Top 5 Queen Songs (at least for me)
There is a kind of magic in the origin of the songs. Something intangible that transforms those artifacts that combine rhythm, harmony, melodies and poetry, which constitute our emotional memory and give meaning to our lives. The same goes for bands. Queen formed in the early 1970s and over the decades have left a legacy that continues to grow. From emblematic hits to hidden gems, this list is a way of paying tribute to one of the most ambitious groups in rock history, to its ability to mutate without ever losing its identity. Ok, I am a great fan of the English Boys so let's go straight to the dots.
1. “Bohemian Rhapsody”
Freddie Mercury had the idea for this song, a little suite of nearly six minutes, in his head and on a handful of scribbled bits of paper. It took three weeks, five different recording studios, and the blind trust of the rest of the band to decode that information and achieve one of the most iconic songs in popular music of the last century. Built in the manner of a sonic patchwork, it begins as a ballad (the piano Freddie played is the same one Paul McCartney used to record “Hey Jude”) and builds in intensity and distortion, leading to an epic Brian May solo. , which is the definitive invitation to the “air guitar” and is the perfect prelude to the so-called “operatic section”: an avalanche of voices superimposed on 180 layers of falsettos and harmonies, immortalized in the car scene from Wayne's World (Penelope Spheeris, 1992), the most memorable of a film that not only marked an era, but also resignified that song for an entire generation. After the rock explosion, and the inevitable headbanging, calm returns. Everything leads to a finale full of nostalgia, which fades in slow motion.
2. “Another One Bites the Dust”
The powerful bass line, which is the leitmotif and backbone of one of Queen's biggest hits, was the brainchild of John Deacon inspired by "Good Times," composed by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers for iconic group Chic. of funk and disco music that the bass player had been frequenting. The name of the song refers to the westerns. Deacon was a fan of cowboy movies and that was the initial reference for the lyrics. The members of Queen weren't sure whether to include it on the album, and it was Michael Jackson who convinced them they couldn't waste it. As with “Billie Jean” and other hits from that era, it is enough to hear a few chords to make us invade an irrepressible desire to go out and make a mess on the dance floor. A local curiosity: it was the song that Diego Maradona presented at the group's show in Vélez, on Saturday, March 8, 1981. “I want to thank Freddie and Queen for making us so happy. And now… Another one bites the dust!” Diego said. And the stadium exploded.
3. “We Will Rock You”
Tribal, ceremonial, contagious, minimalist and powerful at the same time, this song by Brian May, which opens News of the World, is built around heels on the floor, drumbeats, handclaps, a chorus and Mercury's voice , who begins by releasing a proto-rap and ends as the entertainer of a fan fest in the punk-rock era. It lasts barely two minutes, and Brian May's guitar bursts onto the scene after a minute and a half. But, of course, he takes center stage, with a style that seems to evoke the primitive sound of Elvis Presley's “Jailhouse Rock” and Ray Davies' (The Kinks) garage in “You Really Got Me” and soon mutates into an almost dreamlike, with some reminiscence of the music of India.
4. “Love of My Life”
Sitting at the piano, playing rubato tempo, with nods to classical composers such as Chopin or Beethoven, Freddie Mercury delivered "Love Of My Life": a capital composition. However, perhaps overshadowed by the opulence of "Bohemian Rhapsody", it was not an immediate success. Freddie dedicated the song to Mary Austin, his girlfriend at the time (when she had not come out as bisexual). The bond between them was maintained, honoring the title and the deep meaning of the song. The accompaniment from the rest of the band is supreme, even Brian May plays the harp on a few bits. They started playing it live a few years later, but Freddie didn't play it on the piano: the accompaniment was led by May's guitar, and by the audience, who used to sing it from start to finish. A supreme ballad, which is not only among the best of the group, but of the entire history of rock.
5. “We Are The Champions”
It begins as a redemption song, in an intimate setting, with lyrics that talk about paying debts and serving sentences, but the mood grows and soon turns into a grandiose and epic song, which has been accompanying the celebrations of the teams that they win tournaments (well, until “Muchachos” appeared…). Completely self-referential, Freddie Mercury was referring to him and his band when he sang that they were the world champions. There was no sports reference, it was a gesture of revenge against a good part of the music critics.