We are exposed to its work whenever we change a channel. You cheer to its anthems while attending raucous sporting events. In almost every auditory facet, the work of Queen has become easily recognizable to all.
Throughout the annals of rock music history, no front man ever brought entire stadiums to their collective knees in the way that Freddie Mercury of Queen ever did. With his sonorous vocal capabilities and his fervent showmanship, Mercury dazzled audiences around the globe. With the likes of Brian May on guitar, John Deacon on bass and Roger Taylor, percussionist, the band soared to world-wide super stardom. Years after Queen collectively stopped making music, their songs still are very much relevant in society today.
So how does one go about paring down a list of songs to define their top ten when choosing from such hits as “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “We Will Rock You”, “We Are The Champions”, “Killer Queen”, “Another One Bites The Dust”, “Seven Seas of Rhye”, “Bicycle Race”, “Fat-Bottomed Girls”, “You’re My Best Friend” and others? Enjoying their music is easy, choosing a Top Ten is the daunting part, but here goes.
10. Keep Yourself Alive — Queen (1973), Track 1
As any new fan purchasing the band’s debut album, self-titled “Queen”, would discover, I decided to begin the list with the same song with which they began their career. At the onset of Brian May’s guitar riffs, one can’t help but feel like they are charging into something unique, and oddly enough they would be right.
9. The Prophet’s Song — A Night At The Opera (1975), Track 8
The Prophet’s Song” was the equivalent of a musical marathon composed by medieval time minstrels, gathering up steam in pace and intensity the longer the song goes . Eight minutes in length, this vocally layered track helps to introduce fans to the magnitude of Queen’s abilities. What new listeners were about to realize however was that a mere three tracks later on “A Night At The Opera”, a compilation of musical genius awaited them.
8. Don’t Stop Me Now — Jazz (1978), Track 12
If ever there was a song that epitomized Freddie Mercury’s attitude throughout his life, this was the one. Famous for his outrageous parties, he lived a life of complete excess. While his hedonistic ways eventually played a part in his contracting of the A.I.D.S. virus, which eventually took his life, few people lived life to the fullest as he did. (Except maybe his band mate and fellow celebratory enthusiast, drummer Roger Taylor, … at least for as long as he could keep up.)
7. I Want To Break Free — The Works (1984), Track 6
Many people have the tendency to confuse this song as Freddie Mercury’s great “coming out of the closet” proclamation, when in actuality the song was written by bassist John Deacon, a man who has been married to a woman for years and has fathered numerous children. One must love the irony involved. As a song, it impacts those who are trying to peel themselves from the constraints of an intoxicating love in pursuit of something far more fulfilling.
6. In My Defence — The Great Pretender (1992), Track 6
Despite the fact that this song was taken from a musical, it is Freddie’s vocal capabilities that make this song truly magical. Freddie pours his heart out in this amazing rendition of a song that personifies the glaring delusion of what the world expects of its people of stature, only to remind them that they are mere humans, also. On a more personal level, as I’ve expressed to my wife, that when my time comes, it will be this song that will escort me out of this life and onto the next. Amazing song.
5. Under Pressure — Hot Space (1982), Track 11
This was a song that was able to arrange to have two of the greatest rock vocalists of all-time go opposite one another, Mercury and Ziggy Stardust himself, David Bowie. Their vocals merged together as though they had been singing together for eons. As bass lines go, this would probably have be to considered John Deacon’s best, if it weren’t for the greatest of all-time “Another One Bites The Dust”. It is highly unfortunate that when Robert Van Winkle, a.k.a Vanilla Ice, came along years later with his wicked pants and his mega-hit song “Ice Ice Baby” that the association of the two songs would be forever linked. Pure blasphemy if you ask me.
4. Ogre Battle — Queen II (1974), Track 6
Much like “The Prophet’s Song”, the song is filled with many transitions throughout. However, the only difference is that this song never waits to get started. It comes right out of the gates exploding with chaotic ferocity. At the onset of this musical complexity, Brian May generates tremors and shock waves from his guitar and drummer Roger Taylor thunders through this song like he’s trying to punch through a wall while vocally scaling octaves with May and Mercury that bring it altogether. Lyrically this song gives rise to some wonderful storytelling, a song of wonderful visual description.
3. Barcelona — Barcelona (1988), Track 1
This song ranks this high on the list based on personal meaning almost exclusively. While this operatic duet featuring Mercury and Spanish soprano Montserrat Caballe is a melodious and soothing work of art. The timing of this song has come to play a very pertinent part in this author’s life. In 1992, a longtime friend of mine was graced with the opportunity of attending the Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. Upon his return to the States, he played a compilation CD that first introduced me to the vocal capabilities of Freddie Mercury as an opera singer . Until then, I was strictly a commercialized Queen enthusiast. The song “Barcelona” was the immediate highlight of the CD. It wasn’t until a decade later that this song would become prominent again and create an everlasting impact on my life.
A few years back, I met a friend and after getting to know one another on a social level, I discovered her to be a huge Queen fan. Upon that revelation, I simply sang the first word of this song. To her surprise, I hadn’t uncorked one of their well know favorites but rather a song of almost complete social obscurity. Needless to say, things went on from there, years later she became my best friend and we’ve been married three years now. It has been often emphasized to me, by her, that in that moment she should have realized then that we would one day be together forever. How is that for personal relevance?
2. Bohemian Rhapsody — A Night At The Opera (1975), Track 11
I realize that by placing this song second to any of Queen’s music, that I have potentially lost any and all credibility with almost every music enthusiast, let alone any Queen fan. This song is the musical equivalent to da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane. With a vast array of indescribable harmonious transitions and lyrics that boil over in the mind, “Bohemian Rhapsody” takes us into the far down depths of the imagination of writer Freddie Mercury. It is such a rarity to have the capability to compile an expression of this magnitude in one’s mind, and its another to be able to place those words into a song, set those words to music and then project it as well as your wrote it. This song is one of those few songs that goes beyond being called music. It is such a rare expression that words are unable to justify and that’s what makes this song one for history.
1. I Want It All — The Miracle (1989), Track 4
Finally, we have reached the top of the mountain and all of it has been good. The only explanation for deciding that this song was the favorite is a simple one. It always has been. For years, from the first time I can recall, this song has always generated a meteoric sense of empowerment within me every time that I hear it. The pace and strength of this song are generated by lyrics that bestow an absolute sense of entitlement to everything that surrounds you. Whatever one may have to forfeit, no matter the cost, no matter what may stand in your way, this song thrusts you into a mindset that you will not be denied whatever it is you seek. Like any great hard rock song, it evokes emotion and creates an uprising in the human spirit and that is how Queen’s “I Want It ALL” conquered the top of this list.
