Did Queen ever fully recover from Hot Space in the US?

skip 09 January 2010 21:51 · Member since July 2006

Gregsynth wrote:

skip wrote:

Gregsynth wrote:

skip wrote:

Sheer Brass Neck wrote:

Skip wrote:

"Freddie's homosexuality (his flamboyant behavior) did not go over well with the U.S. If "Hot Space" didn't kill Queen in the
U.S., then the video for "I Want To Break Free" took them off of life support.

Nice try Skip, but you couldn't be more wrong, unless you believe that a US audience actually accepted and embraced a man wearing multiple ballet outfits as macho at the height of the band's popularity. If they couldn't accept the band dressing up as women, do you think American men went home after a Queen concert in the late 70s saying "that fucking guy in the diamond ballet suit is all man, they rock"? I doubt it very much. Because musically at the time, Queen were nearly peerless as a HARD rock act. Fast forward to the early 80s, Brian May is put of the band as far as a presence and the US audience didn't care for it. End of story, it was all, all, all about the music.

No, I'm absolutely correct. Bible Belt America wanted nothing to do with Queen and Freddie's flamboyant behavior. The video
for "I Want To Break Free" was not played. The video for "Body Language" was banned.

Queen nearly peerless? Please. KISS, Van Halen, RUSH, Ozzy, Journey, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, AC/DC, Fleetwood Mac,
Elton John, etc., were all playing sold out shows in the U.S. Something Queen at that time wasn't doing.

Freddie's homosexuality, Freddie's flamboyant behavior, Queen abandoning their trademark sound for disco/funk/pop
music, and their refusal to fix things and try again in America ended their career in the U.S.

End of story.

Freddie's sexuality/flamboyance had NOTHING to do with the commercial decline in the 80s, if that was true, then the US would've turn their backs on Queen in the 70s!

Wrong. In the early/mid '70s glam and androgyny went hand in hand. In the '70s Freddie was coy about his sexuality. When
he went all Village People during the "Jazz" tour he wasn't being coy any more. By the time of "Body Language" the majority
of rock record buyers new Freddie's secret.

When Elton John came out in the '70s he actually quit for awhile because his record sales had dropped.

Being a gay rock star in the '70s was not/is not the same as being a gay rock star in the '90s and beyond.
Being an out of the closet gay rock star in the '70s was not going to help your career.

==================== [/QUOTE]
[/QUOTE] You said his "flamboyance" caused the decline in the 80s, that's not even true. What caused the decline was combination of bad promotion, the Hot Space saga, and the homophobic/bible-washer fans from the US crying "Queen's gay" during the "I want to break free" video (they didn't get the cross-dressing jokes in the video). Plus, the bandwagon fans jumping off after The Game.

[/QUOTE] [/QUOTE]

Man, either you have a reading comprehension issue or you're just thick.

Freddie's homosexuality and flamboyant behavior turned off many U.S. fans. End of story.

Ever heard of Billy Squier? Ever see his video for "Rock Me Tonight"?

Well, here it is if you've never seen it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fR0j7sModCI

His flamboyant behavior in this video single handedly destroyed his musical career.

BTW, it was the rock fans who jumped off after "The Game". They didn't like the direction Queen was going in.

S

skip 09 January 2010 21:52 · Member since July 2006

maxpower wrote:

i have to agree with Gregsynth summed it up very well what annoys me about Queen fans is some (not all) think they were the only rock band in the world. When Queen lost the U.S after Hot Space it wasn't too long for people like Def Leppard to come along with Pyromania & pick up the mantle

I believe you are agreeing with the wrong person.

G

Gregsynth 14 January 2010 00:12 · Member since November 2008

Hey skip! Brian May HIMSELF said it was the IWTBF video that ruined Queen's momentum in the US.
[/QUOTE]End of story. LMFAO![/QUOTE]

S

skip 14 January 2010 01:12 · Member since July 2006

Gregsynth wrote:

Hey skip! Brian May HIMSELF said it was the IWTBF video that ruined Queen's momentum in the US.

End of story. LMFAO!

[/QUOTE] [/QUOTE]
Queen had no momentum in the U.S. after "Hot Space" was released.

"Hot Space" was a major flop in the U.S. A flop that resulted in them never
recovering in the U.S.

End of story. LMFAO!

M

mike hunt 14 January 2010 04:13 · Member since October 2004

Skip....how old are you?.....I find it funny that some people on Queenzone who wern't even born in the early 80's think they know why Queen fell out of favor in the us. Skip thinks (Wrongfully) that it was freddie's sexuality that was the problem. Unless you were alive, and living in the us you don't know jack shit, so stop trying to be a know it all Mr. skppy!.....the reason why Queens Decline?.....The change in style that they were doing. Rock fans hated dance music back then, and queen betrayed them by releasing Another on bites the dust. They made tons of new fans with that catchy tune, but the old school fans hated it.....then came hot space......We all know the response to that album. The old school fans went on to new and heavier acts (forgetting about Queen) at this point, and the newer fans who loved AOBTD didn't even like hot space....That's when the decline started, it's all about the music, not sexuality. They still had enough of a fan base to make the top 40 a few times, but the damage was done.

G

Gregsynth 14 January 2010 13:36 · Member since November 2008

This is what I don't get: I agree that Hot Space damaged Queen's momentum in the US (but didn't completely destroy it), but there were US HITS on that record. Under Pressure was a top 30 hit, Body Language hit #11, and Calling All Girls hit #60. Even after Hot Space "destroyed Queen in the US," they still had hits: "Radio Ga Ga" (#16). I just refuse to believe that Freddie being Gay/Bi had anything to do with Queen's US downfall. He already admitted being gay in one quote "I'm as gay as a daffodil," and bi in another "I play on the Bisexual thing," people were already aware of his sexuality.
[/QUOTE]I'd say Hot Space damaged Queen in the US, and the lack of "70s Queen sounds" plus the IWTBF video was the icing on the cake.[/QUOTE]

S

skip 15 January 2010 02:56 · Member since July 2006

mike hunt wrote:

Skip....how old are you?.....I find it funny that some people on Queenzone who wern't even born in the early 80's think they know why Queen fell out of favor in the us. Skip thinks (Wrongfully) that it was freddie's sexuality that was the problem. Unless you were alive, and living in the us you don't know jack shit, so stop trying to be a know it all Mr. skppy!.....the reason why Queens Decline?.....The change in style that they were doing. Rock fans hated dance music back then, and queen betrayed them by releasing Another on bites the dust. They made tons of new fans with that catchy tune, but the old school fans hated it.....then came hot space......We all know the response to that album. The old school fans went on to new and heavier acts (forgetting about Queen) at this point, and the newer fans who loved AOBTD didn't even like hot space....That's when the decline started, it's all about the music, not sexuality. They still had enough of a fan base to make the top 40 a few times, but the damage was done.

I was born in the 1960's, lived in the U.S. my entire life, and lived through Queen's decline in the U.S., dumbass.

Freddie's flamboyant behaviour, Queen dropping their trademark sound and going pop/dance/funk ("Another One Bites The Dust" and the "Hot Space" cd), and the video for "I Want To Break Free" pissed off the U.S. rock audience and
brought Queen's career to an end in the U.S.

Freddie's prancing, just like Billy Squier's prancing, killed both of their careers in the U.S.

End of story.

S

skip 15 January 2010 03:18 · Member since July 2006

Gregsynth wrote:

This is what I don't get: I agree that Hot Space damaged Queen's momentum in the US (but didn't completely destroy it), but there were US HITS on that record. Under Pressure was a top 30 hit, Body Language hit #11, and Calling All Girls hit #60. Even after Hot Space "destroyed Queen in the US," they still had hits: "Radio Ga Ga" (#16). I just refuse to believe that Freddie being Gay/Bi had anything to do with Queen's US downfall. He already admitted being gay in one quote "I'm as gay as a daffodil," and bi in another "I play on the Bisexual thing," people were already aware of his sexuality.

I'd say Hot Space damaged Queen in the US, and the lack of "70s Queen sounds" plus the IWTBF video was the icing on the cake.

Being a musician in the '70s and '80s and coming out of the closet was not going to help your career. Elton John actually stated that he was quitting after his sales started to decline due to his coming out. Rob Halford didn't come
out back then because he knew that it would hurt Priest's career. Chuck Panozzo (Styx) said the same thing.
Melissa Etheridge had established her career before she came out.

To be a musician in the '70s and to play the androgyny card during the glam era was not going to hurt your career
(look at David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Steven Tyler, even Freddie at that time). When Freddie made those states above
he made them during the glam era.

Those hits you mentioned above were not memorable hits here in the U.S. Ask a U.S. music fan to name a few Queen
songs and no one will ever mention "Body Language" or "Calling All Girls". "Radio Ga Ga" most likely wouldn't
be mentioned. "Under Pressure" would be mentioned after a long list of '70s hits. Queen's music after "The Game"
was not played on U.S. rock radio. U.S. classic rock stations today will only play the '70s hits.

BTW, in the U.S. a hit is generally defined as being top 10. Being #30 or #60 is not a hit here.

M

mike hunt 15 January 2010 10:37 · Member since October 2004

so in the 70's freddie didn't prance around?....It's all about the music/songs that queen did at the time. Anyway, under pressure was only a top 30 hit, but the staying power is the key to that tune. Why?....because the song was good....Radio gaga americans don't even remember that much. body language?....not at all. Same with calling all girls.

T

The Real Wizard 15 January 2010 13:55 · Member since August 2002

skip wrote:

To be a musician in the '70s and to play the androgyny card during the glam era was not going to hurt your career
(look at David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Steven Tyler, even Freddie at that time). When Freddie made those states above
he made them during the glam era.

Right. And just look at any picture of him from 1977 and tell me he looked heterosexual. At the height of their US popularity, nobody cared that Freddie was gay.

It was Dust and ultimately Hot Space that turned their rock fans off. It had very little to do with Freddie's sexuality, if anything at all.

G

Gregsynth 15 January 2010 15:24 · Member since November 2008

Sir GH wrote:

skip wrote:

To be a musician in the '70s and to play the androgyny card during the glam era was not going to hurt your career
(look at David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Steven Tyler, even Freddie at that time). When Freddie made those states above
he made them during the glam era.

Right. And just look at any picture of him from 1977 and tell me he looked heterosexual. At the height of their US popularity, nobody cared that Freddie was gay.

It was Dust and ultimately Hot Space that turned their rock fans off. It had very little to do with Freddie's sexuality, if anything at all.

My point exactly.

M

mike hunt 15 January 2010 16:27 · Member since October 2004

Gregsynth wrote:

Sir GH wrote:

skip wrote:

To be a musician in the '70s and to play the androgyny card during the glam era was not going to hurt your career
(look at David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Steven Tyler, even Freddie at that time). When Freddie made those states above
he made them during the glam era.

Right. And just look at any picture of him from 1977 and tell me he looked heterosexual. At the height of their US popularity, nobody cared that Freddie was gay.

It was Dust and ultimately Hot Space that turned their rock fans off. It had very little to do with Freddie's sexuality, if anything at all.

My point exactly.

Mine too, it was all about the songs.

S

skip 15 January 2010 21:28 · Member since July 2006

mike hunt wrote:

so in the 70's freddie didn't prance around?....It's all about the music/songs that queen did at the time. Anyway, under pressure was only a top 30 hit, but the staying power is the key to that tune. Why?....because the song was good....Radio gaga americans don't even remember that much. body language?....not at all. Same with calling all girls.

Nobody cared when Freddie was prancing around during the glam era '70s. He was fitting in just like the other
bands that were doing the same thing. When Freddie started with the Village People look rock fans in the U.S. were turned off. It was no longer the glam era, it was the disco era. They equated Freddie's moustache and leather biker outfits with the Village People.

It wasn't all about the music. He started to flaunt his look and his mannerisms even more during "The Jazz" era,
the era where he wasn't trying to hide his sexuality as much as he had earlier in his career.

S

skip 15 January 2010 21:33 · Member since July 2006

Sir GH wrote:

skip wrote:

To be a musician in the '70s and to play the androgyny card during the glam era was not going to hurt your career
(look at David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Steven Tyler, even Freddie at that time). When Freddie made those states above
he made them during the glam era.

Right. And just look at any picture of him from 1977 and tell me he looked heterosexual. At the height of their US popularity, nobody cared that Freddie was gay.

It was Dust and ultimately Hot Space that turned their rock fans off. It had very little to do with Freddie's sexuality, if anything at all.

Bible belt America were turned off by Freddie's homosexuality. It didn't help Queen's career in the U.S. The musical
direction they went in eventually brought an end to their touring in the U.S.

S

skip 15 January 2010 21:35 · Member since July 2006

mike hunt wrote:

Gregsynth wrote:

Sir GH wrote:

skip wrote:

To be a musician in the '70s and to play the androgyny card during the glam era was not going to hurt your career
(look at David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Steven Tyler, even Freddie at that time). When Freddie made those states above
he made them during the glam era.

Right. And just look at any picture of him from 1977 and tell me he looked heterosexual. At the height of their US popularity, nobody cared that Freddie was gay.

It was Dust and ultimately Hot Space that turned their rock fans off. It had very little to do with Freddie's sexuality, if anything at all.

My point exactly.

Mine too, it was all about the songs.

Go ask Billy Squier how prancing around acting homosexual in his video made his career sky rocket.

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