Roger Meddows Taylor
b. July 26, 1949
English musician, songwriter, and record producer
International fame as the drummer and backing vocals for Queen
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001 as a member of Queen
Wrote or co-wrote three UK No. 1 hits -
"These Are the Days of Our Lives"
"Innuendo"
"Under Pressure"
Wrote additional five major hits -
"Radio Ga Ga"
"A Kind of Magic"
"Heaven for Everyone"
"Breakthru"
"The Invisible Man"
Collaborated with Eric Clapton, Roger Daltrey, Robert Plant, Phil Collins, Genesis, Elton John, Foo Fighters, Bon Jovi, and others
Produced albums for Virginia Wolf, Jimmy Nail, and Magnum
Influences -
Mitch Mitchell (the Jimi Hendrix Experience)
John Bonham (Led Zeppelin)
Buddy Rich (jazz and big band drummer)
Keith Moon (the Who)
Roger Taylor, Freddie Mercury, Brian May, John Deacon
Formed in London in 1970
Genres considered - Arena Rock, Pop Rock
Other genres - Progressive Rock, Art Rock, Glam Rock, Operatic Pop, Psychedelic Rock, Baroque Pop, Funk Rock
Styles not associated with rock music - Opera, Folk Music, Gospel, Ragtime, Dance/Disco ... Anthemic songs as staples to sports arenas and stadiums
Queen influences -
the Beatles, the Kinks, Cream, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, the Who, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, David Bowie, Genesis, Yes, and more
Freddie Mercury's influences -
Little Richard, Elvis Presley, and Aretha Franklin
Brian May and Freddie Mercury further influence -
Jimi Hendrix
Influenced by Queen -
Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Trivium, Megadeth, Rob Zombie, Rage Against the Machine, Guns N' Roses, Def Leppard, Motley Crue, Foo Fighters, Nirvana, Nine Inch Nails, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kid Rock, Billy Corgan, Marilyn Manson, My Chemical Romance, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood, George Michael, Robbie Williams, Adele, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, and more
2 Ivor Novello Awards
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (2018)
Polar Music Prize (2025)
"Bohemian Rhapsody"
Grammy Hall of Fame (2004)
The song and video have been downloaded over 1.6 billion times.
Certified Diamond by the RIAA (March 2021)
As of 2005, Queen albums have spent 26 years on UK Albums (Guinness Book of World Records)
As of 2018, Queen is listed as the third most popular rock band of all time, behind the Beatles and Led Zeppelin (Business Insider).
One of the best-selling music artists of all time with 250 million to 300 million albums sold worldwide
No. 52 on Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time
Freddie Mercury listed as 18th Greatest Singer of All Time (Rolling Stone)
Brian May listed as 26th Greatest Guitarist of All Time (Rolling Stone)
No. 17 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time (2010)
Final tour with Freddie Mercury in 1986
Songwriters Hall of Fame (2003)
Vocal Group Hall of Fame (2006)
"We Will Rock You" & "We Are the Champions" inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame (2009)
Greatest Hits
Compilation album released worldwide in October 1981
Genre considered - Rock
Queen's biggest hits since first charting in 1974 ("Seven Seas of Rhye") to 1980's "Flash" and including "Under Pressure" in some countries
Track lists were country dependent (where singles were released and which were the most successful).
Classic Queen - U.S. version released in 1992
One of the best-selling albums of all time
Over 25 million copies sold
Best-selling album of all time in the UK
Over 7 million copies sold
No. 1 UK Albums
Best-selling album of all time in the U.S.
9 million copies sold
No. 8 Billboard 200
(November 2020)
4th biggest-selling album of the 1980s
Review Scores -
AllMusic - 4.5/Stars
Entertainment Weekly - B+
MusicHound Rock - 4/5 Stars
The Rolling Stone Album Guide - 3/5 Stars
Track List -
1981 UK & 2011 UK (Ireland)
Side One -
1. Bohemian Rhapsody
2. Another One Bites the Dust
3. Killer Queen
4. Fat Bottomed Girls
5. Bicycle Race
6. You're My Best Friend
7. Don't Stop Me Now
8. Save Me
Side Two -
9. Crazy Little Thing Called Love
10. Somebody to Love
11. Now I'm Here
12. Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy
13. Play the Game
14. Flash
15. Seven Seas of Rhye
16. We Will Rock You
17. We Are the Champions
Track List -
1981 U.S. & Canada
1. Another One Bites the Dust
2. Bohemian Rhapsody
3. Crazy Little Thing Called Love
4. Killer Queen
5. Fat Bottomed Girl
6. Bicycle Race
7. Under Pressure
8. We Will Rock You
9. We Are the Champions
10. Flash
11. Somebody to Love
12. You're My Best Friend
13. Keep Yourself Alive
14. Play the Game
1981 Japan ... 1992 U.S. ... 2004 U.S. w/ 3 bonus tracks
Year-end Charts (2025)
No. 44 Canada
No. 31 UK Albums
No. 64 Billboard 200
Decade-end Charts
(1980 - 1989)
No. 4 UK Albums
-----------------------
(2010 - 2019)
No. 52 Australia
No. 89 UK Albums
Certifications -
Gold in Japan, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, Spain, & Sweden
7x Gold in Germany
Platinum in Belgium, Brazil, Finland, & the Netherlands
2x Platinum in France & Italy
3x Platinum in Canada & South Africa
4x Platinum in Austria
5x Platinum in Switzerland & the U.S. (1992 release)
9x Platinum in the U.S. (1981 release)
10x Platinum in New Zealand
15x Platinum in Australia
26x Platinum in the UK
Diamond in Argentina
No comments:
Post a Comment