Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Queen Top 50

As a tribute to Freddie Mercury, who would have been 60 this month, those nice people at Classic Rock Magazine have asked a batch of rock starts to nominate their favourite Queen tracks.

The 50 are not listed in order, but form an excellent cross section of the bands output - a total of 14 studio albums between 1973 and 1995.

The mid seventies - when the band were breaking through - provide the largest number of tracks. The classic Night At The Opera album contributes 8 of the 50, with Sheer Heart Attack providing 6 and News of the World 5. Jazz and The Game which followed 4 each. The Works, which was the foundation for the second flourish of their career in the eighties provided 4 tracks and Kind of Magic 3. There last proper album, the underrated Innuendo also provides 3.

The duffers (in terms of this list at least) are Made In Heaven, which was put together and realeased after the mercurial one's death. Hot Space, their much derided 'disco' period album, and The Miracle, which is one I rarely listen to myself.

What struck me about the comments is just how many major rock stars were into Queen. From aging rockers like Rob Halford of Judas Priest (whose iPod only contains his own work and Queen's entire catalogue), Maiden's Bruce Dicinson who crys when he hears Who Wants To Live Forever, and dave Hill of Slade, through prog rockers like Chris Squire of Yes, Geoff tate of Queensryche and Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater, through to young metalheads like Matt Heafy of Trivium, Zacky Vengeance of Avenged Sevenfold and Mikael Akerfeldt of Opeth, it seems everyone loves the band.

Most of my favourites are there. My top 50 would also include Spread Your Wings from News of the World and Sail Away Sweet Sister from The Game.

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