did queen make freddie or freddie make queen

They both made each other...

One way to look at it is to ask would they have been sucessful if they had never met and formed Queen? Firstly luck plays a big part: there are many great musicians who never made it "big" because they weren't in the right place at the right time. That aside, Roger easily has the charisma, looks, voice and terrible fashion sense to have been a frontman in his own right in the 1970s and 80s. I've no doubt he would have found a way to be a rock star. For example, think how much better Def Leppard would be with Roger on lead vocals :) Brian is too talented and too strong willed not to have made it in the rock business. Deaky -- I get the impression that he was very fortunate to have met the band when he did and although he's a very skillful musician I don't think anyone would have heard of him today if Queen hadn't come along when it did (although what a great session musician he would have made!)As for Fred, he could've been anything -- rock star, artist, weirdo, theatre luvvie -- there's just no way to know how his career would've developed if he had never met Smile. So, as others have stated, they were successful because of the blend of personalities and talent.

Can the same arguement be made for the Beatles?

UPDATE

Yes, Misfire was how they tackled America successfully, but now that you mention it, AOBTD was their biggest seller.

Another point in John's favor.

Even Freddie knew this was going to be an issue... so he made them call him Deacon John on the first album. How'd that turn out?

After he demanded his name represented correctly on the 2nd album, things started happening for Queen.

Roger in Def Leppard? really?
he was ten years too old for that group..they were NWOBHM kids and he was 30....

secondly, his voice would not have fitted their stuff ever

brENsKI, haha, yes I am aware that Misfire was part of the sarcasm, you were just reading the sarcasm the wrong way so I felt the need to correct you for some reason. That's why I said his argument was ALMOST valid. It is a little compelling, though...

[QUOTE] [b]DragonflyTrumpeter83 wrote:[/b]
[QUOTE]
Roger would be somewhat unhappy doing who-the-hell-knows-what.[/QUOTE]
Ha... He'd probably be the town drunk somewhere in Cornwall.
[/QUOTE]
Yeah, I was thinking something along those lines

[QUOTE] [b]brENsKi wrote:[/b]
Roger in Def Leppard? really?
he was ten years too old for that group..they were NWOBHM kids and he was 30....
secondly, his voice would not have fitted their stuff ever[/QUOTE]

Er.. it was a comparison. I wasn't suggesting that there was ever a chance Roger would actually be in DL. As for his voice, it would "suit" because they play guitar based rock, with layered harmony vocals. A bit like Queen in fact. It wouldn't sound the same, of course, -- it would sound much better :)

Roger was also at least a decade older than members of The Cross (sans Spike) and that didn't stop him.

In answer to the original question - both!

Queen was made by Freddie, Roger, Brian and John.

This is the Magic of 4 people. Replace 1 of the 4 and it would sound totally different. Some would have more influence in 1 song while others would have more influence n another song.

Thank god they got together.

For the love of music and the joy we feel for it every single day.

Queen is the perfect blend of genius/talent/magic. They had a beautiful symbiotic relationship, each one playing off the other, in creativity and brilliance.
But, without Freddie, Brian and Roger would've just been a fading Smile (lol), perhaps making it big, maybe even huge. Freddie, though, catapulted them to another stratosphere of success!
Freddie had such determination and belief in himself, not to mention drive and passion, that I think he would've become great with anyone w/ talent and ambition....which was key w/ the 4 of them.
Freddie was such a dynamic force, so electrifying, mesmerizing, charismatic, exuding passion w/ every word that no one could've made Queen the greatest band ever Except for Freddie. Queen, w/ Freddie, was the best live show ever!
All you have to do is look at their career since Freddie's been gone to know the answer....and that's After Freddie had already made them famous! It's quite obvious that, although Freddie wasn't Queen, per se, but he sure was the soul of Queen!!
Queen = all 4 geniuses.
Freddie = genius extraordinaire!!!!!

Quote:
"Queen is the perfect blend of genius/talent/magic. They had a beautiful symbiotic relationship, each one playing off the other, in creativity and brilliance.
But, without Freddie, Brian and Roger would've just been a fading Smile (lol), perhaps making it big, maybe even huge. Freddie, though, catapulted them to another stratosphere of success!
Freddie had such determination and belief in himself, not to mention drive and passion, that I think he would've become great with anyone w/ talent and ambition....which was key w/ the 4 of them.
Freddie was such a dynamic force, so electrifying, mesmerizing, charismatic, exuding passion w/ every word that no one could've made Queen the greatest band ever Except for Freddie. Queen, w/ Freddie, was the best live show ever!
All you have to do is look at their career since Freddie's been gone to know the answer....and that's After Freddie had already made them famous! It's quite obvious that, although Freddie wasn't Queen, per se, but he sure was the soul of Queen!!
Queen = all 4 geniuses.
Freddie = genius extraordinaire!!!!!"

Perfectly said! I agree 100%.

They all needed each other in order to have been successful as they were, and they all acknowledge that. MAYBE one or two would have been successful if they'd not met, but until we can peek into alternate realities, we'll never know.

Brian and Roger might have kept going, with a new band, and probably would have at least had a few albums out and some reasonably successful hits. They might have moved from band to band if the groups didn't stay together very long (as a lot of '70s bands came and went in a few years). I'm sure both would keep busy touring, appearing in bands and on albums, maybe later getting into the production side.

Roger would likely have gone on the longest of the two, maybe with a solo album or two, before changing gears and producing other acts while touring on the side.

Freddie would probably have gotten on with another band or two, same as Brian and Roger. His party lifestyle might have caught up with him early, like '81 or '82 and he'd be another overdosed rock footnote. Or, without fame, he might have settled down into graphic art (like Tim Staffell) or music production, led a quiet life and might still be working today.

John, not being a singer and not having written anything we know of before "Misfire," would probably have gone into electronic or music engineering, being a weekend rocker with a local band or two for fun and extra money, married and had kids. Pretty much the same as he is now, though without the millions of dollars.

More interestingly, we'd live a world without "We Will Rock You," "We Are The Champions" and "Another One Bites The Dust," songs that have become so ingrained in popular culture. On the other hand, there'd have been no "Ice Ice Baby," so I guess you take the good with the bad.

I'm not sure whether the four of them were geniuses rather they had certain strengths which complimented each others. Their intelligence and good sense aided them to make good decisions. Freddie certainly had a drive to push Brian and Roger to the next level, John initially was along for the ride but would become increasingly important.

Without Freddie's drive I think Brian would have (taken the sensible decision) finished his PhD and have been working in a University (with short hair...wow...that's got to be worth a photoshop effort).

Roger would have made many efforts to become a rock star (possibly sucessfully). If he hadn't made it he'd be a bit like "Saxondale". 70's rocker haircut, podgy etc.

As mentioned above John would have got a proper job and played music as a hobby.

Freddie is difficult to imagine. His will to make it may have meant he tried with other bands, probably unsucessfully based on his voice back then. He'd eventually have moved into graphic art stuff and settled down with someone. His life possibly not spiralling out of control without the exposure to the wild lifestyles.

I doubt that Freddie would have ever settled down to a quiet, 'normal' life. His talents, his ambition, his drive, his charisma would always make him successful. He was born to perform. The minute he walked out on the stage, he owned the audience!