Queen

British rock band Queen achieved international acclaim with their seminal 1975 album A Night at the Opera, featuring the groundbreaking track ‘Bohemian Rhapsody.’ This single pioneered the music video format and topped the UK singles chart for nine weeks. Formed in London in 1970 by Freddie Mercury, Brian May, and Roger Taylor, with John Deacon joining in 1971, Queen quickly established their distinctive sound. Following their 1973 debut, Queen II (1974) achieved their first UK chart success, with Sheer Heart Attack (1974) further propelling global recognition. Queen continued their remarkable trajectory with News of the World (1977), yielding the enduring anthems ‘We Will Rock You’ and ‘We Are the Champions.’ Their 1980 release, The Game, marked their first number one album in the United States.

After Mercury’s passing in November 1991, Made in Heaven was released in 1995, featuring his final vocal recordings. John Deacon retired in 1997. Queen’s enduring legacy was recognized with inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2001) and the Songwriters Hall of Fame (2003). They also received the 2,207th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2002.

In 2020, Queen + Adam Lambert released Live Around the World. With 250 to 300 million records sold worldwide, Queen remains one of the best-selling music artists globally, and is set to receive the prestigious Polar Music Prize in 2025.