2008 Queen

They are the champions, my friend! And they will, they will rock you! The British rock band Queen hit the scene in the mid-1970s. The highlight of their music was the voice and operatic style of singer Freddie Mercury. They were one of the first glam-rock bands and they are credited with the making of the first music video. Queen concerts were festivals of light and sound the likes of which fans had never seen before. The '70s saw the beginning of Stadium Rock, screaming electric guitars, and crazy skin- tight outfits for men. Queen was the most influential band of the time although the depth of their influence wasn't really recognized until later down the line.

Now Queen returns to the big stage with Paul Rodgers taking the place of the late Freddie Mercury. Tickets to Queen with Paul Rodgers on tour will be selling out fast, because time has only increased the band's popularity and a whole new generation of fans is waiting for their chance to experience the whimsical and passionate music of Queen.

Queen's music has elements of heavy metal, progressive rock, psychedelia and vaudevillian features that made their live concerts so impressive and exotic. The song 'Bohemian Rhapsody' is an example of the epic storytelling and whimsical style of Queen's music. It also showed the versatile nature of Freddie Mercury's voice with its a capella parts and wild operatic vocal devices. They released the song in 1975 with a promotional video that became the first modern music video. 'Bohemian Rhapsody' became a hit all over again, thanks to Wayne, Garth, and friends' head-bobbing rendition in Mike Myers' 1992 movie, Wayne's World.

The original members of Queen were Freddie Mercury (piano and vocals), Brian May (guitars, piano and vocals), Roger Meadows-Taylor (drums, percussion and vocals), and John Deacon (bass guitar and rhythm guitar). They played together for a long time, releasing 17 albums as a band and 7 after the passing of their lead man. Freddie Mercury died at the age of 45 from AIDS in November of 1991. A benefit concert held in his honor featured many of the popular artists of the '80s and '90s who had been influenced by his music. In 2002, Queens's songs were featured as the theatrical material for a musical called 'We Will Rock You.'

Many bands of the '70s were playing heavy metal and staging elaborate concerts, but none were as successful as Queen with their pyrotechnics, magnificent lighting choreography and other dramatic elements that turned the shows into theatrical events. You get much more than the music when you buy tickets to a Queen concert. With some new and old members, the band Queen is embarking on another great tour. You hear their songs on TV and in film, at sporting events and on the radio. Get tickets to Queen in concert and hear their music the way it was meant to be heard.