{"id":47750,"date":"2015-08-09T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-08-09T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/features\/killer-queen\/"},"modified":"2026-07-04T11:40:25","modified_gmt":"2026-07-04T11:40:25","slug":"killer-queen","status":"publish","type":"feature","link":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/features\/killer-queen\/","title":{"rendered":"Killer Queen"},"content":{"rendered":"

My mom recently moved out of my childhood home, packing up twenty years, two hundred Beanie Babies, countless CDs, and two bulldogs for an epic cross-country move. But what didn\u2019t make it onto the moving truck was my Wall Of Queen, the massive collage that I spent most of my adolescence and teen years carefully curating. It was made of lyrics scrawled directly onto the paint, pictures of Freddie Mercury with and without his signature mustache, vinyl records (used for decoration seeing as I don\u2019t actually own a record player)\u2026over time, some other interlopers made it onto the Wall, like when I got deep into Guns \u2018N\u2019 Roses and a weird period where I was obsessed with the 2005 remake of Charlie And The Chocolate Factory. But mostly, this was an enduring, room-wide dedication to the band that got me into music and stole my heart over a decade ago. And so, in homage to the Wall \u2013 and because words are a lot more permanent than double-sided tape \u2013 I\u2019ve decided to try and wrestle through a ranking of every Queen album, from their entry onto the scene in 1973 with their auspicious self-titled debut to the band\u2019s own collage and homage to Mercury (1995\u2019s Made In Heaven, <\/i>released after his death). Without further ado\u2026<\/p>\n

1. A Night At The Opera (1975)<\/b>\"queen_anight\"<\/p>\n

As Highlander <\/i>says, \u201cThere can be only one.\u201d And of course, this is the ultimate Queen statement, the album that sent them soaring into the stratosphere. For good reason, too: even putting aside the untouchable, legendary \u201cBohemian Rhapsody,\u201d this disc created a totally cohesive statement from some of the most diverse, often decidedly un-rock \u2018n\u2019 roll elements. What other band could sandwich a crunching ode to autophilia sung by the drummer (\u201cI\u2019m In Love With My Car\u201d) with a sweet, tender pop song written by the bassist (\u201cYou\u2019re My Best Friend\u201d) and a folk tune about suspended animation (\u201c\u201939\u201d) written and sung by the guitarist? It\u2019s an incredible testament to this fearsome foursome (guitarist Brian May, bassist John Deacon, drummer Roger Taylor, and frontman Freddie Mercury), whose individual creative visions combine to make something truly special that has stood the test of time.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

2. News Of The World (1977)<\/b>\"queen_news\"<\/p>\n

In a last minute switch-up, I demoted A Night At The Opera\u2019s <\/i>twin sibling A Day At The Races<\/i> and swapped in this disc. Home to two of the most famous Queen songs of all time (I still get a twinge of happiness when I hear the stomp-stomp-clap at basketball games), this album found Queen on the cusp of punk but still doing things their own way. So while you get songs like the raucous \u201cSheer Heart Attack,\u201d there\u2019s also the haunting harmonies dedicated Brian May\u2019s deceased cat (\u201cAll Dead, All Dead\u201d), jaunty maracas on \u201cWho Needs You,\u201d and the gloriously bluesy \u201cSpread Your Wings.\u201d Meanwhile, I think I listened to \u201cIt\u2019s Late\u201d every single day for a year, a delightfully underrated slab of rock goodness that pairs nicely with the closer, Mercury\u2019s boozy, subdued \u201cMy Melancholy Blues.\u201d News Of The World <\/i>was Queen on top of the world, and for good reason.<\/p>\n

3. The Game (1980)<\/b>\"queen_thegame\"<\/p>\n

This was the first Queen album to contain synthesizers, a concession to the \u201880s that worked well enough on this disc but would come to haunt them on later forays. The singles from The Game <\/i>are still staples on classic rock radio: John Deacon bringing disco to the band (and getting his first #1 single) on \u201cAnother One Bites The Dust\u201d and the Elvis-inspired \u201cCrazy Little Thing Called Love\u201d (written by Freddie in his bathtub!). Meanwhile, \u201cPlay The Game\u201d is a fun foray into synths and featured the debut of Mercury\u2019s mustache in the video, while the Brian May-penned \u201cSave Me\u201d is one of their best ballads ever. This is one of the more straightforward Queen discs, solidly enjoyable but a little less baroque than their prior outings.<\/p>\n

4. A Day At The Races (1976)<\/b>\"queen_aday\"<\/p>\n

This was always the disc I turned to when I had played A Night At The Opera <\/i>too many times. As any doomed follow-up to a beloved predecessor, this release always gets a bit of flack. But while less ambitious than Opera, <\/i>it\u2019s hard to quibble with the epic tenderness and soaring harmonies of \u201cSomebody To Love\u201d or the joyous frivolity of \u201cGood Old-Fashioned Lover Boy.\u201d Some tracks misfire: \u201cDrowse\u201d lives up to its name, and \u201cThe Millionaire Waltz\u201d becomes indulgent at times. Still, stay tuned for closer \u201cTeo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together),\u201d the band\u2019s dedication to their time in Japan, a reminder that amid Queen\u2019s massive hits, there are still forgotten gems to be unearthed. <\/p>\n

5. Sheer Heart Attack (1974)<\/b>\"queen_sheer\"<\/p>\n

Sheer Heart Attack<\/i> was a band on the verge of a breakthrough. \u201cKiller Queen\u201d was their first big single, veering away from their hard rock roots and announcing their devotion to meticulous arrangements. May\u2019s guitar provides a crystal-clear tone that is so recognizably his own, while the multitracked harmonies create the embracing tonal ambiance that is signature Queen. Songs like the chugging, layered \u201cNow I\u2019m Here\u201d and the gorgeously swaying \u201cIn The Lap Of The Gods…Revisited\u201d remained concert staples through their career, connecting Queen with their early sound even as they charted new waters. Sheer Heart Attack <\/i>is a little piecemeal as a record, but it gives a glimpse of the band\u2019s ambitions, as they would only stay on the brink for so long. <\/p>\n

6. Innuendo (1991)<\/b>\"queen_innuendo\"<\/p>\n

Innuendo <\/i>is always a tough listen, released right before Mercury\u2019s untimely death in 1991; it\u2019s the textbook definition of bittersweet. From the suitably epic, slow-burning opener \u201cInnuendo,\u201d the pure, roiling rock of \u201cHeadlong,\u201d and the haunting falsetto and spare instrumentation on \u201cDon\u2019t Try So Hard,\u201d this disc is a fitting testament to Mercury\u2019s legacy. I don\u2019t feel it\u2019s an overstatement to call closer \u201cThe Show Must Go On\u201d \u2013 in which Mercury downed a shot, then belted out one of his final and finest vocal performances \u2013 a testament to the power of the human spirit.<\/p>\n

6. Queen II (1974)<\/b>\"queen_ii\"<\/p>\n

I waffled on how to slot Queen II <\/i>and Queen, <\/i>which I view as two halves of the same whole: a breathlessly young yet wildly inventive rock band navigating their way into the music scene. But I went with Queen II <\/i>because it seems to have the most threads to the band\u2019s later sound: from the elegant and masterful arrangements on \u201cWhite Queen (As It Began)\u201d to the tone-shifting free-for-all on the six-minute \u201cMarch Of The Black Queen\u201d \u2013 not to mention some positively epic soloing from May on \u201cFather To Son\u201d \u2013 it\u2019s fascinating to spin this one and see the nascent roots of greatness already beginning to burgeon and flower. <\/p>\n

7. Queen (1973)<\/b>\"queen_s-t\"<\/p>\n

Queen\u2019s first statement as a band is a far harder rocking affair than we\u2019d come to think of Queen \u2013 it\u2019s almost Zeppelin or Sabbath-esque in heaviness, with a lyrical spirit akin to Tolkien. Opener \u201cKeep Yourself Alive\u201d is sparkling and catchy with a chunky guitar line and pre-signature Queen harmonies, while \u201cLiar\u201d is their first foray into ever-changing tonal shifts, from pleading balladry to an all-out rock breakdown. It\u2019s incredible that this early set of tunes has such a self-assured energy to it, and it set the stage well for Queen to conquer the rock world.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

8. Jazz (1978)<\/b>\"queen_jazz\"<\/p>\n

Jazz <\/i>is a bit of a mixed bag, released hot on the heels of some of Queen\u2019s biggest singles. But this is the sound of a band having some fun \u2013 what else can account for \u201cFat Bottomed Girls\u201d and \u201cBicycle Race\u201d? Still, the spirited \u201cDon\u2019t Stop Me Now,\u201d in which Mercury awards himself the nickname \u201cMr. Fahrenheit,\u201d is always a joy to listen to, and \u201cDreamer\u2019s Ball\u201d is a lovely slow waltz. I tend to skip over some of the cuts here, like opener \u201cMustapha\u201d and the on-the-nose \u201cLet Me Entertain You.\u201d Jazz <\/i>finds Queen in kind of a holding period, rejiggering themselves in tune with the new sounds of the time. <\/p>\n

9. Made In Heaven (1995)<\/b>\"queen_madein\"<\/p>\n

I actually like this album quite a bit and was surprised at my own ranking of it; but to be fair, this patchwork quilt of songs released posthumously in 1995 doesn\u2019t quite live up to the \u201calbum\u201d experience precisely because it\u2019s culled from outtakes and old songs from before Mercury\u2019s death. Still, the songs themselves are all lovely (if at times overproduced), particularly Mercury\u2019s version of the Brian May solo track \u201cToo Much Love Will Kill You,\u201d the heartbreaking final Mercury performance \u201cMother Love,\u201d and \u201cIt\u2019s A Beautiful Day,\u201d which manages to make an ephemeral ballad out of a snippet of Mercury\u2019s vocals rescued from The Game <\/i>outtakes. Made In Heaven <\/i>is a tender, worthy ode to Mercury\u2019s memory. <\/p>\n

10. The Works (1984)<\/b>\"queen_theworks\"<\/p>\n

Smack in the synth-laden era comes The Works, <\/i>which followed up the much-derided Hot Space. <\/i>There are some good tracks to be found here \u2013 \u201cHammer Fall\u201d is a Cold War rock \u2018n\u2019 roll jam, \u201cI Want To Break Free\u201d features the cross-dressing video that got the band banned from television, and \u201cIt\u2019s A Hard Life\u201d is a baroque Mercury love ballad as only he could do \u2013 but songs like \u201cMachines (Or Back To Humans)\u201d and \u201cKeep Passing The Open Windows\u201d sound overlong and dated. This is a Queen disc that needed a little more of the Queen spirit \u2013 that wacky inventiveness that sets them apart. <\/p>\n

11. A Kind Of Magic (1986)<\/b>\"queen_akind\"<\/p>\n

This batch of songs was released as an accompaniment to the Highlander <\/i>film, and it\u2019s pure \u201880s Queen fun. Though not as lyrically deft as some of their other material, the bouncy energy of \u201cOne Vision\u201d and \u201cA Kind Of Magic\u201d are endlessly listenable, while \u201cWho Wants To Live Forever\u201d is a gorgeous, enduring standout \u2013 and one of Mercury\u2019s best vocal performances to boot (check out the Live At Wembley \u201986<\/i> version, too). Tracks like \u201cGimme The Prize\u201d and \u201cDon\u2019t Lose Your Head\u201d are unnecessary, but skip past them and you\u2019ll have something that approximates a solid, if fluffy Queen album. <\/p>\n

12. Hot Space (1982)<\/b>\"queen_hotspace\"<\/p>\n

Ah, Hot Space,<\/i> probably the most roundly despised of all Queen discs. They fully embraced disco and synths on this one, but there are actually some forgotten gems to be found amid this thoroughly \u201880s hodgepodge \u2013 and no, not just \u201cUnder Pressure!\u201d The guitar solo on \u201cBack Chat\u201d is delicious, as are Mercury\u2019s sultry vocal stylings, while \u201cStaying Power\u201d is throwaway fun with its punchy horn section (though it\u2019s even better live), and \u201cLas Palabras De Amor\u201d is a nice love song. Hot Space <\/i>doesn\u2019t deserve all the hate it gets, but it\u2019s definitely not an album you\u2019ll listen to regularly.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

13. The Miracle (1989)<\/b>\"queen_themiracle\"<\/p>\n

One of Queen\u2019s most forgotten albums, and probably for good reason. The Miracle was <\/i>recorded amidst Mercury\u2019s HIV diagnosis and the dissolution of May\u2019s marriage, and this disc pulls between themes of self-examination and dissolution. Skip \u201cParty\u201d and \u201cKhashoggi\u2019s Ship,\u201d but revel in Mercury\u2019s throaty vocals and the triumphant harmonies on \u201cI Want It All,\u201d as well as the rip-roaring guitar solo from \u201cScandal.\u201d It\u2019s telling that even on one of their patchiest albums, there are still standout hits and forgotten treasures to be found. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Queen Albums Ranked Best to Worst<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":48,"featured_media":49064,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"tags":[],"feature_type":[32],"class_list":["post-47750","feature","type-feature","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","feature_type-feature"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/feature\/47750","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/feature"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/feature"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/48"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/feature\/47750\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49064"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47750"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47750"},{"taxonomy":"feature_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/feature_type?post=47750"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}