Depends on how you define metal. In the 80's with Spandex, hair spray, Van Halen or Bon Jovi on the scene, the general public obviously accepted a lot as heavy music or metal (I don't though). Have a look at who played at festivals like Donington back then. But there was Anthrax, Megadeth, Metallica, even Guns N' Roses, who blew those bands away...

However, having a look at Queen again, I think for them and for us it was just about making good music. Rockabilly like Man on the Prowl and hard rock like Tear it up on one album, that was nice. And in the past, you had Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon, Seaside Rendezvous or Bring Back That Leroy Brown. You had a band playing Sheer Heart Attack, the same band that wrote and released Pain is so close to Pleasure... But I dare to say, Freddie's voice could make any song sound good or at least listenable. Imagine I Want To Break Free by Lisa Stansfield or Radio GaGa by Paul Young...they would not have been hits, I'm sure. It's the whole package that counts.

Jan