Screamin’s Favorite QUEEN Songs

My love for “QUEEN” music goes back to the late 70s while browsing through my sister Brenda’s record collection. Growing up, she didn’t have a big collection, but a few albums introduced me to some great music.

I love my sister dearly even if she put me in a dryer once. Yes, she and one of her friends told me it would be just like a carnival ride. Didn’t get hurt but I turned out ok, right?

One of the bands she had in her collection was, “QUEEN.” The first album was, “Sheer Heart Attack.” I had never heard music like this before. At the time I was an avid Beatles and Rolling Stones fan. But that album made me search for more from this band. The following are some of my favorite Queen songs.

• Queen - Don't Stop Me Now

   

  From the ,”JAZZ,” album. Queen lights a fuse on this song starting with some amazing piano playing from Freddy Mercury. Then John Deacon, Roger Taylor and Brian May kick it into high gear. Song written by Freddy about the band having a good time. The signature harmonies make it one of my favorites from the band.

• Queen - Hammer To Fall

  The Summer of 1984 I will never forget with the music blaring out on car stereos. Bands like, Van Halen’s 1984, The Cars, Rush, Bruce Springsteen, Deep Purple, and even Prince released great albums. Queen’s addition to that list was, “The Works,” album.  From the beginning riff of, “Hammer to Fall,” It was certain this release was telling the world that Queen is still a band to hang with at the cool kids’ table.

• Queen - Keep Yourself Alive

  “Keep Yourself Alive,” is the debut 45 Written by guitarist Brian May, it is the opening track on the band’s Debut (1973). It was released as Queen’s first single “Keep Yourself Alive” was largely ignored upon its release and failed to chart. Don’t know what people had on their stereo but how could you miss this song out of the gates of rock and roll?

• Queen - Fat Bottomed Girls

  I giggled as a kid first time listing to this song. In fact, the album, “JAZZ,” came with a poster with a bunch of naked girls all on bicycles that never made it to my childhood bedroom wall. Here’s a nugget of rock history. “Fat Bottom Girls” inspired the fictitious band, Spinal Tap’s song, “Big Bottom.”

• Queen - One Vision

  While some doubted if Queen was still a “rock band” by the mid-’80s, QUEEN silenced their critics by putting out one of their best all-time rock anthems, “One Vision,” in 1985. It was also a first in Queen’s history as never before had all four bandmembers co-written a song together. And the last line ends up the only rock song I know that ends with, “Fried Chicken.”

• Queen - You're My Best Friend

  Now everyone one time or another has dedicated this very QUEEN song to a best friend. Always brings a smile as you remember that certain somebody during the song. Drummer John Deacon wrote this song about his wife. Freddy loved the song but hated playing it on an electric piano.

• Queen - Radio Ga Ga

  The band’s nod to radio supported the band for many years. And with the popularity of music videos. They didn’t want people to forget the history of radio over the years. The song is pointed out as a favorite during, Queen’s Live Aid performance.

• Queen - Somebody To Love

   Queen’s 1976 album: A Day at the Races song “Somebody to Love” had vocal similarities to “Bohemian Rhapsody”. Freddy said the song is inspired by Aretha Franklin. Just missed cracking to the top 10 on the U.S. charts stopping at #13.

• Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody

  A Queen song so popular that it made the charts two times. I had to include this video because Freddy gave his blessing to use it in the movie. Kids in 1992 thought it was a new song not realizing it came out in 1975.

• Queen - Under Pressure

  One great collaboration between Queen and David Bowie. It all started when David Bowie dropped into Queen’s recording studio when Queen was recording their, Hot Spaces, album. Bowie didn’t know Freddy that well and then somehow they started writing a song together. Bowie had a lot of ideas that went into the song along with that iconic bass line.