An era-defining rock band that amassed an impressive number of gigantic hits throughout the 70s and 80s before lead singer Freddie Mercury's death in 1991. Few vocalists could match him, and all four band members were excellent songwriters, making them a force on stage and in the charts. Queen's was one of the first discographies I explored as a teenager after I began to connect this single band to what I realized was so many songs I knew and liked, opening the door for me to go on to discover so much more.
420 to 30: A Music Retrospective
Here's 7 of my favorites from Queen.
Week 34: QUEEN
#231/420 - Queen, “Cool Cat”
Originally featuring David Bowie on back-up vocals, though removed in the eleventh hour, this funky jam is not typical of Queen’s body of work, but stands out to me for that reason. I dig the guitar lick, drums, and bassline and have always had a hard time skipping it whenever it comes up in a shuffle due to the way it bounces in and hooks you right from the start. Queen had many hokey refrains (in my opinion) like “Another One Bites the Dust” and “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” and it’s hard not to put “Cool Cat” in that category, but it doesn’t drive me nuts after repeated listening like those other songs, so I personally elevate it above the rest.
Freddie is almost cruel here with his, “You were wishing and hoping and waiting to really hit the big time, but did it happen? Happen? No!” but reassures with a “slow down” that mellows it back out.
(It ain’t over yet just because you’re almost 30, self.) A deep track from the ‘80s worth checking out.
#232/420 - Queen, “‘39”
To the casual fan, it May come as a surprise that not all the good Queen songs are sung by Freddie Mercury. Most notably, this track from A Night at the Opera, by guitarist Brian May. Keeping in theme, this is another atypical Queen song, but one of my favorites and my favorite from this album, even being stacked against two of their biggest and best, “You’re My Best Friend” and “Bohemian Rhapsody”. While I do quite like those (they are pretty much what got me into Queen in the first place, after all) and recognize their elite status in the Queen discography, I really overplayed these as a kid and I just don’t find myself coming back to them often. This is one I do come back to, however, because as you May remember, I love space songs.
Besides being a rock guitarist, Brian May is also (now) an astrophysicist, and penned this acoustic delight while working on his thesis back in the day, writing of astronauts who return to Earth only to find their loved ones have passed on due to the difference in their experience of time. There’s a great energy to the guitar playing and I like the unconventional choice of being folksy rather than psychedelic in this musical imagining of a space journey. The spiraling “ahhh”s are a nice transportive touch too.
Having named this and A Day at the Races after Marx Brothers films, Groucho himself invited Queen to his home following these albums and they performed this song a cappella for him, and that is just cool.
#233/420 - Queen, “Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy”
Today is my half-birthday, officially 29½, with a fitting song for the occasion. The first Queen album I had in my possession was their Greatest Hits compilation from 1981 and this was definitely my least favorite song of the collection. I actually thought at the time, why is this one even on here? They left out plenty of “greatest” ones in favor of… this? Not really that cool of a song, doesn’t rock very hard, and, you know, it is what it is pretty much. Yet, over time, in spite of my initial vitriol, it steadily managed to become one of my favorites, not only on this album, but of everything they ever released. And ironically, it actually describes my hopeless and constant approach towards love pretty well. (But hey, at least it’s not “The Boxer” I’m relating to.)
I came to really appreciate the jaunty, here-and-there of the song and I also enjoy that it isn’t very long. Some of these Queen songs are a real commitment that I sometimes don’t have the immersion for, this one is like a piece of candy. Moves all around, manages to get that classic Queen guitar and Freddie vocals, and ends right when it should.
#234/420 - Queen, “Breakthru”
Right around the time I was breaking through time and space to come into an earthly existence via the miracle of birth, Queen was having a Miracle and Breakthru of their own with this Roger Taylor track (and intro by Freddie Mercury). I have to hand it to Queen for maintaining quality over decades, something few bands can pull off. Personally, I enjoy this album every bit as much as their earlier stuff. The Queen sound transitioned into the 80s well where many other rock groups’ did not.
It’s a charged up rocker with a vibrant pulse and good energy and vibes that put it towards the top of Queen’s discography for me. The way they yell, “break through!” really encourages throwing a fist in the air in a way that makes you wish Freddie’s health hadn’t forced them to stop touring by this time. And his intro to this song is awesome as well. I always enjoy when he turns himself into a choir. One by Queen that I find hard to ever pass up.
“The Miracle”, also a great one from this album.
#235/420 - Queen, “Innuendo”
Definitely one of the coolest songs Queen ever released, this was the lead single to the final album of Freddie Mercury’s lifetime and man did he have it going on artistically right up until the end. This is not only one of my favorite Queen songs, but the album to follow may be my favorite they ever did. So many top songs here including this one’s b-side, “Bijou”, and “The Show Must Go On” and “I’m Going Slightly Mad”, but this one was the lead single for a reason. Epic is one word to describe it; triumphant is another.
If you’ve really been taking notes on my song choices so far and are familiar with the Queen discography, it should come as no surprise this is one of my top choices with its many phases from grinding metal to snappy flamenco, its progressive flow, and its abundant flashes of the talents of this group, harkening back to what made this group the mega smash it was and is in the first place.
Just turn yourself into anything you think that you could ever be.
Be free with your tempo, be free, be free.
Surrender your ego be free, be free to yourself.
And the classic line, “whatever will be, will be.”
Freddie Mercury, you and your musical talents are missed.
#236/420 - Queen, “Seven Seas of Rhye”
Queen’s first big hit in the UK remains one of their very best. The heavy rock guitar contrasting with the twinkling piano coming in at the beginning is awesome. Like many of the best hard rock and metal songs, it also features lore-like imagery and ostentatious lyrics, and these here are particularly good.
I descend upon your earth from the skies.
I command your very souls you unbelievers.
Bring before me what is mine…
The seven seas of rhye!
Line after line is just great in this one and it’s one of the best styles musically that Queen ever took on.
I’m also a big fan of the folk song fading in at the end at the hard rock rockets off into space, replaced with, “oh, I do like to be beside the seaside!” With a lot to like packed into less than 3 minutes, it makes for a winner for sure.
#237/420 - Queen, “Don’t Stop Me Now”
“Don’t stop me now! I’m having such a good time; I’m having a ball!” This is actually the kind of night I had last night/this morning — a rarity! And I hope there is no stopping on that front. Regarding the song itself, it was the song that got me into Queen and for sure was my most played during my peak Queen fandom. A movie that inspired me in many ways to write my first film, The Amateur Monster Movie, was Shaun of the Dead, and the bar room, pool cue, zombie bashing, jukebox smashing scene where this song plays had me in stitches and immediately off to download this song, as seen here:
Once I dove in, it started to come together for me that the same group that made “Bohemian Rhapsody” also made “We Are the Champions” and “We Will Rock You” and “Killer Queen” and “Fat-Bottomed Girls” and “You’re My Best Friend” and “Somebody to Love” and “Under Pressure” and the list just went on and on. Really, no other rock band sans the Beatles has permeated pop culture to such a degree and maintained such relevancy decades after they stopped producing new music. And it was a real treat to discover this catalog when I was about 14 years-old. In many ways, it set me off on a course to start listening to full discographies of artists I liked, rather than just their hits, which is largely what makes this list possible for me to do.
This song is definitely nostalgic for me, and while Queen isn’t a band I often come back to these days, I have to admit I have surprised myself with how much I enjoyed revisiting them this week. They were a really talented group with one of the most talented frontmen any rock band has ever seen. As far as arena rock goes, Queen might be second to none, and will always have a special place in my appreciation of music and where it began for me.
Next week, we’ll be stepping back even further in my history with music to the group behind the very first cassette tape I ever owned. They had all the lyrics to the songs on the fold-out insert and at the time I surely had memorized many of them, a punk in the making, listening on my red cassette player outside the church after school in 1998. That cassette tape was Americana, and that group is The Offspring. See you there.
420 to 30: A Music Retrospective
Week 2: The Jackson 5/The Jacksons
Week 3: A Tribe Called Quest
Week 4: Weezer
Week 5: Bob Dylan
Week 6: Led Zeppelin
Week 7: 2Pac/Makaveli
Week 8: Billy Joel
Week 9: Electric Light Orchestra
Week 10: Elvis Presley
Week 11: Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band
Week 12: The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Week 13: Nirvana
Week 14: The Doors
Week 15: The Rolling Stones
Week 16: Gnarls Barkley
Week 17: Gábor Szabó
Week 18: Galaxie 500
Week 19: Simon & Garfunkel
Week 20: Gorillaz
Week 21: Ennio Morricone
Week 22: The Moody Blues
Week 23: Koji Kondo
Week 24: Rob Zombie/White Zombie
Week 25: Paul McCartney/Wings
Week 26: George Harrison
Week 27: Phil Spector
Week 28: John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
Week 29: Public Enemy
Week 30: The Love Language
Week 31: Barry White
Week 32: Frank Sinatra
Week 33: David Bowie
View the full list of "420 Songs" here: https://tinyurl.com/y8fboudu (Google spreadsheet link)