Hard rock, glam rock or a mash-up of both, with some operatic elements thrown in--Queen was all that and more. The British band created some of the most enduring and ubiquitous songs in the last four decades. And that's to say nothing of their live shows which were the musical equivalent of a Roman orgy. Well, that may be pushing it a bit but if there was no orgy in the neighborhood, a Queen concert would do just as well.

In old London town around 1970, guitarist Brian May got together with drummer Roger Taylor and vocalist Freddie Mercury to form the band that would sell hundreds of millions of records over the coming years. They had a rocky beginning with a self-titled album, but sales and accolades increased with the second album,  Queen II, which reached #5 in the British charts. This album brought attention to its predecessor and more people started appreciating Queen's hard rock debut. The American market still remained aloof however.

That changed with 1974's Sheer Heart Attack, which charted high in England, Europe and the U.S. where it went gold. The album encompassed a variety of musical styles from heavy metal to ragtime and included many hit songs like "Killer Queen," "Stone Cold Crazy," "Bring Back That Leroy Brown" and "Now I'm Here." "Killer Queen" reached #2 in Britain and became the band's breakthrough hit in the U.S.

Bolstered by their success, Queen undertook a world tour in 1975 that took them to North America and Japan among other places. The tour wasn't hastily put together either: the band performed in elaborate costumes and utilized tons of effects and lights on stage.

The next album was A Night at the Opera, which has been considered Queen's best endeavor. It  included the band's most popular song, the epic "Bohemian Rhapsody" that many regard as the finest rock song of all time. We don't know how true that statement is but we dare you not to rock out when "Bohemian Rhapsody" starts playing. Another hit single from that album was "You're My Best Friend" which made Top 10 lists around the world.

Continuing the Marx Brothers movie references, Queen released A Day at the Races in 1976, which peaked at #1 on the British charts. The undisputed centerpiece of the album was the single "Somebody to Love," an ambitious gospel-influenced piece that continued to showcase Mercury's amazing and versatile vocals. That same year, the band gifted their fans with a free concert in Hyde Park, London which blew the pants off attendance records.

The oft-recognized sports anthems "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions" belonged to 1977's News of the World, an album packed with songs tailor-made for live shows. Just picture 50,000 fans waving their Bic lighters while Freddie Mercury belted out "We Are the Champions" on stage. Yowza.

Queen released Jazz in 1978, another mix of different musical genres, which included "Fat Bottomed Girls" and "Bicycle Race." That album was followed by the band's first live album, Live Killers, which went platinum twice in the U.S. The Game kicked off the 80s with a bang, producing two #1 hits in the American charts with the playful rockabilly number "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" and the funky "Another One Bites the Dust." The band also found the time to provide the soundtrack for the movie Flash Gordon and to tour South America, playing to audiences of a 100,000 or more. A spontaneous collaboration with David Bowie later that year yielded the hit single "Under Pressure" that gave Queen another chart topper in England.

The funky Hot Space album was released in 1982, after which the band members took time out to work on solo projects. Hot Space and the next album, The Works failed to wow American audiences and Queen stopped touring in the U.S. The most notable singles from The Works were "Radio Ga Ga" and "I Want to Break Free." The crowning achievement of their live performances came in 1985 when the band performed in Wembley Stadium for the Live Aid charity concert. Queen contributed songs to yet another movie, 1986's Highlander, which were very successful and made the parent album, A Kind of Magic, very popular. The subsequent tour was their biggest yet and spawned a live double album.

Being on top of the world doesn't make one invincible however; the press and fans alike noticed the apparent declining health of Freddie Mercury, who vehemently denied rumors that he suffered from AIDS. Mercury succumbed to the illness in 1991, soon after releasing a statement confirming the diagnosis. The year after his death, the movie Wayne's World featured "Bohemian Rhapsody" and caused the single to skyrocket in the charts again, where it spent five weeks in the #2 spot. That same year, a benefit concert in Mercury's memory raised millions of dollars for AIDS charities.

The band stayed together after Mercury's death and continued to release albums of original songs and remixes. The remaining members also collaborated with several musicians and re-recorded old Queen hits with guest vocalists.  

Queen's influence on other musicians is incalculable. Their music features something for everyone: disco, glam, heavy metal, psychedelia, country, opera, gospel. The band made an art form out of composing songs for live audiences, effectively writing fan participation into the music. The fans did appreciate the varied, rich sound and melodies of Queen song and will continue to do so for a long time.