Queen are one of my favourite class rock bands and I still listen to their music fairly regularly. Unfortunately their brief teaming with Paul Rodgers produced a sub-par album which did not have many tracks that had the classic Queen feel to them and were entirely forgettable.

So many of Queen's back catalogue is impressive with such hits as Bohemian Rhapsody, Don't Stop Me Now, Headlong and many many more including the amazing soundtrack for the first Highlander movie which featured one of my favourite songs, "Who Wants To Live Forever".

Their front-man, Freddie Mercury had an incredible stage present and could command the audience like no other for some of the most amazing live gigs anyone could ever see.

I hate to admit to liking a band as much as the likes of the typical pop music listeners. Unfortunately, to pretend to be cool and bash the talent of Freddie Mercury (more as a composer than a singer, although his singing is no less than remarkable for a rocker) may leave me feeling guilty for the rest of my life. I can't say the same thing for the rest of the members of the band. I reckon without the influence of Freddie, Queen would never come close to being as big as it ever was.

I love Queen. They are arguably the most talented band as a collective whole in classic rock. They could do a blistering hard rock song or a beautiful symphonic piece.

hate their gay songs

These guys were a true talent. They had several good songs and albums. Every member of the band could actually play their instruments (KISS ought to take note, lol) and they could do a variety of different types of songs from something almost classicial sounding to a heavy metal song.

Bohemian Rhapsody, hello.

At the top of my favorites. Unique in their style and great variety. Brian May is definitely the best guitar player ever.

Great songs indeed, but I never like freddy, No, sissy ass.

Sort of an operatic cross between glam rock, hard rock, and a dash of progressive rock. The guitarist, Brian May,was quite talented, but their bombastic songs were simply played to death and they never impressed me very much despite their success. Hardly the worst band in their mid 70's to the early 80's peak, but far from great too.

I inherited Queen's album "News of the World" on vinyl from my big sis who's 14 years older than me. Great album, phenomenal group. Nobody will ever sound like Freddie Mercury.  This album may not be their greatest, but it sure as heck displays their versatility.  Just listening to two different songs on this album is clear evidence of how brilliant they were as a group.  Everyone knows "We Will Rock You"  and "We Are the Champions", but if they're played in contrast to two lesser-known songs on the album, such as "Who Needs You" and "Sleeping On the Sidewalk",  you can see just how varied their musical style was.

Great band! They make all other bands other than the Beatles look boring. With a four-octave range and incredible vocal power, Freddie Mercury was the greatest rock singer ever. Guitarist Brian May had quite an original sound as well. Queen songs have beautiful melodies and are very musically complex.

Contrary to what a reviewer states below (making me wonder whether he has ever seen Queen perform live), Freddie Mercury also displayed--perhaps paradoxically--the most masculine presence of any rock star that I have ever seen on stage. Watch his performace at Live Aid, and tell me whether Mick Jagger ever held that kind of power over a crowd!

Queen is quite possibly the most universal band I have ever had the pleasure of listening to. They have managed to bring something new to the music industry and tackling quite a few genres, without losing their edge. If you listen to songs such as "The Show Must Go On" which is kind of a symphonic metal kind of song or "I Want To Break Free" which is kind of trance/synth rock, you can understand that Queen has remained original, without losing their edge. When you hear Queen (and Freddie) you know it is them and not some amateur or generic band. This band does not only possess a few legends, as a result of such, Queen is technically amazing on quite a few wavelengths. Despite the fact they are technically amazing, doesn't mean they are commercial or common. They have managed to put be the ultimate masters of connecting and projection, hence why their shows are as good as their studio albums. They managed to take a song "Bohemian Rhapsody" and make it the ultimate art form by taking a standard rock aria and crossing over into the classical and opera genres, with a hint of comic informatives. If I had to choose my favorite band or the best band ever, it would be no contest. Without hesitation, I would choose Queen.

I never liked this ostentatious group or their music. Freddie Mercury sounded like a frustrated opera singer, Brian May sounded like some generic wind-up hard rock guitar player and the rest of the group might as well have been faceless studio musicians. "Bohemian Rhapsody" has about as much to do with rock and roll as a tabernacle choir performance. "We Are The Champions" sounds like it was custom written to be played at the end of athletic events. I know that this sounds terribly un-PC but, Mercury's silly strutting, effeminate, bisexual prancing makes Jagger look like Clint Eastwood by comparison. What a fairy! I just don't care for this band at all and I don't think I ever will. Their approach to rock music was just too overdone and I think that ultimately their sound is very contrived, as if they were trying to convince throngs of people just what fabulous musicians and producers they were by throwing in all of these piano arrangements and vocal harmonies and 1970's musical grandstanding. It didn't work on me.

Grating

I always thought Queen sucked, never could get into their shtick.

A 'musician's band' example- many musicians I know of comment on the sheer talent of this band. . .I can admit the talent, but I would rather burn/drown/die in molten lava than listen to one of their songs. . .

So we have 2 takes on Queen

1. Talented musicians, with all 4 contributing to the songwriting. Varied tunes some of which have become modern day anthmems. Great live performers who blew everyone else away at live Aid.

2. Bunch of middle class arty-farty musos led by goofy toothed poof making over-the top bombastic bore-a-thons. Irriating guitar soloing by bloke with bad 80s style perm that wouldnt ve looked look out of place on Cher.

Hmmmm which one then..

Great voice, great performer, great musicians, great writer, great band.

Class. Some of the best melodies and lyrics of all time, together with a guitarist and a lead singer among the all time bests too.

When Day At The Races and Night At The Opera came out, Queen was at it's best. Was fortunate enough to grow up with Queen rather than have my introduction to Queen be when Wayne's World revitalized Bohemian Rhapsody. Most impressed with the vocal harmonies.

FANTASTIC

I have to disagree with what some of you are saying about them being a so-called 'gay band' because while Freddie Mercury was gay the other three were not so technically you're wrong there. Besides, it's supposed to be about the music. Classic band who made classic music. Need I say more?

Reasonably talented bunch of pooftas

FREDDIE IS GOD... NUFF SAID!!!

Bohemian Rhapsody is a great song.I also like Another One Bites The Dust.

Masterful gay band who have helped the Rainbow cause.

Absolutely INCREDIBLE band with one of the best guitarists of all time (Brian May) and the single greatest vocalists of all time. Very innovative, known for powerful live shows with great musicianship and dramatic flair. Unique sound that no one could ever duplicate or copy. Could combine such strong emotion (We Are the Champions, Somebody to Love, The Show Must Go On) hard-rock (Tie Your Mother Down, Fat-Bottomed Girls, Hammer to Fall) and of course, the indescribable (Bohemian Rhapsody). And of course, SO many groups have vocally claimed them as an influence-- Guns N' Roses, Def Leppard, Metallica, Extreme, Van Halen, Green Day, Foo Fighters, George Michael, Robbie Williams, Slash, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, etc etc (even Nirvana) and with Elton John and Mick Jagger as fans (Jeff Beck was a particularly huge fan) who can go wrong?

My favourite gay band

Yeah sure you sang with Mercury-lying sack of $hit.All that the last guy said was wrong.This band was not that great.They are famous because of 2 maybe 3 songs.Trageic death however.

If you truely look at some of Queen's compositions, you will find that from a pure musical standpoint, they were twenty years ahead of their time. I have yet to hear a song even from the best of today's groups that rivals the sheer complexity and technical dificulty of Bohemian Rhapsody. Having taken a crack at singing along with Freddie Mercury, I can vouch for how difficult just the vocals are, not to mention the guitar and other instrumental parts. A shame that Mercury died when he did. I'd have loved to see where Queen would have gone next, musically.

How many of these guys are gay? i know mercury is but what about the others. About their music-it was ok a few good classic songs-thats it.

More like 3.5 stars without a doubt they had some great songs but only a few are well known

An amazing band. Besides hits lilke bohemian rhapsody and we will rock you, there are many more for eg.i want to break free, hammer to fall, good-old fashioned lover boy.

These guys rock!

rip freddy mercury good band

This was a great artistic, creative band. Mercury's voice was powerful and meaningful and unlike so many front men, he could flat out sing! His legacy lives on and I hope the other band members can bring themselves to perform again, awesome tallant.

This is a real it is not fantasy they are GOOD.

I think,Queen has the great band.In they era,Queen has not rival.Compact and creative are make Queen to be a superstar in Around the World

Queen is surely the most horrible, ghastly rock group to ever play. They arent nothing but some nauseating speed metal quintet from Dublin, Ireland. Back in 1989, When Queen performed their very last concert, I was glad b/c I thought this nuisance wouldnt no longer dominate the rock world, but I was wrong. Brian May is truly the most inferior, ghastly guitarist to ever play. His guitar tone can only be compared to nails scratching on a chalkboard. He cant even play like Mick Mars or Yngie Malmsteen. When he was performed live, he was extremely sloppy and besides he stole songs from dead blues musicians. I think that Queen were a truly terrible live act. If you would like to see a gross, disgusting, dead GAY man prance around in a leotard, then I guess that a Queen concert is for you. On stage, they didn't do nothing but try to be exactly like Led Zepplin. When Queen were performing a show together, they didn't do nothing but get drunk whilst singing real bad songs. They didn't even have no light show. Queen were totally ghastly when playing live. Freddy Mercury wasnt nothing but a gross, discusting GAY man. His short little life wasnt nothing but sodomy with many gay mans and battling endless heroin addictions. His short little life was brought to a screeching hault in Mid 1992 when he was found dead in his hotel room from overdosing on morphine. He carried none of his wealth beyond the grave. His death ended the career of one of the most horrible and ghastly rock and roll groups to ever play, which is a good thing i guess. They broke up around mid 1993 after releasing a box of unreleased songs. Queen surely do not need to be remembered in rock and roll history.

How can you rate Queen at one star. It makes no sense, this was truly a great band that was taken away before it's time. There sound is so varied and different from any thing that was around at the time or since. They were a Rock N' Roll band.

They were HORRIBLE.

Real musicians. Great Lyrics. Freddie was born to entertain, he certainly did. Fantastic frontman/ lead singer performances.

Not a big fan, but Brian May kicks butt.

Freddy Mercury was THE most talented musician of the 20th century. Period.

Perhaps a bit too bombastic and pretentiosu with their classical-operatic fusions but they had more hits than misses.

Definitely have a place in clasic rock history. Great live act!!

Great band. One of the best.

loved em. great music and great performers.

Queen is arguablye the best classic rock band. They are my personal favorite, and as a matter of fact, I am listening to their greatest hits CD right now. The thing that sets Queen apart from other bands is their actualy ability to sing. Not only do they sing well, they have incredible harmony, and they are so nice to listening to. They have such a unique sound, and they have so many great songs. Bohemian Rhapsody is one of the best songs ever.

theatrical and had some good singles,a few concept albums, anthemic. i guess i'm just not really big on that above thinking they are a typical working band, nothing special.