I think it's unfair to blame Hot Space for Queen's demise here. There are some mitigating factors involved. First, Hot Space was their last studio album for Elektra before moving to Capitol Records. Some other Capitol artists at the time were Bob Seger, Billy Squier, Duran Duran, Iron Maiden, and The Motels. I think Queen has a better standing in the US now versus those others.
Capitol records just couldn't promote albums properly in the 80s & 90s. WEA and Columbia/Sony were getting every record store to play their albums and display their artists more prominently. I know. I worked at a record store during some of those years.
Plus, for some strange reason, you couldn't buy a older Queen album or CD. They weren't available commercially.
So why would a band tour where you can't even buy their records? I don't think they would've been happy playing 5000 seat pavillions so they didn't.
Blame Queen, their management, their record company, but I don't think it's fair to blame a very good album.
Thread
Posts in chronological order
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Benn wrote: [/QUOTENAME]The inherant homophobia of the wider public in the USA in the early to mid 1980's was directly responsible. White collar America was still in denial that people exisisted who didn't share their same sexual tastes.
Freddie was openly gay and the conservative suits at EMI / Capitol took the decision that they could not been seen to be overly promoting a band with a frontman as overtly contoroversial a Freddie. So they simply didn't push them on the all-important FM radio networks. There was also a conscious effort at the time to get American Rock bands back on the charts after decades of domination by British bands.
The markets in both Japan, Europe and South America were far more liberated than the USA and the success Queen had in those territories meant that, financially, they weren't overly affected by the fall off in the USA.[/QUOTE]
That's nonsense. Plenty of homosexual artists were doing fine in the U.S. at that time, and many of them were way more obviously homosexual than Freddie; Freddie never went out of his way to make an issue of his homosexuality, and he actually seemed more homosexual in the 70s with his outfits and voice, whereas he had a more masculine image and voice in the 80s. Besides, execs don't care about morality if money is involved.
Freddie was openly gay and the conservative suits at EMI / Capitol took the decision that they could not been seen to be overly promoting a band with a frontman as overtly contoroversial a Freddie. So they simply didn't push them on the all-important FM radio networks. There was also a conscious effort at the time to get American Rock bands back on the charts after decades of domination by British bands.
The markets in both Japan, Europe and South America were far more liberated than the USA and the success Queen had in those territories meant that, financially, they weren't overly affected by the fall off in the USA.[/QUOTE]
That's nonsense. Plenty of homosexual artists were doing fine in the U.S. at that time, and many of them were way more obviously homosexual than Freddie; Freddie never went out of his way to make an issue of his homosexuality, and he actually seemed more homosexual in the 70s with his outfits and voice, whereas he had a more masculine image and voice in the 80s. Besides, execs don't care about morality if money is involved.
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Queengirl47 wrote: [/QUOTENAME]QUEEN are still huge here in America guys!!
I should know!!
I live in Houston, Tx.. and everytime I put the radio on, it's one of the Queen songs playing, contest giveways, etc ....
commercials, TV shows, "Special events" LIKE recently the Thanksgiving parade had a float with the song you're my best friend, etc, I can go on n on...... another example, about 2 months ago, I went to go buy some more Queen albums, bought one, but wanted other copies of the 2 other ones sheer heart attack and INNUENDO, didn't have enough money, came back a week later, and they were GONE man!! :( I couldn't believe it.
anyway, that's just the tip of it all.
I always hear and/or see Queen somewhere, some place here! .....
all my friends LOVE Queen, all they can say is great stuff, and they are not EASY, if you know what Im saying ha :P;)
k, gotta go, just wanna say those bits.
They just need to tour here MORE next year!!!!! :)
stay safe! xxoo[/QUOTE]
We're talking about Queen's status in the US back in 1982-89 or so. I was in HS back then & they were off the radar. I was the only kid in my school who was a "Fan". Not touring hurt them. The songs released were not what Americans wanted to hear. Yes HTF, POTF should have been singles here to show they still rocked. But even so, without a big advertising push from Capitol Records those songs may not have made an impact either. OV made some noise during the winter months of late 85 & eary 86. Even that song faded as quickly as it arrived. When Highlander came out they still didn't get much notice. The fact that the movie bombed in theaters hurt I'm sure. It didn't become the cult classic it is now for another few years.
Brian & Roger even when on Rockline one night that early spring. They played 'Universe' that night as the premier of the single...I never heard it again on the radio. By the time AKOM was released both the single & album, the movie was a memory & they got little airplay w/ that single. WWTLF should have been released here. By then the tour in Europe was over. Freddie soon realized it was the beginning of the end & any touring beyond that wasn't an option. The Miracle & IWTA got some notice as did Headlong w/ Innuendo. Once again they really didn't get a big push by the record companies. Hollywood did re-release all the back catalog on CD then but it was too little too late. ICLWY was released in June of 91 & even though DJ's loved it, at least here in Philly, it didn't sell very well. After that I didn't hear of another single being released in the US. I think its wonderful that the band is finally getting so long deserved credit here. All of you young fans are so fortunate, you really have no idea how much so. Embrace all of it while you can. I love all this new found popularity in the country. Suddenly its cool to be into Queen, that wasn't so 20-25 years ago.
I should know!!
I live in Houston, Tx.. and everytime I put the radio on, it's one of the Queen songs playing, contest giveways, etc ....
commercials, TV shows, "Special events" LIKE recently the Thanksgiving parade had a float with the song you're my best friend, etc, I can go on n on...... another example, about 2 months ago, I went to go buy some more Queen albums, bought one, but wanted other copies of the 2 other ones sheer heart attack and INNUENDO, didn't have enough money, came back a week later, and they were GONE man!! :( I couldn't believe it.
anyway, that's just the tip of it all.
I always hear and/or see Queen somewhere, some place here! .....
all my friends LOVE Queen, all they can say is great stuff, and they are not EASY, if you know what Im saying ha :P;)
k, gotta go, just wanna say those bits.
They just need to tour here MORE next year!!!!! :)
stay safe! xxoo[/QUOTE]
We're talking about Queen's status in the US back in 1982-89 or so. I was in HS back then & they were off the radar. I was the only kid in my school who was a "Fan". Not touring hurt them. The songs released were not what Americans wanted to hear. Yes HTF, POTF should have been singles here to show they still rocked. But even so, without a big advertising push from Capitol Records those songs may not have made an impact either. OV made some noise during the winter months of late 85 & eary 86. Even that song faded as quickly as it arrived. When Highlander came out they still didn't get much notice. The fact that the movie bombed in theaters hurt I'm sure. It didn't become the cult classic it is now for another few years.
Brian & Roger even when on Rockline one night that early spring. They played 'Universe' that night as the premier of the single...I never heard it again on the radio. By the time AKOM was released both the single & album, the movie was a memory & they got little airplay w/ that single. WWTLF should have been released here. By then the tour in Europe was over. Freddie soon realized it was the beginning of the end & any touring beyond that wasn't an option. The Miracle & IWTA got some notice as did Headlong w/ Innuendo. Once again they really didn't get a big push by the record companies. Hollywood did re-release all the back catalog on CD then but it was too little too late. ICLWY was released in June of 91 & even though DJ's loved it, at least here in Philly, it didn't sell very well. After that I didn't hear of another single being released in the US. I think its wonderful that the band is finally getting so long deserved credit here. All of you young fans are so fortunate, you really have no idea how much so. Embrace all of it while you can. I love all this new found popularity in the country. Suddenly its cool to be into Queen, that wasn't so 20-25 years ago.
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]The Bunny who lost her Golden Pants wrote: [/QUOTENAME]
"Body Language" which some may say is the worst of the Hot Space funk tracks was actually a big hit in America, peaking at #11 on the Billboard charts whilst the now-classic "Under Pressure" had peaked at only 29. America was sick of 'disco' and Hot Space killed Queen? Clearly not.
"Radio Ga Ga" managed a respectable peak at #16, perhaps aided by the video and the time-tested Queen success machine. But even 'Break Free' made it to 45.. nearly a top 40 hit, with very little video play due to this apparent controversy over the cross-dressing.
[/QUOTE]
At that time, chart positioning was mostly a matter of label manipulation. Sales were "reported" by record stores, and radio play was "reported" by the stations. I worked at a record store, and a billboard rep would call and ask for sales numbers. I made the list and the numbers - of course I included Queen whether they sold or not! Anyway, Capitol and every other label would give free albums, tickets to shows, etc. and ask you to report their bands. It was basically payola with gifts instead of money (although I did get some cash out of the process as well).
Around the late 80's, they started actually tracking sales (Soundscan I believe was the company that started it). These numbers made it more difficult for a label to manipulate, but they still had a bit of a say in chart positioning. But soon the only criterion used was actual sales, and that is where we are today.
Queen can blame Capitol all they want, but those chart results were the effect of a lot of hard work on the labels part. Let's face it - you can put a dress on a pig, but it's still a pig. Few Americans were buying Queen, and the ones that did weren't playing those albums and singles much.
"Body Language" which some may say is the worst of the Hot Space funk tracks was actually a big hit in America, peaking at #11 on the Billboard charts whilst the now-classic "Under Pressure" had peaked at only 29. America was sick of 'disco' and Hot Space killed Queen? Clearly not.
"Radio Ga Ga" managed a respectable peak at #16, perhaps aided by the video and the time-tested Queen success machine. But even 'Break Free' made it to 45.. nearly a top 40 hit, with very little video play due to this apparent controversy over the cross-dressing.
[/QUOTE]
At that time, chart positioning was mostly a matter of label manipulation. Sales were "reported" by record stores, and radio play was "reported" by the stations. I worked at a record store, and a billboard rep would call and ask for sales numbers. I made the list and the numbers - of course I included Queen whether they sold or not! Anyway, Capitol and every other label would give free albums, tickets to shows, etc. and ask you to report their bands. It was basically payola with gifts instead of money (although I did get some cash out of the process as well).
Around the late 80's, they started actually tracking sales (Soundscan I believe was the company that started it). These numbers made it more difficult for a label to manipulate, but they still had a bit of a say in chart positioning. But soon the only criterion used was actual sales, and that is where we are today.
Queen can blame Capitol all they want, but those chart results were the effect of a lot of hard work on the labels part. Let's face it - you can put a dress on a pig, but it's still a pig. Few Americans were buying Queen, and the ones that did weren't playing those albums and singles much.
The "One" video by U2 with the drag was banned as well(watch the makin of One on the Best of 1990-2000 DVD).
Queen fans, even in America were used to Queen's eclectic albums by then...maybe the lack of diversity on Hot Space was the reason, if they'd dropped a few songs (and made b-sides out of em) and added some other styles (reggae, Police were big then) and dunno maybe some classic Queen ballads and rockier songs Hot Space would've done as good as Jazz or NOTW.
And why didn't they release Put Out The Fire or Tear It Up as singles?? Well, because they weren't good tbh. Radio Ga Ga and I Want To Break Free were great singles and the fact that Hammer To Fall didn't do as well as it's predecessors is proof that the public didn't care.
I think the Sun City thing did them more damage than Hot Space and Break Free video combined. In the end The Works and A Kind Of Magic did very well on this side of the Atlantic and South America and that's what matters. :P
Queen fans, even in America were used to Queen's eclectic albums by then...maybe the lack of diversity on Hot Space was the reason, if they'd dropped a few songs (and made b-sides out of em) and added some other styles (reggae, Police were big then) and dunno maybe some classic Queen ballads and rockier songs Hot Space would've done as good as Jazz or NOTW.
And why didn't they release Put Out The Fire or Tear It Up as singles?? Well, because they weren't good tbh. Radio Ga Ga and I Want To Break Free were great singles and the fact that Hammer To Fall didn't do as well as it's predecessors is proof that the public didn't care.
I think the Sun City thing did them more damage than Hot Space and Break Free video combined. In the end The Works and A Kind Of Magic did very well on this side of the Atlantic and South America and that's what matters. :P
who gives a fuck about america??
anyone who wants to sell records.
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Micrówave wrote: [/QUOTENAME]anyone who wants to sell records.[/QUOTE]
queen did amazingly well
queen did amazingly well
Sun City really had no impact at least as far as sales go. Street cred? Queen don't need no stinkin' street cred!
I agree with MercuryArts--Queen should have toured at least once between 83 and 86, but what can you do? As I write this, I realize we're talking about a three-year gap of Queen having a chance to recoup, and not really doing it.
The good news is that Queen's reputation has only increased in the States, and people who may have been turned off by them--I call them "meat and potatoes" classic rock fans--don't give a rat's ass if Freddie was gay or dressed like a Chelsea boy or whatever.
Freddie, diva that he is, would not have played U.S. casinos and smaller arenas while the public turned around, as did Elton John and so many others. As it turned out, Queen toured South America and Asia and other places, further solidifying a reputation as the world's best rock and roll band.
I just wish I could have seen them once. Had a chance in 1982, but was not allowed. Too young.
I agree with MercuryArts--Queen should have toured at least once between 83 and 86, but what can you do? As I write this, I realize we're talking about a three-year gap of Queen having a chance to recoup, and not really doing it.
The good news is that Queen's reputation has only increased in the States, and people who may have been turned off by them--I call them "meat and potatoes" classic rock fans--don't give a rat's ass if Freddie was gay or dressed like a Chelsea boy or whatever.
Freddie, diva that he is, would not have played U.S. casinos and smaller arenas while the public turned around, as did Elton John and so many others. As it turned out, Queen toured South America and Asia and other places, further solidifying a reputation as the world's best rock and roll band.
I just wish I could have seen them once. Had a chance in 1982, but was not allowed. Too young.
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Daniel Nester wrote: [/QUOTENAME]Brian points to a lot of things--lack of payola with Capitol Records, the IWTBF video. One bum album does not a ruined career make--ask Neil Young (Trans anyone?), Styx (Kilroy Was Were), Kiss (The Elder). It's almost a rite of passage for great bands who stick around after the first decade of success.
More and more it has to be about not touring the States.[/QUOTE]
You forgot that around 1982/83 that 70s rock bands in general were either breaking up or releasing substandard material. Two albums you forgot were Supertramp (...Famous Last Words...) and Pink Floyd (The Final Cut). The former's case was Roger Hodgson leaving Supertramp would slowly but surely ruin the band's commercial aspects (FLW sold less as opposed to 1979's Breakfast in America and a three year wait proved to be disastrous). In the latter's case of poor sales, there was no tour for The Final cut as Roger Waters' relationship with David Gilmour and Nick Mason was damaged and also Rick Wright's firing caused PF to become The Roger Waters Band. Pink floyd would rebound after Roger Waters left and had two Top 5 Multi-Platinum selling albums and sold out world tours after Waters' departure
Out of the 1970s bands, Judas Priest hit paydirt with Screaming for Vengeance that year, Rush continued its winning streak with Signals, Genesis finally had a Top 10 million seller with Abacab, AC/DC was at the height of their success with For Those About to Rock though Flick of the Switch did poorly.
Styx are now a nostalgia act after Dennis DeYoung was ousted due to an illness. KISS are has beens now. Pink Floyd have been on ice after The Division Bell and 1996 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction due to changes in Gilmour and Wright's personal lives (both remarried and had kids). Priest and Rush are still recording and touring and released their best albums in years in last three years. Genesis reunited with Phil Collins for a successful "series of shows" in 2007 without a new album.
More and more it has to be about not touring the States.[/QUOTE]
You forgot that around 1982/83 that 70s rock bands in general were either breaking up or releasing substandard material. Two albums you forgot were Supertramp (...Famous Last Words...) and Pink Floyd (The Final Cut). The former's case was Roger Hodgson leaving Supertramp would slowly but surely ruin the band's commercial aspects (FLW sold less as opposed to 1979's Breakfast in America and a three year wait proved to be disastrous). In the latter's case of poor sales, there was no tour for The Final cut as Roger Waters' relationship with David Gilmour and Nick Mason was damaged and also Rick Wright's firing caused PF to become The Roger Waters Band. Pink floyd would rebound after Roger Waters left and had two Top 5 Multi-Platinum selling albums and sold out world tours after Waters' departure
Out of the 1970s bands, Judas Priest hit paydirt with Screaming for Vengeance that year, Rush continued its winning streak with Signals, Genesis finally had a Top 10 million seller with Abacab, AC/DC was at the height of their success with For Those About to Rock though Flick of the Switch did poorly.
Styx are now a nostalgia act after Dennis DeYoung was ousted due to an illness. KISS are has beens now. Pink Floyd have been on ice after The Division Bell and 1996 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction due to changes in Gilmour and Wright's personal lives (both remarried and had kids). Priest and Rush are still recording and touring and released their best albums in years in last three years. Genesis reunited with Phil Collins for a successful "series of shows" in 2007 without a new album.
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]MercuryArts wrote: [/QUOTENAME][QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Queengirl47 wrote: [/QUOTENAME]QUEEN are still huge here in America guys!!
I should know!!
I live in Houston, Tx.. and everytime I put the radio on, it's one of the Queen songs playing, contest giveways, etc ....
commercials, TV shows, "Special events" LIKE recently the Thanksgiving parade had a float with the song you're my best friend, etc, I can go on n on...... another example, about 2 months ago, I went to go buy some more Queen albums, bought one, but wanted other copies of the 2 other ones sheer heart attack and INNUENDO, didn't have enough money, came back a week later, and they were GONE man!! :( I couldn't believe it.
anyway, that's just the tip of it all.
I always hear and/or see Queen somewhere, some place here! .....
all my friends LOVE Queen, all they can say is great stuff, and they are not EASY, if you know what Im saying ha :P;)
k, gotta go, just wanna say those bits.
They just need to tour here MORE next year!!!!! :)
stay safe! xxoo[/QUOTE]
We're talking about Queen's status in the US back in 1982-89 or so. I was in HS back then & they were off the radar. I was the only kid in my school who was a "Fan". Not touring hurt them. The songs released were not what Americans wanted to hear. Yes HTF, POTF should have been singles here to show they still rocked. But even so, without a big advertising push from Capitol Records those songs may not have made an impact either. OV made some noise during the winter months of late 85 & eary 86. Even that song faded as quickly as it arrived. When Highlander came out they still didn't get much notice. The fact that the movie bombed in theaters hurt I'm sure. It didn't become the cult classic it is now for another few years.
Brian & Roger even when on Rockline one night that early spring. They played 'Universe' that night as the premier of the single...I never heard it again on the radio. By the time AKOM was released both the single & album, the movie was a memory & they got little airplay w/ that single. WWTLF should have been released here. By then the tour in Europe was over. Freddie soon realized it was the beginning of the end & any touring beyond that wasn't an option. The Miracle & IWTA got some notice as did Headlong w/ Innuendo. Once again they really didn't get a big push by the record companies. Hollywood did re-release all the back catalog on CD then but it was too little too late. ICLWY was released in June of 91 & even though DJ's loved it, at least here in Philly, it didn't sell very well. After that I didn't hear of another single being released in the US. I think its wonderful that the band is finally getting so long deserved credit here. All of you young fans are so fortunate, you really have no idea how much so. Embrace all of it while you can. I love all this new found popularity in the country. Suddenly its cool to be into Queen, that wasn't so 20-25 years ago. [/QUOTE]
I Want it All did well on US rock radio, peaked at #3 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks charts in the summer of 1989. The Miracle got Queen back in the US Top 30 for the first time since 1984's The Works. Then, Queen cancelled its contract with Capitol and went to Hollywood Records (at the time distributed by Elektra and then was distributed by PolyGram then now it's distributed by Universal/Vivendi) here in the US and Canada. Innuendo was a huge album. It was Queen's first 500,000 plus seller in seven years and reached the Top 40 (not bad considering it was Hollywood's first non-soundtrack release). The album's first US single Headlong was a HUGE rock radio hit and Hollywood Records went with "Headlong" as first US single and went to #3 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks Charts and I remember stations in Boston playing the Hell out of that track. Then the title track reached #17 on the Mainstream Rock Track charts. If Freddie not gotten ill, Quee
I should know!!
I live in Houston, Tx.. and everytime I put the radio on, it's one of the Queen songs playing, contest giveways, etc ....
commercials, TV shows, "Special events" LIKE recently the Thanksgiving parade had a float with the song you're my best friend, etc, I can go on n on...... another example, about 2 months ago, I went to go buy some more Queen albums, bought one, but wanted other copies of the 2 other ones sheer heart attack and INNUENDO, didn't have enough money, came back a week later, and they were GONE man!! :( I couldn't believe it.
anyway, that's just the tip of it all.
I always hear and/or see Queen somewhere, some place here! .....
all my friends LOVE Queen, all they can say is great stuff, and they are not EASY, if you know what Im saying ha :P;)
k, gotta go, just wanna say those bits.
They just need to tour here MORE next year!!!!! :)
stay safe! xxoo[/QUOTE]
We're talking about Queen's status in the US back in 1982-89 or so. I was in HS back then & they were off the radar. I was the only kid in my school who was a "Fan". Not touring hurt them. The songs released were not what Americans wanted to hear. Yes HTF, POTF should have been singles here to show they still rocked. But even so, without a big advertising push from Capitol Records those songs may not have made an impact either. OV made some noise during the winter months of late 85 & eary 86. Even that song faded as quickly as it arrived. When Highlander came out they still didn't get much notice. The fact that the movie bombed in theaters hurt I'm sure. It didn't become the cult classic it is now for another few years.
Brian & Roger even when on Rockline one night that early spring. They played 'Universe' that night as the premier of the single...I never heard it again on the radio. By the time AKOM was released both the single & album, the movie was a memory & they got little airplay w/ that single. WWTLF should have been released here. By then the tour in Europe was over. Freddie soon realized it was the beginning of the end & any touring beyond that wasn't an option. The Miracle & IWTA got some notice as did Headlong w/ Innuendo. Once again they really didn't get a big push by the record companies. Hollywood did re-release all the back catalog on CD then but it was too little too late. ICLWY was released in June of 91 & even though DJ's loved it, at least here in Philly, it didn't sell very well. After that I didn't hear of another single being released in the US. I think its wonderful that the band is finally getting so long deserved credit here. All of you young fans are so fortunate, you really have no idea how much so. Embrace all of it while you can. I love all this new found popularity in the country. Suddenly its cool to be into Queen, that wasn't so 20-25 years ago. [/QUOTE]
I Want it All did well on US rock radio, peaked at #3 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks charts in the summer of 1989. The Miracle got Queen back in the US Top 30 for the first time since 1984's The Works. Then, Queen cancelled its contract with Capitol and went to Hollywood Records (at the time distributed by Elektra and then was distributed by PolyGram then now it's distributed by Universal/Vivendi) here in the US and Canada. Innuendo was a huge album. It was Queen's first 500,000 plus seller in seven years and reached the Top 40 (not bad considering it was Hollywood's first non-soundtrack release). The album's first US single Headlong was a HUGE rock radio hit and Hollywood Records went with "Headlong" as first US single and went to #3 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks Charts and I remember stations in Boston playing the Hell out of that track. Then the title track reached #17 on the Mainstream Rock Track charts. If Freddie not gotten ill, Quee
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Gr8 King Rat wrote: [/QUOTENAME]New Wave was very popular in the US in the 80's..and maybe since Queen refused (thank God) to change thier sound to that extreme it hurt them in the long run.
And of course Hot Space and not touring after '82 didnt help either. [/QUOTE]
People were either New Wave or Heavy Metal in the 1980s. By the mid-80s, New Wave was out and glam metal was in.
And of course Hot Space and not touring after '82 didnt help either. [/QUOTE]
People were either New Wave or Heavy Metal in the 1980s. By the mid-80s, New Wave was out and glam metal was in.
I agree with rschoorl. I've been a fan since NOTW and we older fans were used to hearing some great music like Tie Your Mother Down, BoRap etc. After the Game came out which EXPLODED here at the time, Queen went on to their experimental stage. When I first heard Under Pressure which preceded Hot Space I thought it wasn yet ANOTHER Queen hit but then a few months later Hot SPace came out and like a lot of the older fans I think we collectively said, "what the FUCK is that"??? Personally I was very disappointed with such a sudden change. We went through it and we survived it. We had to wait til The Works came out to at least get some of their old trademarks back but even with that album they came up a little short. If you were a Queen fan and you went through those years with the band and you heard that album for the first time you'd be asking the exact same thing. But some of us true fans never turned our backs on Queen then but at the time we were not ready for what we heard. When the IWTBF video came out it certainly didn't stop me from supporting them. I thought it was hilarious. Ah, British humor. Gotta love it!!! But I'm still a devoted Queen fan 30 years later. Not everything they produced was wonderful nor crap either but they sure as hell gave us some fun times!!!
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Benn wrote: [/QUOTENAME]The inherant homophobia of the wider public in the USA in the early to mid 1980's was directly responsible.
Freddie was openly gay and the conservative suits at EMI / Capitol took the decision that they could not been seen to be overly promoting a band with a frontman as overtly contoroversial a Freddie.
/QUOTE]
While homophobia exists everywhere to some extent, the USA is more tolerant than most European countries I have lived in. To say fans flock to see a guy in leotards but avaoid him 5 years later because he has a gay moustache is silly.
Anr record execs will push anything to make a buck.
Musical tastes change. Those that have continued success change their styles a little. Look at U2. Queen were a rock band, and musical tastes shifted in the early 80's. Its natural to want to look for more tangible causes, like videos and songs, but I don't believe these to be the case. Elton John has always flaunted his sexuality and look how many records he continues to sell.
Freddie was openly gay and the conservative suits at EMI / Capitol took the decision that they could not been seen to be overly promoting a band with a frontman as overtly contoroversial a Freddie.
/QUOTE]
While homophobia exists everywhere to some extent, the USA is more tolerant than most European countries I have lived in. To say fans flock to see a guy in leotards but avaoid him 5 years later because he has a gay moustache is silly.
Anr record execs will push anything to make a buck.
Musical tastes change. Those that have continued success change their styles a little. Look at U2. Queen were a rock band, and musical tastes shifted in the early 80's. Its natural to want to look for more tangible causes, like videos and songs, but I don't believe these to be the case. Elton John has always flaunted his sexuality and look how many records he continues to sell.
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]NOTWMEDDLE wrote: [/QUOTENAME]By the mid-80s, New Wave was out and glam metal was in. [/QUOTE]
They should have left the IWTBF makeup on!!!!! Damn!!!
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Daniel Nester wrote: [/QUOTENAME]One bum album does not a ruined career make--ask Styx (Kilroy Was Were)[/QUOTE]
Actually, this did happen with Styx. They started sucking upon it's release, and that's also when people started making fun of the song "Babe".
They should have left the IWTBF makeup on!!!!! Damn!!!
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Daniel Nester wrote: [/QUOTENAME]One bum album does not a ruined career make--ask Styx (Kilroy Was Were)[/QUOTE]
Actually, this did happen with Styx. They started sucking upon it's release, and that's also when people started making fun of the song "Babe".