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Queen is een Engelse rockgroep. De band is opgericht in 1970 in Londen door gitarist Brian May, zanger Freddie Mercury en drummer Roger Taylor, aangevuld met bassist John Deacon in 1971. Met tientallen hits in de jaren zeventig, tachtig en negentig, is Queen een van de succesvolste rockbands in de geschiedenis.

De band staat bekend om de muzikale veelzijdigheid, de gelaagde arrangementen, harmonieën (zoals in Somebody to Love goed te horen is) en de krachtige liveoptredens. Het optreden tijdens Live Aid in 1985 werd 20 jaar later verkozen tot het beste liveoptreden aller tijden.

Queens grote doorbraak begon in 1974 met de singles Killer Queen en Now I'm Here van het album Sheer Heart Attack en een jaar later met het album A Night at the Opera met de nummer 1-hit Bohemian Rhapsody. Queen heeft in totaal vijftien studioalbums, zeven livealbums, twee ep's, tien dvd's, meerdere verzamelalbums en tientallen 7”-, 12” en cd-singles uitgebracht. Ook hebben alle bandleden solo-projecten ondernomen. Naar schatting heeft de band wereldwijd meer dan 300 miljoen albums verkocht, waardoor ze een van de meest succesvolle bands ter wereld is.

Na Mercury's overlijden in 1991 heeft John Deacon zich, op enkele optredens na, teruggetrokken uit het publieke leven. De laatste keer dat John Deacon met Brian May en Roger Taylor optrad, was in 1997 voor het “Queen + Béjart Ballet for Life” concert. Elton John fungeerde als gastzanger voor dit eenmalige gelegenheidsoptreden. May en Taylor bleven samenwerken. Van 2005 tot 2008 deden ze dit met de Britse zanger Paul Rodgers. Onder de naam Queen + Paul Rodgers is een nieuw studioalbum opgenomen en zijn twee wereldtournees gehouden. Sinds 2011 tourt Queen rond met American Idol deelnemer, zanger Adam Lambert. May en Taylor brengen met enige regelmaat archiefmateriaal van Queen uit. Zo werd in 2014 een nieuw compilatiealbum uitgebracht: Queen Forever. Op dit album staan twee niet eerder uitgebrachte nummers en een remake van Freddies eerste solo-single, “Love Kills”. Eén van de nieuwe tracks is een duet tussen Queen-zanger Freddie Mercury en de in 2009 overleden Amerikaanse zanger Michael Jackson. Verder bestaat het album vooral uit geremasterde versies van eerder uitgebrachte nummers.

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 is certified 9x 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 and Adam Lambert.

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, and in 2018 were presented the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.