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Recorded from Top Of The Pops 1984. Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury (lead vocals, piano), Brian May (guitar, vocals), John Deacon (bass guitar), and Roger Taylor (drums, vocals). Queen's earliest works were heavily influenced by progressive rock; in the mid-1970s, the band ventured into more conventional and radio-friendly works, bringing them greater commercial success. It also became something of a trademark to incorporate more diverse and innovative styles in their music, exploring the likes of vaudeville, gospel music, electronic music and funk. Brian May and Roger Taylor had been playing together in a band named Smile. Freddie Mercury (then known by his birth name of Farrokh, or Freddie, Bulsara) was a fan of Smile, and encouraged them to experiment with more elaborate stage and recording techniques. Mercury himself joined the band shortly thereafter, changed the name of the band to 'Queen' and adopted his familiar stage name. John Deacon was recruited prior to recording their first album. Queen enjoyed success in the UK during the early 1970s, but it was the release of Sheer Heart Attack (1974) and A Night at the Opera (1975) that gained the band international success. The latter featured “Bohemian Rhapsody“, which stayed at number one in the UK charts for nine weeks. In 1991 Mercury died of bronchopneumonia, a complication of AIDS, and Deacon retired in 1997. Since then May and Taylor have infrequently performed together, including a collaboration with Paul Rodgers under the name Queen Paul Rodgers which ended in May 2009. The band has released a total of 18 number one albums, 18 number one singles and 10 number one DVDs, and have sold over 150 million albums, with some estimates in excess of 300 million albums, making them one of the world's best-selling music artists. They have been honoured with seven Ivor Novello awards and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. After fans noticed Mercury's increasingly gaunt appearance in 1988, rumours began to spread that Mercury was suffering from AIDS. Mercury flatly denied this, insisting he was merely “exhausted“ and too busy to provide interviews. The band decided to continue making albums, starting with The Miracle in 1989 and continuing with Innuendo in 1991. Despite his, indeed, deteriorating health, the lead singer continued to contribute. For the last two albums made while Mercury was still alive, the band credited all songs to Queen, rather than specific members of the group, freeing them of internal conflict and differences. In 1990, Mercury made his final public appearance when he joined the rest of Queen to collect the BRIT Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music. Innuendo was released in early 1991 with an eponymous number 1 UK hit and three other charting singles, “I'm Going Slightly Mad“, “Headlong“, and the poignant “The Show Must Go On“. The band's second greatest hits compilation, Greatest Hits II, followed in October of the same year. On 23 November 1991, in a prepared statement made on his deathbed, Mercury confirmed that he had AIDS. Within 24 hours of that statement, he died of bronchial pneumonia, which was brought on as a complication of AIDS. His funeral service on 27 November in Kensal Green, West London was private, and held in accordance with the Zoroastrian religious faith of his family. “Bohemian Rhapsody“ was re-released as a single shortly after Mercury's death, with “These Are the Days of Our Lives“ as the double A-side. The single went to number one for the second time in the UK, holding the top spot for five weeks through Christmas, making it the only single in the UK to ever get Christmas Number 1 twice with the same version. Initial proceeds from the single -- approximately £1,000,000 -- were donated to the Terrence Higgins Trust. Queen's popularity was stimulated in the United States when “Bohemian Rhapsody“ was featured in the 1992 comedy film Wayne's World. Its inclusion helped the song reach number two in the U.S. charts for five weeks in 1992, and won the band an MTV Award at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards. Wayne's World footage was used to make a new music video for the song, with which the band and management were delighted. On 20 April 1992, The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert was held at London's Wembley Stadium to a 72,000-strong crowd. Performers, including Def Leppard, Guns N' Roses, Elton John, David Bowie, Annie Lennox and Metallica performed various Queen songs along with the three remaining Queen members. The concert is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as “The largest rock star benefit concert“, as it was televised to over 1.2 billion viewers worldwide, and raised over £20,000,000 for AIDS charities. Please visit my other Channel. Keep Rockin!
