"essential" Queen albums

Kind of an odd topic, but I thought I'd take a shot at it anyway.

As a big Bob Dylan fan who didn't own much of his work on CD (I'm more of a vinyl person), I decided to buy his "Complete Album Collection" that came out last year. Great buy, overall.

But that aside, it got fans on Dylan boards squabbling over the "essential" Dylan albums. Clearly, these "essential" albums, are not studio albums, but live albums, compilations, and Bootleg Series albums (it's a Dylan thing - look it up, they're actually amazing). In the Dylan box, not all of his live albums are included, creating a further debate on which live albums are important and which are not.

So, it led me to start thinking about Queen's "essential" non-studio albums. Basically, I came up with this.

Aside from the 15 studio albums, these, in my opinion, are the "essential" Queen albums.

Live Killers
Greatest Hits (UK version)
Greatest Hits II
At The Beeb
Live at Wembley '86
Queen Rocks
Greatest Hits III
Live at the Bowl
Queen Rock Montreal
Absolute Greatest (for the commentary only)
(the soon-to-be-released) Live at the Rainbow '74
(the soon-to-be-released) "Queen Forever" album

I didn't put in Live Magic, because I saw Wembley as superior, especially the fact that it's a full show. Although cutting the opera part isn't a big deal, because it doesn't cut any real live performance, it always bugged me.

I always wished that Queen would but out a giant box set with everything in it, instead of all these mini re-releases along the way. Maybe then I'll buy everything. But until then...

Thoughts?

I guess you have a good list of the "essential" non-studio albums, but you pretty much have them all (of the official).

I'd say - to pick a few - Live Killers, Live at Wembley '86, At the Beeb and Greatest Hits. And yes, the two upcoming releases; Queen Forever and Live at the Rainbow '74.

I'd add a few bootlegs, if you count those!

Uh let's see........5-1-75 Tokyo, Xmas 75 and 79, Houston 77, Chicago 78 (my favorites!)

Wouldn't Queen Forever be a studio album? What'd be the difference between that and Made an Heaven?

Houston '77 is maybe my favourite of all the live shows I've heard.

[QUOTE] [b]Day dop wrote:[/b]

Wouldn't Queen Forever be a studio album? What'd be the difference between that and Made an Heaven?
[/QUOTE]

Queen Forever, according to Brian, is supposed to be a compilation album with some new tracks. So I guess it's kind of like Queen Rocks, just with more new tracks.