyant, sure, but also superhumanly talented, and the ultimate showman. I never got to see them live in concert, and seriously envy those who have.
I can’t agree with you more on this. I went out with a guy who was going to take me to a Queen gig. We broke up about a week before the concert. I was more gutted about not getting to see Queen (on what turned out to be their final UK concert) than I was about losing him.
Freddie died in November 1991. My Dad died in January 1992. That time was really sad for me. I still miss them both (Dad more, obviously). May they both rest in peace.
ive been to the queen and paul rogers shows. they blew me away totally i just wish i coulda been to the original ones with freddie.
They were the first band I loved! My dad was a huge fan and had every CD, and would play them all the time. I even remember when Freddie died, I was about four and my dad was so upset.
My favorite song is The Prophet Song, personally. Any other Prophet Song fans out there?
Yep XD
Yes!! The Prophet Song is my favorite — The great thing about this album is that no matter what mood I am in, there is something in there to listen to.
Yes, Prophet’s song was excellent. I’m also a fan of Millionaire Waltz, White Man, most of their stuff from their first 6 or so albums. Nobody can ever sound like Freddie even if they tried
“The earth will shake, in two will break and death all around will be your dowry”. JUST.FRIGGIN.EPIC. Even though its not my fav Queen song, still have a special place in my heart.
Bohemian Rhapsody ROCKS! I remember the scene in Waynes World when they were rocking out in the car and singing along to Bohemian Rhapsody
Ever sice that movie it is now mandatory to headbang at that part.
No matter what you are doing.
Amen to that.
It is impossible to listen to that song or watch that scene of Wayne’s World and be in a bad mood. One of my absolute favorite memories is my dad singing Bohemian Rhapsody in the car. It was so out of character for him, and just…completed me.
Hell yes, epic win.
Will be forever.
Ummm Willy Wonka (j. Depp) hair.
you know how old this is right?
Believe it or not, there is a middle school/early high school version of BR for orchestra. I taught it last semester and it wasn’t bad at all, but it definitely needs piano and set. But other than that, it was a pretty cool arrangement!
I played the version for string quartet for my senior recital in college! I’m not as talented as Freddie Mercury, however, and did not play all 4 parts by myself…
Very cool, boaks. What part did you play? I should’ve thought to play something cool for my senior recital in college, but the quartet we did was the Sibelius ‘Voces Intimae.’ I love that piece, though.
Catslave, WW is the only reason people of my generation know BR at all. I SOOOO remember jamming to this song in 9th grade, in ‘92.
I played the cello part
I got the melody at the very beginning, then mostly the bass line, but it was definitely worth it to balance out the Rachmaninoff and Bloch taking up the rest of my recital 
My best friend from school days won’t date a man that refuses to sing BR in the car with her. She figures if he takes himself too seriously to sing it, then he’s too uptight for her world.
I agree with her – and now I’ve got a wonderful husband who is my best friend
Oh god, I want time travel to be invented so I can go back in time and marry Freddy Mercury!!
Gays couldn’t marry back then, right?
And if you’re a woman, I don’t think he’d be interested.
Better get back that deposit on the time machine.
I’m a woman, but I WILL FIND A WAY.
Oh, Gays could marry back then, just couldn’t marry someone of their own sex. Freddie Mercury was the very best, and I still miss him to this day. I had a chorus teacher who loved his music, and couldn’t get enough of Queen’s incredible harmonies.
He’d have married her if it were the most fabulous thing to do at that moment because Freddie was nothing if not fabulous.
Mercury was so awesome that he could shot Queen Elizabeth and never go to jail.
You know the group was called “Queen” for a reason don’t you?
Bohemian Rhapsody is pretty much my reason for living.
I cannot hear that song without singing and/or dancing. (:
Freddy lives!
*eyes fill with tears*
I have been waiting for this one! God Save QUEEN!
I would marry you for this, whoever posted it.
Queen forever.
my fav queen song is who wants to live forever
An excellent choice. Certainly up there with My Melancholy Blues and Tie Your Mother Down.
Right there with you. I love that song.
I would like to point out that Brian May recently (last year) received his PhD in astrophysics…over 30 years after he started his research!
Congratulations, Dr. May!
Dr. May? Fantastic!! I didn’t know this, thanks for the info, and good on him for persevering!
Fave song, aside from BR — I’d have to choose either Crazy Little Thing Called Love or Year of ‘39 (that high bit in the middle, amazing!)
Ohhhhhh yes. Win indeed.
Been a queen fan since I was 4. Yes, 4. Mom and Dad bought Highlander on VHS and when the opening theme started, I commenced dancing. Was TOTALLY convinced that the song was “Princess of the Universe” (which I still am, tyvm). Been a complete and utterly devoted fan ever since. I found Freddie fascinating, but my first ever crush was on Roger Taylor. I wanted to boff him silly (and confession time? still would!). PISSED I never got to see them live…though my mom did call me out of school the day after Freddie died. I was a wreck.
Now, if you will excuse me, I find that I need to go rock out…I believe Bohemian Rhapsody will do the job admirably…
Roger was the love of my life, too. He’s still second only to the guy I’m with. I used to carry around his picture everywhere I went. ^_^ Sexy beast!
Queen has been my favourite band ever since I was introduced to them when I was 12 (28 now). Can’t see it ever changing, either.
Could not have agreed more with you. Queen is simply amazing!
Definately a win! My favourite band!
I was just listening to Queen when I came across this. Awesome.
Me too! (Father to son)
Sorry – favorite Queen song is ‘39.
I think I’ll go with Stone cold crazy, partly because Metallica covered it, partly because it rocks hard!
Check out “Modern Times Rock n Roll” from the first album. Roger Taylor screeching vocals about how phony the rock scene is, over killer thrash rock groove.
And Innuendo, an underrated and underappreciated epic!
Metallica ain’t got nothing on Queen.
Yes! He had such an amazing voice!
From imdb mini biography on Freddie Mercury:
“… (he) Chose not to to get corrective oral surgery to fix his famous overbite (caused by the presence of four extra teeth which pushed his incisors out). He commented early in his career that he wished to have work done on his teeth, but regretted that he didn’t have time to do it out of fear that it would damage his voice. Also, chose not to have surgery to remove polyps on his vocal cords for the same reason….”
He kept his huge overbite, because he thought fixing it would damage his voice? Now THAT is freaking dedication to the music!!! Thanks for the music FM!
I’m very annoyed at the 30 people that gave Queen a thumbs down.
You have to come to accept that many people have poor taste in music. After all, how else would rap chart?
I was in high school when Bohemian Rhapsody came out. We used to hang out at a pizza parlor that had a jukebox. By the end of the summer, the 45 of Boho Rhapsody was actually WORN OUT to the point that you could hardly hear it.
Yes kiddies, unlike CD’s, vinyl records could actually wear out from overuse.
Freddy Mercury proved that Classical Music and Rock have the same roots. “Rhapsody” was teh finest music written since Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.” Pure music!
FLASH!! AHHH AHHHHHHHH!
as i read that it started playing in my mind dukebox. lolz
Queen is honestly my favorite band of all time. Bohemian Rhapsody is my favorite song. Freddie Mercury is my hero.
This is my favorite Nostalgic Win ever.
My Typing teacher in middle school was a huge rock fan; every Friday he’d put on one of those “Jock Rock” albums. The first track of the CD was We Will Rock You. Heard it for the first time in September of my 6th Grade year, been a Queen fan ever since. (Sadly, this was about 10 years after Freddie died).
Every so often, I’ll softly sing Bohemian Rhapsody to myself if I’m bored or walking somewhere. This past semester, I was leaving my dorm room and started singing quietly as I was walking down the hall. As I was walking past a room with an open door, I got to “I see a little silhouette of a man.” Right away, the two guys in the room ran out into the hall and sang “Scaramouch! Scaramouch! Will you do the fandango?” The three of us just stood there and sang the next few lines, then I had to run off to class (would have stayed, but I had a test worth 1/3 of my class grade). Good times!
Freddy Mercury was here.
Robert Plant is a loser.
Begging to differ, Sonic GTR, IMHO they both rocked (and Plant still does!)
Must admit tho, Freddy was sooo much larger than life!
I feel very honoured to have seen them on their Hot Space tour in 1983. Billy Squier opened for them.
Anyone here still have their naked cyclists poster from Jazz?
Queen is pretty damn awesome, but The Beatles were a more versatile band than Queen was. Still, Queen deserves this praise.
Really? Its fun because most of the Beatles songs Ive heard sounds pretty much the same. I challenge you to find 2 or more Queen songs that sounds similar. Queen played progressive Rock, Opera Rock, Saloon, Jazz, Hell, Freddy mercury wrote and performed the theme for the 1992 Olympics, can Ringo Star or Paul McCartney say that? etc. Dont get me wrong, The Beatles is still a great band, but not even close to what Queen was.
I have a rule I follow : If you don’t like Queen then we can’t hang.
Of the songs listed here, Bohemian Rhapsody = Stairway to Heaven; yeah great song but played to DEATH. The next three videos, awesome songs albeit not great video. Chemical Brothers, uh, WTFingF?
*Real* Queen fans are all about Brighton Rock and the Battle Scene from Flash. OMG there has never been more perfectly composed bar-chord rock.
Ah, Rock of Ages, do not crumble, love is fleeting still
Ah, Lady Moon shine down, a little people magic if you will…
*Real* Queen fans are all about anything played by Queen, even if BR have been played to death, still an awesome song, I friggin love it, and is probably the best Single of All time, but it is right to spot a poser fan. Brighton Rock solo is one of the most impressive Ive ever heard, and Bring Back That Leroy Brown have the most epic hukulele solo Ive ever heard, or maybe the only one. Dont Stop Me now is the song I play when Im driving and Im late for School/Work.
’spread your wings’ and ‘teo teoratte’[sp] are my favourite songs. [and any roger sang. his voice just makes me melt.]
Totally.
Drowse is one of my all-time faves. Soooo gorgeous.
if i listen to that late at night i HAVE to have eggs for breakfast the next day. and yes i sometimes do poach them lol
Amen to that. And “Long Away” is great power pop, and showcases Brian May’s vocals perfectly.
i find that depending on my mood i prefer different songs.
their voices were all soo different and thats what made it work. roger had the hard stuff, brian’s voice is so sweet and tender and then there was freddie. who was everything.
Vanilla Ice ruined “Under Pressure” for me. Especially when he said (to paraphrase), “It’s not the same riff. Theirs is ‘da dum-dum-da-di-dum-dum’ and ours is ‘da dum-dum-da-di-dum-dum CHA!’”
What? Where’s the love for “Fat Bottom Girls”? That one rocks!
And “Somebody To Love”? I (heart) that song!
Queen is KING!!!!!
Ooops. Didn’t see the video links up above. Thanks for the Fat Bottom Girls video!
YES! I learned a lot about breath control trying to copy Freddie’s vocals on “Somebody to Love”, especially that high falsetto that drops two octaves into the tenor then down another two into bass. Killer.
(Those Were) the Days of Our Lives makes me weep. Poor Freddie looked so frail by then, yet brave and strong. It was his thank you and farewell to fans. I also thought Brian May was the hottest thing ever back then. He still has a great smile.
Agree 110% with those who say if you don’t at least appreciate Queen, then buzz off. You just don’t get it…not my type of person to hang with.
Also love Tie Your Mother Down. What a GREAT song!!!
By the by, if you haven’t heard Brian May’s “Star Fleet” cover with Eddie Van Halen, go check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pjijteu0gcQ
They so totally need to license this for Guitar Hero.
NO! the mcr/the used under pressure is way better! but bohemian rhapsody is a good song…tho
Silly emo kids
Oh my God! Queenb is one of my favorite bands!!
My favorite song by them is Hammer to Fall. I don’t like We Will Rock You that much, though.
My fave Queen song is “Killer Queen!” AWESOME!
Whoever posted this…thank you! Queen is absolutely the greatest thing that ever happened to music. I was only 6 when Freddie died, and I just recently discovered how AMAZING all of their music is (not just the mainstream ones I’ve heard in movies) Freddie was a god…and today’s music is CRAP!!!!
Freddie will always be my hero (even if I was only 1 year old when he died). You should post the cover of Bohemian Rapsody by Axl Rose and Elton John from the Freddie Mercury’s tribute in 1991: this is such an epic cover! Anyway, thanks for blessing my hears with Queen songs (and forgive my english mistakes, I’m french)!
Oh and the emo version of under pressure made me vomit…. go f*cking home silly emos, don’t touch to good music!!
I have loved Queen all my life. Unfortunatly Freddie died 4 years before I was born.