Queen are a British
rock band formed in London in 1970 by
Freddie Mercury (lead vocals, piano),
Brian May (guitar, vocals), and
Roger Taylor (drums, vocals), later joined by
John Deacon (bass). Their earliest works were influenced by
progressive rock,
hard rock and
heavy metal, but the band gradually ventured into more conventional and radio-friendly works by incorporating further styles, such as
arena rock and
pop rock.
Before forming Queen, May and Taylor had played together in the band
Smile. Mercury was a fan of Smile and encouraged them to experiment with more elaborate stage and recording techniques. He joined in 1970 and suggested the name "Queen". Deacon was recruited in February 1971, before the band released their
self-titled debut album in 1973. Queen first charted in the UK with their second album,
Queen II, in 1974.
Sheer Heart Attack later that year and
A Night at the Opera in 1975 brought them international success. The latter featured "
Bohemian Rhapsody", which topped the
UK singles chart for nine weeks and helped popularise the music video format. The band's 1977 album
News of the World contained "
We Will Rock You" and "
We Are the Champions", which have become
anthems at sporting events. By the early 1980s, Queen were one of the biggest stadium rock bands in the world. "
Another One Bites the Dust" from
The Game (1980) became their best-selling single, and their 1981 compilation album
Greatest Hits is the
best-selling album in the UK and has been certified
9× Platinum in the US by the
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Their performance at the 1985
Live Aid concert is ranked among the greatest in rock history by various publications. In August 1986, Mercury gave his last performance with Queen at
Knebworth, England.
Mercury was diagnosed with
AIDS in 1987. The band released two more albums:
The Miracle in 1989 and
Innuendo in 1991. On 23 November 1991, Mercury publicly revealed his AIDS diagnosis, and the next day died of
bronchopneumonia, a complication of AIDS. One more album was released featuring Mercury's vocals, 1995's
Made in Heaven. Deacon retired in 1997, while May and Taylor continued to make sporadic appearances together. Since 2004, they have toured as "
Queen +", with vocalists
Paul Rodgers (until 2009) and
Adam Lambert (since 2011).
Queen have been a global presence in popular culture for more than half a century. Estimates of their record sales range from 250 million to 300 million, making them one of the world's
best-selling music artists. In 1990, Queen received the
Brit Award for
Outstanding Contribution to British Music. They were inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, and with each member having composed hit singles, all four were inducted into the
Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003. In 2005, they received the
Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Song Collection from the
British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors. In 2018, they were presented the
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and they were awarded the
Polar Music Prize in 2025.