Queen The Greatest – a celebration of 50 of the greatest songs, performances and achievements from the Queen story so far. To start the journey we revisit the song that started it all, Keep Yourself Alive.
Queen The Greatest - celebrating 50 of Queen's greatest moments. It's 1974 and the band get to follow in the footsteps of their heroes when they deliver three memorable sell out shows at London's prestigious venue, The Rainbow.
A look back at the single that brought Queen their first major chart success before going on to become one of the band's most recognised and well-loved compositions. A timeless classic, it continues to attract new fans and as recently as 2018 was covered by 5SOS.
As Queen's fan base started to grow outside the UK, so did the number of foreign cities featuring on the tour schedule. Each presented an exciting new experience for the band, and opportunity to connect with new fans from different countries, which is exactly what happened in November 1974 for one such 12 year old fan who had an extraordinary encounter with Freddie, Roger, Brian and John.
Continuing the celebration of some of Queen's greatest achievements so far, in this episode we revisit A Night At The Opera. Considered by many to be their best album, Queen's perilous financial situation at the time made this an incredibly risky leap of faith, creating a genuine make or break moment for the band.
Continuing the journey through some of Queen's outstanding moments from the last 50 years, we celebrate the extraordinary achievement that has seen all four members of the band write hit singles for Queen. The songs will be very familiar, but who composed them might come as a surprise. This week, we look at five hits penned by drummer, Roger Taylor.
"I remember being quite worried about it!" (Roger Taylor). A look back at Christmas Eve, 1975, as Queen prepare to perform a live concert for the first time in front of a TV and Radio audience of millions. Includes rare audio and images from the sound-check.
After the incredible success of A Night At The Opera and Bohemian Rhapsody, all eyes were on Queen to see what they would do next. As Freddie Mercury worked on his next composition, inspiration came from one of the world's finest singers and ended up with him, Brian and Roger becoming a Gospel choir. Was it better than Bohemian Rhapsody? The man himself thinks it might be...
Following their breakthrough year of 1975, Queen wanted to say thank you to their UK fans, and what better way than to stage an enormous free concert in London's Hyde Park. It was Queen's biggest show to date, and as rare interview and news footage from the time reveals, it truly was a night to remember.
An exclusive interview with Brian May revealing the inspiration behind not just one of Queen's greatest hits, but one of the most recognisable and loved songs in the history of rock music.
Continuing the celebration of one of Queen's most famous hits with an exclusive interview with Brian May. This episode Brian reveals the secrets of the track's iconic guitar solo.
Having celebrated We Will Rock You last week, this next episode has to be, of course, all about We Are The Champions. Freddie's anthem may have been 'the most egotistical thing I've ever written', but it is also the perfect crowd pleaser to bring any Queen show to a thundering climax.
A celebration of Queen's long lasting relationship with Japan which started when the band were overwhelmed by the extraordinary welcome at the airport when they arrived for their first tour in 1975.
Continuing our celebration of Queen's enduring relationship with Japan - highlighted by a smash hit Album release in 2004 and an extraordinary festival performance ten years later.
Continuing the journey through some of Queen's outstanding moments from the last 50 years, we celebrate the extraordinary achievement that has seen all four members of the band write hit singles for Queen. This week, we look at five iconic hits brought to the band by brilliant bassist, John Deacon.
After seven years together, Queen's dream of creative and financial independence finally comes true. A look behind the scenes at that pivotal moment, featuring archive footage of Freddie, John and Roger, as well as a rare interview with the band's long term manager, Jim Beach.
As the 70s draw to a close, a change of scenery and a song written in ten minutes by Freddie in the bath, finally delivers that elusive number 1 slot across the board in America.
Queen kick off the 1980's in style with what would become their biggest selling single ever. But in true Queen fashion, it was a song unlike any of their others, coming from an unlikely source, and representing another massive gamble.
An unusual venture sees Queen take on a movie soundtrack, with the band determined the resulting album should be as musically rewarding as their previous ones. Brian and Roger describe how this exciting project came about and broke new ground.
To mark the bands first decade, Queen's Greatest Hits was released - packed with 17 of their biggest hits to date. Today it's still the ultimate playlist, and the biggest selling UK album, ever.
Celebrating five of Queen's biggest hits, all written by the band's iconic lead guitarist - Brian May. Including classics such as "I Want It All", "Save Me" and, of course, "We Will Rock You".
Off the back of their tremendous success in North America, Queen are invited to venture into new territory and tour South America. It turns out to be one of their biggest challenges yet - but the response from the vast, enthusiastic crowds is beyond anything they could have imagined.
Celebrating what is, for many, the greatest collaboration in rock history. The story of how Queen were joined in Montreux by David Bowie, and a night of fooling around in the recording studio resulted in a number one single.
Having essentially invented the Music Video with Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen went on to create some of the most iconic promos in rock history. Here we celebrate a few of their finest, including a couple that upset the suits at MTV.
Celebrating another Queen classic, this time composed by Roger Taylor, which was not only a worldwide smash hit single, but also arguably the band's most distinctive video, as well as a year later at Live Aid, becoming one of the most memorable moments in the history of live music.
Celebrating the evolution of Freddie Mercury as the ultimate showman. From the beginning, Freddie understood the importance of winning a crowd, and over the years became the absolute master - culminating in one of the most iconic moments in music history at Live Aid in 1985.
Originally released on Queen's 1975 "A Night At The Opera" album, this beautifully unassuming ballad looked destined to be one of the band's hidden gems. Instead, it grew into an emotional duet that is a cornerstone moment in the Queen live show to this very day.
No celebration of Queen's greatest moments would be complete without a look back at their record breaking performance at Rock In Rio, featuring some rare interviews from the after show party.
Queen's finest 20 minutes? Hear from all four members of the band as we look back at Queen's stunning contribution to one of the most important and memorable events in music history.
A fascinating glimpse of Queen at work in the studio on the smash hit single "One Vision", which resulted from, at the time, a unique collaboration between all four band members....with added help from a Chinese Takeaway menu.
With just twenty minutes of rough footage to show, Director Russell Mulcahy hoped it would be enough to persuade Queen to write one song for his new movie. He ended up with an entire soundtrack that included some massive hits.
It's 1986 and preparations are underway for what would become Queen's biggest and most successful stadium tour. This is the first in a two part story going behind the scenes of the record breaking Magic Tour.
Continuing our look at Queen's record breaking Magic Tour. As the tour reaches its climax, and within just a few short weeks of each other, Queen play three of their most memorable and iconic gigs.
When it comes to their work in the studio, and their live performances on stage, Queen have reached iconic status. But in true rock n roll fashion, their ability to throw an extravagant party, is also legendary.
To complete the celebration of Queen's song writing prowess by looking at which band member wrote which hits, this week it's the turn of the majestic Freddie Mercury. Incredibly, despite some of his biggest hits having been covered in earlier episodes of this series, there were still plenty of absolute classics to choose from.
A look back at how Queen roared into the 1990's and celebrated their twentieth anniversary with the release of the Innuendo single and album, both of which entered the UK charts at number 1.
One of the cornerstones of the Queen sound, Brian May and his legendary Red Special guitar are an integral part of any Queen song or performance. Here Brian reveals how he approaches his unique live solos.
A look at the hugely influential contribution of Queen's very own Roger Taylor and how, despite his reluctance to do them, his brilliant drum solos have evolved over the years.
Determined to give their best friend the 'biggest send off in history', Roger, Brian, John and Jim Beach prepare a celebration concert that would become one of the most memorable nights in music history.
A look back at Queen's fastest selling studio album. Compiled by recordings made by Freddie in his last days, this was an emotionally challenging experience for Brian, Roger and John - but the results are stunning.
Revisiting the extraordinary collaboration between Queen, Versace and the revolutionary choreographer, Maurice Bejart (with some Mozart added for good measure!) - and featuring what would be John Deacon's final live performance.
Queen kick off the new millennium in style by taking London's West End by storm with their musical - We Will Rock You, which goes on to become a global phenomenon.
The story of how Brian and Roger found it impossible to ignore a phone call from Nelson Mandela saying "can you rescue my concert?"
A look back at the collaboration between Queen and Paul Rodgers that included a run of sell out tours around the world - with Brian and Roger performing in some cities for the first time, as well as revisiting some old favourites.
In 2012, for their first full shows together, Queen and Adam Lambert plan a short, introductory tour in Europe - but then a show in Kiev's Freedom Square, in front of a massive crowd of over 350,000 people and a TV audience of millions, is added at the beginning. This is the story of that first gig.
As the UK gears up for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, we look back at the Golden Jubilee in 2002 which resulted in one of the most iconic moments in rock history, courtesy of Brian May.
In 2018, the long awaited biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody, hit the movie screens and took the box office by storm. Not only did it set new records and enjoy incredible success at Awards ceremonies, it also introduced a whole new wave of fans to Queen's timeless music.
Queen The Greatest draws to a close with a two part look at Queen + Adam Lambert. This week looks at how the collaboration has enabled Brian and Roger to revisit some favourite venues and cities, while also enjoying spectacular new experiences.
Launching a brand new series of Queen The Greatest - a year long exploration into why Queen are regarded as the ultimate live act - this first episode features a brand new and exclusive interview with Brian May and Roger Taylor, as they reveal their rehearsal secrets.
Launching a brand new series of Queen The Greatest - a year long exploration into why Queen are regarded as the ultimate live act - this first episode features a brand new and exclusive interview with Brian May and Roger Taylor, as they reveal their rehearsal secrets.
Launching a brand new series of Queen The Greatest - a year long exploration into why Queen are regarded as the ultimate live act - this first episode features a brand new and exclusive interview with Brian May and Roger Taylor, as they reveal their rehearsal secrets.
Launching a brand new series of Queen The Greatest - a year long exploration into why Queen are regarded as the ultimate live act - this first episode features a brand new and exclusive interview with Brian May and Roger Taylor, as they reveal their rehearsal secrets.
Launching a brand new series of Queen The Greatest - a year long exploration into why Queen are regarded as the ultimate live act - this first episode features a brand new and exclusive interview with Brian May and Roger Taylor, as they reveal their rehearsal secrets.
Launching a brand new series of Queen The Greatest - a year long exploration into why Queen are regarded as the ultimate live act - this first episode features a brand new and exclusive interview with Brian May and Roger Taylor, as they reveal their rehearsal secrets.
Launching a brand new series of Queen The Greatest - a year long exploration into why Queen are regarded as the ultimate live act - this first episode features a brand new and exclusive interview with Brian May and Roger Taylor, as they reveal their rehearsal secrets.
Launching a brand new series of Queen The Greatest - a year long exploration into why Queen are regarded as the ultimate live act - this first episode features a brand new and exclusive interview with Brian May and Roger Taylor, as they reveal their rehearsal secrets.
Launching a brand new series of Queen The Greatest - a year long exploration into why Queen are regarded as the ultimate live act - this first episode features a brand new and exclusive interview with Brian May and Roger Taylor, as they reveal their rehearsal secrets.
Launching a brand new series of Queen The Greatest - a year long exploration into why Queen are regarded as the ultimate live act - this first episode features a brand new and exclusive interview with Brian May and Roger Taylor, as they reveal their rehearsal secrets.
Queen are undoubted masters of saving the best until last, and this extremely rare clip from their 1977 News Of The World tour demonstrates how We Are The Champions coupled with a spectacular lighting display was established as the ultimate finale.
At the Isle of Wight Festival in June 2016, Queen and Adam Lambert pulled out all the stops to deliver this powerhouse performance of Who Wants To Live Forever, backed by an incredible lighting display. It remains one of the most moving and memorable moments from a decade of Queen and Adam Lambert shows.
In this exclusive interview with Brian May and Roger Taylor, we discover the thinking behind some of their iconic live outfits. And it won't come as a surprise to anyone to discover which member of the band was most passionate about their choices of stage wear.
Enjoy a classic performance from Queen's legendary Night at The Odeon to revisit some spectacular Zandra Rhodes creations, and see how the Glam Rock era influenced their stage wear as well as their music.
Queen's musical evolution through the late 70's was fascinating, and their choice of stage wear echoed that compelling journey. In this episode, a compilation of three classic performances of Roger Taylor's hard hitting Sheer Heart Attack showcases how Queen were always ahead of the curve.
A compilation of performances of Under Pressure from some of Queen's most spectacular concerts throughout the 1980's, showcases a variety of iconic stage wear. It was a decade that saw Queen at the peak of their powers, and as this episode demonstrates, the live act continued to astound audiences around the world.
In this episode, Brian May and Roger Taylor exclusively reveal the secrets behind possibly the most crucial part of any Queen Live Show by revealing how they choose which songs to include, not to mention the order they come in, when constructing the all important Set List.
Highlighting how Queen were masters at creating a set list with an explosive opening, we return to Budapest in 1986, the site of one of the band's most legendary shows, to see that in glorious action.
With so many hit songs to choose from, when it comes to building a set list Queen were able to have fun with their selections and keep the audience on their toes with a few well placed surprises. In this episode, we see a pulsating performance of Dragon Attack end up featuring another crowd pleasing classic.
A chance to revisit a memorably moving moment from Queen's Wembley 86 concert which demonstrates how a beautiful ballad delivered with Freddie Mercury's stunning vocal, accompanied only by Brian May on an acoustic guitar, can be just as mesmerising as any of the band's stadium busting anthems.
In an exclusive interview with Roger Taylor and Brian May, we explore how some of Queen's masterful studio creations transferred to the stage and evolved into live classics - often in a very unexpected way.
Continuing our look at how Queen songs are adapted from studio to stage, we revisit one of the band's all time classics to witness how that transition can sometimes produce some startling and unexpected results.
Having committed to never simply standing on stage and recreating their studio recordings note for note, Queen have always enjoyed the freedom to improvise around even their biggest hits - as this rousing version of Another One Bites The Dust demonstrates.
A highlight of any Queen show is the rock and roll classic, Crazy Little Thing Called Love - a perfect opportunity for the band to truly let rip, and as evidenced in this clip from Japan, Brian, Roger, Freddie and John enjoy it as much as the audience does.
From the very beginning Queen proved themselves to be masters of studio recording - testing the limits of the technology to accommodate their exquisite overdubs and intricate harmonies. But, perhaps even more impressive, was their ability to recreate that on stage without the need for backing tapes or additional musicians - as demonstrated here at their iconic 1974 Rainbow Concert.
In this exclusive Queen The Greatest Live interview, Brian May and Roger Taylor reveal how they love to keep the audience on their toes with some well placed surprises. Guaranteed to create a special and unique experience for fans, and helping keep the band fresh on a long tour, it has led to some truly magical moments.
Queen may have been spoilt for choice when it came to packing their set lists with crowd pleasing hit songs of their own, but that didn't stop them from surprising the audience with some well placed covers of rock n roll classics, and giving them the full Queen treatment.
A chance to revisit another fan favourite from the Queen live set list. As Brian, Roger and John lay down the bombastic rhythm, Freddie struts his stuff onto the stage, much to the delight of the raucous crowds. So let me get right to the point, and leave you to enjoy Queen's explosive cover of the rock and roll classic, Big Spender.
When it comes to the audience experience being at the heart of everything Queen do, surprising the crowd has been the bedrock of every live show. And there can be no better example of that, than when in 1986 the band turned to a traditional Hungarian folk song to create a truly unforgettable moment.
In an exclusive interview for Queen The Greatest Live, Brian May and Roger Taylor describe the special relationship they share with the fans, and reveal how the audience interaction during the live show was not only vital to creating the atmosphere on the night, but helped shape how the tour evolved.
No Queen concert is ever short of songs that encourage the fans to sing along, and even before the now legendary combination of We Will Rock You and We Are The Champions provided the ultimate sing along finale, Queen had plenty of crowd pleasers that unified the audience into one massive chorus - such as In The Lap Of The Gods.
Freddie Mercury was the absolute master at engaging an audience in some vocal games. And as far as he was concerned the bigger the audience, the better. In this clip from Queen's now legendary 1982 concert at the Milton Keynes Bowl, Freddie sits on the edge of the stage, and challenges the vast, ecstatic crowd to match his vocal prowess...
As an example of band and audience in complete harmony, there are few better than the crowd clapping along to Radio Ga Ga. No matter the size of the venue, nor where in the world, everyone knows what to do - and the result is one of the most extraordinary sights and experiences in music.
If you're going to be the greatest live band in the world, having one of the greatest frontmen in rock and roll history certainly helps! Here, Freddie Mercury, the ultimate showman, reveals why entertaining visual theatrics are such a vital part of any Queen show.
More fascinating insights into Queen as a live band from their flamboyant, outrageous, and now legendary front man, Freddie Mercury. Here he explains how he sees his role on stage, and what he strives for every time he performs, no matter the size of the crowd.
Throughout their illustrious career, Queen have rocked many of the world's most iconic venues. Here, Brian May and Roger Taylor reveal some of their favourites, as well as recalling the moment when they took the remarkable leap from arena's and concert halls, to stadiums.
A visual medley encompassing some of the most iconic venues that Queen have performed in. And what better song to guide us through that journey than the incomparable Bohemian Rhapsody - a cornerstone of any Queen live set list.
Rock In Rio' is now a legendary event to participate in - and Queen headlined the inaugural festival in 1985, performing over two nights to a total of 400,000 people. One of the many stand out moments from those shows is Brian and Freddie's acoustic version of 'Love Of My Life', that prompted a truly jaw dropping singalong.
Queen may have captivated the world by taking their live shows to some of the most iconic venues across the globe, but there's something equally special playing to your home crowd. As such, their two nights at Wembley Stadium in 1986, remain among their most memorable and treasured performances. Let's enjoy a magical moment from those shows.
For any aspiring British musicians in the 1970s, a much sought after achievement was headlining at the legendary Rainbow Theatre. In 1974, Queen reached that particular pinnacle as they toured their brilliantly extravagant second album. As we can see here, they made the most of the opportunity with some truly memorable performances.
Anyone at a Queen live show never wants it to end, but building to a thundering climax is what this band does best! In an exclusive, brand new interview, Roger Taylor and Brian May share the trade secrets behind how they close a Queen show, revealing the role of the all important Encore, and how over the years the fans have learned the important role they have to play.
Although the triumphant finale of We Will Rock You and We Are The Champions is now an eagerly anticipated essential part of every Queen show, before those songs were written, Queen would break out a much loved classic to deliver a rousing climax to the ecstatic fans.
Anyone attending a concert during Queen's record breaking Magic Tour in 1986 could be forgiven for being convinced they knew which two songs would be the last on the set list. However, the band always had a few surprises up their sleeve, and the encore on this tour was no exception.
Brian May's foot stamping and hand clapping classic never fails to galvanise the whole audience into joining in, as its now legendary beat is too compelling to ignore. However, as we see in this montage of some of Queen's live shows, an added flourish from Freddie ensured the song's unifying effect stretched beyond those in the crowd.
In an exclusive interview, Brian May and Roger Taylor explain how the Queen live show has changed in the 21st Century, and the tricky balance of embracing new technology while retaining the more traditional aspects that Queen fans know and love. From a sea of mobile phones to flaming drum stools, all is revealed in Queen The Greatest Live.
ne of the great joys of a Queen show is watching the band twist their standards into bold new shapes. In this delve back into the Queen + Paul Rodgers archive, proving a great song can be presented in a thousand different ways, we see a complete reimagining of Hammer To Fall, with the familiar headbanging opening imaginatively reworked, albeit temporarily, into a heart rendering ballad.
Over the last decade, the Queen + Adam Lambert tours have treated fans to performances of songs that never appeared on the 70s and 80s set lists. In Japan in 2014, the band unleashed this high energy rendition of I Was Born To Love You, and were duly given an ecstatic reaction from the fans.
When it comes to Queen songs that resonate emotionally with the fans, few are as powerful as These Are The Days Of Our Lives. It has proved to be an electrifying moment in any set list from the last 20 years, as can be witnessed by this Roger Taylor led vocal performance from 2005.
In every Queen performance over the last 30 years, there can be no doubt Freddie is always in the hearts and minds of the band and the audience. In this episode we look at a couple of the moments in the set list where the legacy of the greatest frontman ever to grace the stage is honoured and ecstatically celebrated.
As the curtain closes on our Queen The Greatest Live series, we look back at the 100 episodes to enjoy some of the iconic performances, songs and moments that illustrate just why Queen are The Greatest. Thanks for watching!
To mark the release of the remixed, remastered and extended Queen 1 Boxset, Brian May and Roger Taylor recall the rocky road that led to the recording of their eponymous debut album. In this opening episode, we hear how an opportunity to be a test band for a brand new studio provides the all important breakthrough they had been desperately searching for.
To mark the release of the remixed, remastered and extended Queen 1 Boxset, Brian May and Roger Taylor recall the rocky road that led to the recording of their eponymous debut album. In this opening episode, we hear how an opportunity to be a test band for a brand new studio provides the all important breakthrough they had been desperately searching for.
Following the recent release of The Night Comes Down as a single, taken from the Queen 1 Boxset, Brian May picks up his original acoustic guitar to exclusively demonstrate how he achieved the song's distinctive sound, and reveal the inspiration behind the deeply personal lyrics.