Queen

Few bands embodied the fearless creativity and attitude of 1970s rock like Queen. Embracing the exaggerated pomp of prog rock and heavy metal and the quaintness of vaudevillian music hall in equal measure, the British quartet colored their complex arrangements with camp and bombast, creating a huge, mock-operatic sound layered with guitars and overdubbed vocals. For years, their albums boasted the motto "no synthesizers were used on this record," signaling their allegiance with post- hard rock bands. But balancing this seriousness, vocalist brought an extravagant sense of fun to Queen, pushing them toward kitschy humor and pseudo-classical arrangements as epitomized in their best-known song, "Bohemian Rhapsody." Blessed with an extensive range and perfect pitch, was one of the most charismatic and technically gifted rock singers of his generation, his larger-than-life reputation bolstered by a wry, outspoken sense of humor and an array of era-defining stage costumes. Through his legendary theatrical performances, Queen became one of the most popular bands in the world in the mid-'70s, topping the charts in England and regularly cracking the Billboard 200 Top Ten with albums like 1975's A Night at the Opera, 1976's A Day at the Races, and 1977's News of the World. They also shifted stylistic gears seemingly at will, dipping into funk and disco; a trait that helped make songs like 1980's bass-driven "Another One Bites the Dust" into worldwide hits. The band retained a fanatical following into the '80s, earning three number one albums in the U.K. with 1980's The Game, 1986's A Kind of Magic, and 1989's The Miracle. They garnered yet more pop culture fame along the way.