The definitive Queen playlist

Sure, Queen is responsible for some of the most intricate and creative rock music of all time. However, the band also produced a truly memorable theme to 1980's Flash Gordon. There are a couple of versions, including one that offers dialogue from the movie itself, but either one features a stellar opening bass line from John Deacon. While the song failed to crack the Top 40 on Billboard's Hot 100 in the United States, it was a top-10 hit in the United Kingdom.

It might be a surprise for some to learn that 1980's The Game is the only Queen album to top the Billboard 200 in the U.S. Then again, the band's popularity was growing thanks to both classic rock and Top 40 radio playing their music. "Play the Game" is the opening number from the album, and it sounded a bit strange to longtime Queen fans since it incorporated the synthesizer into the band's repertoire — something not done on previous records. Still, Freddie Mercury is vocally at his best, those legendary Queen harmonies are tight, and Brian May continued to shred on lead guitar.

Reportedly, the famed Tour de France cycling race inspired Freddie Mercury to write what became one of Queen's most recognizable hits. "Bicycle Race" is a quirky track, much like the rest of the Jazz (1978) album on which it resides. The song has almost a Broadway musical flare to it. Still, it reached No. 24 on the Hot 100 in the U.S. and was a top-15 hit in the United Kingdom. 

Queen generated plenty of praise and critical acclaim via its first three albums, but 1975's A Night at the Opera essentially turned the band into true international stars. The band's first Platinum record was a hodge-podge of sound, really. "You're My Best Friend" would fall into that category. Penned by bassist John Deacon for his wife, the tune reached No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States.

Guitarist Brian May wrote "The Show Must Go On" while Freddie Mercury's health continued to deteriorate from an AIDS diagnosis that was not made public at the time. Despite his ailing health, Mercury delivered a beyond admirable vocal performance on the highlight of 1991's Innuendo, the band's last studio album released while Mercury was still alive. He died nine months later, but the song remains a fitting tribute to Mercury's spirit and passion to perform while under the toughest of circumstances. 

From 1984's The Works, "Radio Ga Ga" was written by drummer Roger Taylor. It's about the the once powerful medium of radio and its place within the age of music television. Interestingly, the song's video, which features clips from the historically significant 1920s silent science fiction-film Metropolis, was nominated for an MTV Video Music Award. It's also an example of Taylor's importance to the band beyond his dependable drumming.

Queen's first two albums, released in the 1973 and '74, respectively, might be best described as grandiose in terms of the overall sound. Undeniably progressive, Queen II has long been considered by critics as the band's hardest-sound record. "The March of the Black Queen" is an epic moment on the album, clocking in at just over six-and-a-half minutes. Combining Queen's trademark overlapping harmonies with Brian May's shredding guitar ability, this track is a must-listen for those new fans to the band. 

With its third record, Sheer Heart Attack (1974), Queen veered from the progressive rock approach of the first two albums to something more mainstream. Not exactly pop, but more accessible to a broader range of fans that spanned most pop and rock landscapes. This Freddie Mercury song about a high-priced sex worker was the band's first big hit in the United States — peaking at No. 12 on Billboard's Hot 100. He's also responsible for all the notable piano work on the tune.

A shortened instrumental version of "Seven Seas of Rhye" can be found on Queen's self-titled debut from 1973, but the full 2-minute, 47-second piece closes out Queen II. Yet, there's a much bigger sound and powerful punch packed into that tight time frame. Freddie Mercury is again splendid on the piano. The second — or Black — side of Queen II delves into many works of fantasy, and this song completes it to perfection. 

Another highlight from Jazz, "Don't Stop Me Now" is really Queen collectively at its best. From Freddie Mercury's rollicking piano work to those always-brilliant layered harmonies to a brief, but nifty drum fill from Roger Taylor to John Deacon's always-solid bass playing to another perfect guitar break from Brian May. Then again, Queen has always been made up of four-parts brilliance, though Freddie tended to often steal the show. The track went to No. 1 on the U.K. Rock & Metal chart. 

Queen went rockabilly with "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" from The Game. The brain-child of Freddie Mercury, who delivered some Elvis swagger, and even played rhythm guitar during live shows on this Queen favorite. It was also the first song from the band to reach No. 1 on the Hot 100, and it held that spot for four straight weeks. Check out Dwight Yoakim's stellar 1999 version of the song that peaked at No. 12 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, too.

Brian May wrote what could be considered a Queen ballad for the 1986 fantasy-action film Highlander. "Who Wants to Live Forever" is a rather grandiose piece, which also appeared on 1986's A Kind of Magic. It also seemed the song received more attention following Mercury's death in November 1991 — especially since his AIDS diagnosis wasn't released publicly until the day before he died. Seal's performance of the song at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in 1992 has often been considered a significant highlight of the event.

"I Want to Break Free" from The Works is a solid piece music, written by bassist John Deacon, that enjoyed expansive success as single throughout the Europe (hitting No. 3 in the U.K.). But the track is likely best known for its controversial music video, which featured each member of Queen dressed in drag. Like the aforementioned "Radio Ga Ga," Queen still made the synthesizer a part of its 1980s repertoire even though The Works, as a collection, harkened back to Queen's hard rock days of the '70s.

Queen will never be mistaken for a thrash band. However, there are plenty of music critics who feel "Stone Cold Crazy" is one of the early examples of thrash metal. From Sheer Heart Attack, this track was faster than anything Queen did before and arguably after. Queen's innovative sound influenced countless bands, but "Stone Cold Crazy" left a lasting impression on some of the biggest thrash metal bands of all time. Notably, Metallica, which covered the song in the early 1990s, serving as the B-side to its massive hit "Enter Sandman."

The longest-recorded Queen song at 8 minutes, 21 seconds, "The Prophet's Song" is another epic, progressive performance from Queen. Even a bit trippy at times, the piece is something more associated with the group's first two albums, but it eventually found a home on A Night at the Opera. Conjured from a dream an ill Brian had, "The Prophet's Song" is certainly in the running for the best Queen deep cut and a song that any casual fan of the band should make a point to experience.

Technically these are separate songs — the first two tracks from 1977's News of the World — but the segue from one song to the other, and short length of both, made it easy for radio stations to play without taking up two much air time. Over the years, of course, the songs have turned into anthems. "We Will Rock You," written by Brian May, is played religiously at sporting events on all levels. The Freddie Mercury-penned "We Are the Champions" is also a sports-related staple and been played in countless films.

We won't give Vanilla Ice full credit for keeping "Under Pressure" relevant 10 years after its 1981 release as a single — one year before being included on Queen's Hot Space record. However, the controversial sample of the track on "Ice Ice Baby" did help introduce the track, which famously featured David Bowie, to a new brand of music fans. It was a No. 1 hit in the U.K. and cracked the top 30 in the Hot 100 in the U.S. There's an argument to be made that this is the closest came to Queen recording a pop song.

Another brilliant piece from Roger Taylor and a rather underrated gem from A Night at the Opera. Taylor also sings lead (and even played rhythm guitar) on the track, which was the B-side to the album's most prominent song. It just might be the greatest love song written about a car in the history of rock. Or at least close. The inspiration reportedly came from the Triumph TR4 owned by one of the band's roadies. 

From 1989's The Miracle, this severely underrated tune was released a little more than two years before Freddie Mercury passed away. Sadly, he never performed it live. That is truly a shame, since Mercury's vocal performance is quite strong despite his health situation at the time. That said, the version delivered by The Who's Roger Daltrey, along with former Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi on guitar, and backed by the surviving Queen members at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, is a truly special musical moment. "I Want It All" is a song of empowerment and perhaps rebellion, and it's one of the hardest tracks the band recorded during the 1980s. 

Stoic and reserved, Queen bassist John Deacon might be one of the most underrated musicians in the history of rock. He wrote this Queen classic from The Game, complete with his legendary opening bass line, which topped the Billboard Hot 100, while also hitting No. 2 on both the Hot Soul Singles and Disco Top 100 charts in the U.S. Almost immediately upon release, and to this day, the song became a piece of pop culture iconography. Take in a live sporting event in the U.S. or U.K., and there's a good chance it will be played following a favorable result for the home team.

The follow-up to A Night at the Opera, 1976's A Day at the Races shares many similarities with its predecessor in terms of various musical offerings. The album reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200 in the U.S., with "Tie Your Mother Down" as the opening track. Brian May's blitzing, raucous guitar playing is the star of the song. Sure, it's simpler than most of the other songs on either A Night at the Opera or A Day at the Races, but it still delivers a serious wallop that makes it one of the great opening album tracks of all time.

The year was 1973, it was summer, and a four-piece band influenced by hard rock and British heavy metal put out its self-titled first album. The first and single from Queen's debut record barely drew attention upon release, but in the years that followed, as Queen's popularity rose, "Keep Yourself Alive" enjoyed a resurgence as fans dig into the band's back catalog. A long-time live favorite, the song was one of Queen's straight-forward rock tracks from the early days that has stood the test of time quite well.

Freddie Mercury digs into his — and band's — gospel influences to put together one of its most beautifully powerful songs. The tune, from A Day at the Races, reached No. 2 in the U.K. and peaked at No. 13 on the Hot 100 chart in the U.S. From a vocal standpoint, it's one of Mercury's truly shining moments, which is saying a lot. Perhaps the most memorable part of The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert came when George Michael, who drew much from the legendary Queen frontman, delivered a passionate version of the song.

From Jazz, and released as a double-A-side with "Bicycle Race," "Fat Bottomed Girls" has a glam-rock vibe, but in a way it seemed only the personalities in Queen could pull off. While Freddie Mercury has fun with the campy vocals, the heart-thumping beat and classic Queen harmonies encapsulate the collective talent and wit that made the band so likable and respected. Amid all the classical and technical greatness that has helped make Queen's legacy, songs like "Fat Bottomed Girls" show just how genuine the band was as a whole.

When it comes to songs of epic proportion, it really doesn't get much bigger than "Bohemian Rhapsody." It's essentially its own rock opera over a nearly six-minute span. It's completely progressive, but exceptionally emotional and powerful enough to become a mainstream hit —and arguably, it's the group's signature song. A top-10 charter in the United States, "Bohemian Rhapsody" got more popular over time, especially thanks to its memorable Wayne's World scene. Then eventually, it became the title of the 2018 Queen biopic that won four Oscars.