How did Freddie Mercury / Queen influence or change the music?

Hi, I am a highschool student and we recieved a project/research paper that have to do with "punk": a person who started something new and changed the culture.
I am a huge fan of Queen, but am ashamed that i cant come up with some examples that show Queen's impact on musical culture.
Could you guys explain how exactly did Queen or Freddie mercury change the culture of music ?

standard and taste

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDeX_3S-Knc

Queen - Pioneers In Music Radio Special

Music videos comes to mind (shot on video tape). Queen more or less kicked off the artform and made them pretty much compulsory for other artists...

Info about Queen's impact on South American culture:

http://www.queenlive.ca/queen/81-02-28.htm
http://www.queenlive.ca/queen/81-03-08.htm

These links contained therein, particularly:

http://www.queencuttings.com/images/80s/TheSun_xxmar1981.gif
http://www.queencuttings.com/images/80s/MelodyMaker_14thmarch81%281%29.gif
http://www.queencuttings.com/images/80s/MelodyMaker_14thmarch81%282%29.gif

Another thing worth noting is that Queen were the first band to use giant lighting rigs on stage. One can definitely argue that turning a rock concert into a theatrical event (Freddie's quote) originated with Queen.

Go research kurt cobains quote about NEWS OF THE WORLD ... How he listened to the casette in his father's van till the battery died

The audio was featured in a documentary "been a son" or something referencing that song.

Also, just listen to the solo in "madness" by MUSE... Sounds ridiculously close to a solo by Fred Mandel for "I WANT TO BREAK FREE"

Queen is an inspiration for countless artist those days.
As Matt Z said above Muse has Madness, but also have Survival, the Olympic anthem is inpired by Queen, and United States Of Eurasia has some bits in honour of Freddie. The I Want To Break Free riff is somethimes played after Knights Of Cydonia, and Dom Howard said he want Don't Stop Me Now in his funeral.

Other artist like The Killers or Red Hot are also Queen fans, in the same way of Katie Perry, Lady Ga Ga or PSI

The musical scene in the mid 70's consisted in:

- post hippie bands which play high, paying little attention to the audience
- Art bands who did long complex conceptual albums, which usually were away of what the common people wanted.
- Glam acts that had pop disposable singles, and bland music
- Led Zeppellin's rip offs

Between 74 an 75 Queen made an impact in the musical scene because:

- They care about making a show for the audience
- They did complex musical numbers who were still close to the common untrained ear
- they made a serious approach to glam without looking like a joke
- they moved on from the zepellin sound to find their own

In some ways they brought together the Beach Boys choruses, the Beatles harmonies, the stage extravaganza of bowie and hendrix,
Plus the Unique sounds of Brian May harmonized guitar, and classical / vaudeville piano from Freddie.

The big impact in the culture was Bohemian Rhapsody as a Single and Video.

Musically, They were able to make the first successful and well done Pop / Operatic / Rock single, and over 5 minutes long which was rare back then.
Visually, they pioneered the concept of Promotional Video Clip. Other people like the beatles did videos before, but Queen used this film in the way that would be done in the 80's and 90's.

That was the first cultural impact.

The second one came in 1980 with the soundtrack of Flash Gordon, and the success of The Game in USA.

The Flash Gordon O.S.T was a cross-over that influenced hugely the electronic music scene of the 90's
Another One Bites the Dust was one of the first big White hits in the african-american radio. Another successful crossover that proved as an influence in later hip hop artist as well.

The third one, probably one of the biggest, was to open the Big rock concert market in SouthAmerica.

Queen was the first band in coming at their peak ("The police" came before when they were just starting)
with their whole show and scenario, playing big stadiums in Argentina, Brazil, and Venezuela

All southamerican culture is heavily influenced by the visit if Queen back then when most of us were in Dictatorship regimes.

Another point to consider would be their ability to write "Anthems"
who are used continuously in sports events (We will Rock You / We Are the Champions)

The fifth element would be their influence in contemporary music from all kinds of genres.
I already mentioned Electronic music, and Hip Hop, but they also influenced:

Grunge: (Kurt Cobain as mentioned, Amashing Pumpkins's Billy Corgan who's favourite album is Queen II )
Rock / Metal: (From Def Leppard, Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Extreme, to Dream Theater)
Electronic /Industrial artists : (NIN Trent Reznor,
Hip Hop: (Wycleaf Jean,
Rock, Alt Bands: (Radiohead, Muse, The Darkness,)

Pop: (George Michael, Keane, Mika, Katy Perry, Lady GaGa, PSY)


This crossover factor is rarely present in Punk rock bands.

Here's also a list of awards received by Queen:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Queen

And i dont know how accurate is this but this is a list that's been for a while online:

- First band to have their entire back catalogue released at one time on CD.
- First band to play three consecutive nights in a stadium in the same city - Buenos Aires.
- First band to be signed by an independent record company who took on full responsibility of the band - Trident.
- Queen pioneered coming onstage to a backing tape.
- First band to sell out the Glasgow Apollo.
- Their light shows were revolutionary: dismissed as excessive at the time, but are now copied worldwide.
- At the time, A Night At The Opera was the most expensive album ever made.
- Bohemian Rhapsody featured the first ever promotional video.
- First band to have all four of their albums in the UK top 20 at once.
- A Day At The Races had the highest ever advance sales for an album.
- First band to sell out Ahoy Hall, Rotterdam in one hour.
- First band to have video screens at their concert.
- Bohemian Rhapsody voted joint best single in the UK for 1952-77.
- We Will Rock You was Number 1 in France for 12 weeks - the longest period allowed in that country. The following week it was replaced by We Are The Champions, from the second side of the single.
- First band to sell out 3 consecutive nights at Forest Nationale, Brussels. It was such an amazing feat that the promoters congratulated them via press adverts.
- Highest attendance for an indoor concert in the UK. (NEC Birmingham, 14,000)
- Another One Bites The Dust was Elektra's first 3,000,000+ single.
- First band to play at Exhibition Centre, Birmingham.
- First band to release a 12" single anywhere (Crazy Little Thing Called Love)
- Gained entry in Guiness Book of Records for highest paid executives (L700,000 each in 1980).
- First band to undertake a stadium tour of South America.
- Their concert in Sao Paulo attracted the biggest paying audience ever (251,000) to see one band.
- First band to fill every place in Argentina's Top Ten album chart.
- Only band to have one single in the Argentinean chart for one year (Love Of My Life).
- First rock band to be commissioned to write a soundtrack for a major film. (Flash Gordon)
- First band to release the first proper collection of promotional videos commercially (Greatest Flix).
- First band to have a number one video in the UK (Greatest Flix).
- First band to be number one simultaneously in the UK's single, album and video charts.
- Tickets for 12 nights at Sun City Superbowl, S Africa sold out in one day - the fastest ever.
- Unanimously voted best band at Live Aid by media, journalists, critics, fans and Bob Geldof.
- Main Road stadium, Manchester (40,000) sold out in 24 hours - the fastest ever.
- First band to play a large stadium date in the Eastern Bloc (Budapest).
- First band to release a video single.
- Their concert at Milton Keynes was the first programme to be broadcast simultaneously on TV and all independent radio stations in the UK.
- First band to have five videos in the UK top ten video chart.
- Highest total attendance for four consecutive nights in the UK (over 400,000).
- Live In Budapest was the first full length feature film to be premiered in the Eastern block.
- Highest rate of sales of a single in Spain (Barcelona sold over 10,000 copies in under 3 hours).
- Freddie was the first (and only) rock musician to compose, record and perform classical opera.
- The Magic Years video trilogy was the best longform video of any kind worldwide in 1988.
- Innuendo had the longest ever music promotional video (six and a half minutes of music)
- These Are The Days Of Our Lives was the first music video to be animated by Disney.
- Bohemian Rhapsody was pressed and released within one week. This had not been done before, and has never been done since.
- First band to have 2 albums and 2 singles enter the UK charts at number 1 in one year.
- Bohemian Rhapsody is the only single to be Christmas number one twice.
- Bohemian Rhapsody is the only single to be number 1 in four different years.
- First band to have 10 albums in the UK top 100.
- Greatest Hits is best selling album ever in the UK.
- The Freddie Mercury Tribute was watched by over one billion people.
- Brian May is the only rock guitarist to have a paper published in the scientific journal Nature.
- The four singles taken from The Works album were each written by a different member of the band, and each made the Top 20 in the UK. No other 4-piece band has had this success at song writing.
- Queen is the most highly qualified rock band ever - all four members have degrees or equivalent.
- Queen have had had more videos at Number 1 in the UK video chart than any other band. (9)
- Queen is the first band to have three greatest hits compilations in the UK top 75 album ch

Like I mentioned before, in terms of actual change of music culture, you'd be best to go with music videos. Sure, there are records that have been broken by them (attendance etc) but I'm not sure that qualifies as actual cultural shifting. Whilst Queen certainly influenced a lot of major artists, you could argue most successful artists influence others in some form or another and therefore change musical culture -but that angle is far too elastic. The Glam thing, well, Bowie kinda has that stitched up -but he too was also part of a movement, so it's a little more difficult to quantify (although he'd be a great subject matter concerning reinvention).
Good luck with it too by the way.

nice list - but i'm not letting some of those become facts for other less knowledgeable types to quote verbatim in the future. so -

[QUOTE] [b]Ozz wrote:[/b] - First band to have their entire back catalogue released at one time on CD.[/QUOTE]The first major artist to have his entire catalogue converted to CD was David Bowie, whose 15 studio albums were made available by RCA Records in February 1985, along with four Greatest Hits albums

[QUOTE] [b]Ozz wrote:[/b] - First band to be signed by an independent record company who took on full responsibility of the band - Trident. [/QUOTE]led zeppelin signed to Atlantic in 1968

[QUOTE] [b]Ozz wrote:[/b]- Queen pioneered coming onstage to a backing tape. [/QUOTE] really? you're sure of this? thought this was quite a common thing amongst bands like genesis and yes in the late 60/early 70s

[QUOTE] [b]Ozz wrote:[/b] - Highest attendance for an indoor concert in the UK. (NEC Birmingham, 14,000) [/QUOTE] led zep O2 - 2007 (20,000+)

[QUOTE] [b]Ozz wrote:[/b] - First band to release a 12" single anywhere (Crazy Little Thing Called Love) [/QUOTE]The first pop song found on a 12? single is "Love to Love You Baby" by Donna Summer, released worldwide by Atlantic Records in 1975

[QUOTE] [b]Ozz wrote:[/b]- Freddie was the first (and only) rock musician to compose, record and perform classical opera. [/QUOTE] accepted - but not exactly groundbreaking. freddie may have done the classical opera thing - but it was not original - jon lord did a classical "concerto for group and orchestra" in 1970 - so perhaps that was the first true rock crossover album

[QUOTE] [b]Ozz wrote:[/b]- Innuendo had the longest ever music promotional video (six and a half minutes of music) [/QUOTE] wasn't Guns N Roses "November Rain" longer?

[QUOTE] [b]Ozz wrote:[/b]- Queen is the most highly qualified rock band ever - all four members have degrees or equivalent. [/QUOTE]
freddie didn't have a degree he had an art diploma (not a degree equivalent) -he studied at ealing college of art, and did a graphic design course.

[QUOTE] [b]brENsKi wrote:[/b]

[QUOTE] [b]Ozz wrote:[/b] - First band to be signed by an independent record company who took on full responsibility of the band - Trident. [/QUOTE]led zeppelin signed to Atlantic in 1968[/QUOTE]
But Atlantic was just the record label. Trident was acted as the manager as well. So what happens when the manager wants to ask the label something? This is not something to be proud of, and why they cut ties with them (for a huge price) in 1975.

[QUOTE] [b]brENsKi wrote:[/b] [QUOTE] [b]Ozz wrote:[/b]- Queen pioneered coming onstage to a backing tape. [/QUOTE] really? you're sure of this? thought this was quite a common thing amongst bands like genesis and yes in the late 60/early 70s[/QUOTE]
Indeed, Yes was the first. They were using the tail end of Stravinsky's Firebird in 1972.

yes and no ^^^^ atlantic was a completely independent record company until the year zep signed.
warner purchased atlantic in 67 - the year atlantic expanded into rock

but as you say - it's not something to have on your cv as a band. the trident scenario nearly broke queen.

Someone should make a movie about Trident studios
best music in the world came out of it
Queen Bowie Bolan Lou Reed Beatles and everyone else

you got great music
worlds greatest rock names and a glamarous location in soho
couldnt wish for more for a great movie and story.

Sean Bean should play the bad guy getting stones at his window and buying rolls royces etc

Wembley Stadium. 1986 Queen Magic Tour
Was the first-ever simulcast between Channel Four and the Independent Radio network in Britain. This feat has never since been repeated -
possibly because, in order to achieve this, a satellite dish had to be delivered to every single independent radio station in the UK so that they could receive the sound by satellite whilst receiving the pictures by the normal land lines.


On 27th July, Queen made history again (something of a habit with this band!) when they played the beautiful Nepstadion in Budapest, Hungary. It was the first time a major rock band had played a stadium date in the Eastern Bloc, and it was completely sold out well in advance. The concert was filmed by the Hungarian State Film Agency, MAFILM, in connection with Queen Films - they had to commandeer every 35mm camera in Hungary to film it!