So what do you get when a botany honours graduate, a graphics designer, an astrophysicist and an electronics honours genius get together to make some music? One of the best rock bands in the history of music of course. As is justly said by music critic Rickey Wright, “Queen brought a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘over the top’ The quartet’s canny sense of melody and sophisticated vocal harmonies–not to mention Mercury’s raised eyebrow–have travelled well through the years.” The band was formed in 1969 but it was not until 1974 that they marked their first milestone in rock music, and it is also the period, which made music reach an all new landmark. What makes Queen’s music so different from the others in the age is their originality, flow, diversity, zeal and the ability to connect with their audience. And Queen- Greatest Hits 1 gives you just that. It is a culmination of all their biggest highlights from the period of 1974 to 1981. And as is unanimously declared according to popular demand and global votes, out of all the three compilations, Queen’s Greatest Hits 1 is arguably the best Greatest Hits compilation ever released by any band. This best selling album of UK was first released in November 1981 under the label of EMI/ Parlophone. Although a US version later became available with quite a few editions, the UK version with its 17 hit singles remains the one still in popular demand. The U.S. however was able to add “Under Pressure” (Queen’s duet with David Bowie) to its collection, as it was released during that interim of the month taken by the album to be released in the US. The album opens with Bohemian Rhapsody, perhaps Queen’s most famous song till date, which with its blend of various musical styles including acappella, ballad, guitar solo, opera and hard rock in one piece of music created a whole new definition of fusion in rock. The same versatility can be seen throughout the album, with each song an original magnum opus in its own rights. And though it wouldn’t be wholly fair to mention just a handful, their other famous favourites include Another One Bites the Dust, Killer Queen, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Somebody to Love, Play the Game and the unanimously loved, We Will Rock You and We Are the Champions, whose covers can be seen being done by many a famous artist to this date. The multi-layered crazy vocal harmonies of these songs definitely heighten their appeal. The lyrics for all their songs have mostly been written by Freddie Mercury, the founder of the band, and consist of a lot of experimentation and innovation, which has played a vital role in the success of Queen’s music. With more than 60 platinum certifications and millions of copies sold till date, Queen has not just become music but a way of life and the Queen Greatest Hits 1 album is a must keep for every new and true Queen fan]]>
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