I was always aware of Queen, I imagine, in the background of my life, but it was 1980’s “Another One Bites The Dust” that brought the band to the forefront of my attention.
Later that year the Flash Gordon movie came out. I was a fan of Flash Gordon, having watched the serials, so this big screen version was eagerly anticipated. What I wasn’t prepared for was how excellent the soundtrack would be.
Well, that was it. I was a fan of the band. I would pay more attention when their songs came on the radio. I’d hear a song and realize that it was Queen that I had been hearing all these years and enjoying, just not realizing it.
Over the ensuing years I would pay more attention to the singles the band put out. It wasn’t until a few years later that I would purchase my first Queen albums (News Of The World and A Night At The Opera) but I would certainly count myself as a fan. So much so that half the reason for wanting to see Highlander when it was released in theaters was because Queen did the soundtrack.
While they continued to make music their output wasn’t as popular after this point. Part of this was due to a change in record company and the promotion just wasn’t there.
Over the years as I had not only listed to a lot of Queen, but watched a few concert videos. Never having had the opportunity to see the band live, these concert videos were the next best thing for me. Then there was their appearance at Live Aid. Apparently the mid-80s were a high point for Queen.
Somehow this is a band I have a very spotty collection of. There are albums I have on vinyl, cassette and CD, but even accounting for each format I only have maybe half the band’s catalog. I need to rectify this.