What's NOT to like about them? They're flamboyant, they're happy, but at the same time, they're talented musicians who created anthemic classics. Like The Beatles, the names of their songs are embedded into our minds. Song titles have become common phrases. Who doesn't know the rousing guitar solos to Bohemian Rhapsody?
Go beyond the big hits - listen to their albums from the very beginning. Hear the opening bars of Sheer Heart Attack - with the noise of a fairground gradually merging into the opening riff to Brighton Rock.
Listen to the quite ridiculous drums from Roger Taylor - possibly the best British drummer since Keith Moon, with wrists that work quicker than a happy Japanese prisoner of war.John Deacon - supposedly the 'dull one' - yet one of the most understated bass players in rock. He wrote I Want To Break Free AND Another One Bites The Dust - two of the countless everyday phrases we use thanks to Queen's influence.
And I've got this far without mentioning the main man himself - the magnificent Freddie Mercury - how we miss him. Many people have tried to emulate this great man, all have failed. And everyone will fail - he is irreplaceable. Not only did the world lose it's greatest ever front man in 1991, but also a very, very gifted musician and songwriter. This great man penned Bohemian Rhapsody - constantly voted rock's best ever song - as well as We Are The Champions, Bicycle Race, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Don't Stop Me Now and many, many more songs that even people who pretend not to care about Queen know and (probably behind closed doors) love.
When they weren't making 'the rocking world go round', Queen were serenading us with ballads that not only moved us, but made us think. A wonderful song called Is This The World We Created? found on their 1984 album The Works is still more than relevant today, 25 years later. A telling sign of Queen's lasting legacy.
And then there's Love Of My Life, a song penned by both May and Mercury. I had the pleasure of seeing Queen and Paul Rodgers last October, and whilst Freddie's absence was like a gaping hole through the hearts of both his old band and legions of loyal fans, it was like he was there with us when Brian May strummed the opening chords to this classic from 1975. He didn't need to sing a word - several thousand of us stood in for Freddie for four and a half minutes. Stirring stuff.Who could I recommend Queen to? Well let's see - anyone with a passing interest in singing, guitar playing, drumming, song writing, performance art, or with a passion for good, honest British culture. Or indeed, anyone who simply wants to be cheered up. When you get home after a hard day at work, put your feet up, bung A Night At The Opera on the stereo, sit back and listen to 4 geniuses at work.
With that I leave you with an image that sums up these greats of modern music. The moment that they encapsulated the world - billions of viewers. Wembley - July 1985 and the famous Live Aid performance. During an event created to help many millions beat the threat of starvation, Freddie and co had all 4 corners of the world eating out of their hands.
