To Queen Fans,
I am wondering about how we should classify Queen with regard to the rock to pop spectrum described in the following New York Times article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/31/arts/music/31sann.html?ei=5090&en=5d74c31cbf3d2d34&ex=1256965200&partner=WEBLOGS&pagewanted=printadherents
Basically, the author is arguing that pop music is every bit as legitimate as hard rock, and that both sides have produced some great music.
Here is my opinion: I would tend to place Queen right in the middle of the spectrum. Although Queen was a great heavy metal band, you also find an amusing tongue-in-cheek sense of humor and a campy, gay sensibility that is totally uncharacteristic of deadly serious white bands such as Led Zeppelin and The Clash. Queen further produced an entire disco album, “Hot Space,” while Freddie Mercury's influences appeared to have been largely black (for example, Aretha Franklin, The Jackson 5 and Lionel Richie). As the article points out, these musical influences fall directly onto the pop side of things. I also pointed out in a previous post that, for a "white" rock band, Queen had an unusually sophisticated sense of rhythm as well.
OK, so I am waiting to hear your views here. I hope to hear some original, insightful and outrageous things! Use the article to help guide you.
Thread
Posts in chronological order
Well, this is as obnoxious as when I tried to explain my political views on a Liberal-Conservative scale !
I would say more "rock" in the 70s and more poppish in the 80s. But certainly with exceptions. I think they had their own style, and I wouldn't really "classify" them.
I think it's good that they're hard to "classify" - meaning they had such diversity in their career that you can't just apply one term over all of it.
I think the "middle" would be a place if you just found the average, and it doesn't really do justice, though it's, to me, accurate. I would say they're more of a composite or something - with extremes on both sides of the "scale".
For instance, I never thought of them as "hard rock" until I accidentally saw that VH1 thing where they were the #13 hard rock band of all time or whatever. Then I started thinking, and I realised they DID have hard rock songs, and I just never thought of them that way. I always thought of them as "Queen" - putting out such different things as "Ogre Battle" and "One Year of Love".
I would say they combine pop and rock and other things, too. I guess the "vaudeville" numbers are a kind of "pop". "Funny How Love Is" sounds poppish, and so does Hot Space, or should I call that "funk" or "disco" ?
Mr. Mercury called it "disposable pop" at one time.
And if "pop" means "popular", they had that down. I don't know much about the time-period first-hand, but it seems rock, in general, was more popular in the 70s-80s, but I could be DEAD wrong.
...
As always, I feel silly posting this... but... whatever !
I would say more "rock" in the 70s and more poppish in the 80s. But certainly with exceptions. I think they had their own style, and I wouldn't really "classify" them.
I think it's good that they're hard to "classify" - meaning they had such diversity in their career that you can't just apply one term over all of it.
I think the "middle" would be a place if you just found the average, and it doesn't really do justice, though it's, to me, accurate. I would say they're more of a composite or something - with extremes on both sides of the "scale".
For instance, I never thought of them as "hard rock" until I accidentally saw that VH1 thing where they were the #13 hard rock band of all time or whatever. Then I started thinking, and I realised they DID have hard rock songs, and I just never thought of them that way. I always thought of them as "Queen" - putting out such different things as "Ogre Battle" and "One Year of Love".
I would say they combine pop and rock and other things, too. I guess the "vaudeville" numbers are a kind of "pop". "Funny How Love Is" sounds poppish, and so does Hot Space, or should I call that "funk" or "disco" ?
Mr. Mercury called it "disposable pop" at one time.
And if "pop" means "popular", they had that down. I don't know much about the time-period first-hand, but it seems rock, in general, was more popular in the 70s-80s, but I could be DEAD wrong.
...
As always, I feel silly posting this... but... whatever !
Rock or Pop?
Both and then some.
They wrote some inventive hard rock songs and crafted top notch pop songs.
I particularly like the fact that they had songs outside the spectrum of Rock or Pop like Cabaret/Vaudeville and Rockabilly.
Both and then some.
They wrote some inventive hard rock songs and crafted top notch pop songs.
I particularly like the fact that they had songs outside the spectrum of Rock or Pop like Cabaret/Vaudeville and Rockabilly.
Yeah, I agree that they moved from rock to pop over the years. On the other hand, my favorite songs include "Radio Ga Ga," "I Want to Break Free," "Crazy Little Thing Called Love," "Another One Bites the Dust," "Under Pressure," and "One Vision." These are all pop songs.
To me, their are different musical genres and then their's Queen. As previous posts have said they are hard to classify and for that I'm thankful. They've got that heavy metal stuff I love and yet they still have those beautiful compositions like These Are The Days of Our Lives. Right up till the end of their career they had a balance of hard rock and pop. Ok, I'll admit that the first album didn't have any pop, but if you look at all the albums afterwards you'll find a balance in some way or form.
Queen and Queen II had an extreme metal feel with songs like Son & Daughter and Ogre Battle all at the same time with classics like Funny How Love Is. Sheer Heart Attack had a song as metal as metal gets with Stone Cold Crazy (which could also be said to be one of the first thrash metal songs ever). Also on Sheer Heart Attack we heard John's pop song Misfire. Lets also remember that Sheer Heart Attack and Queen II were released in the same year and even at this time it is hard to determine their musical genre. Both of these albums are so disimilar its not even funny.
If you were to go on and study the other albums you'll still find some what of a balance of the hard rock and pop. I'd hate to believe that Queen went totally into pop at one point in their career. Even during Hot Space they still had Put Out the Fire which wasn't pop I don't think, that was just a good hard rocker song. On The Works you'll find Tear it Up and Hammer to Fall and even find Radio Ga Ga and I Want to Break Free.
I'm not going to get into any of the other albums because it is all self explainatory. One other thing I would like to mention, however, is that their live shows never changed. They would always play their hard rocking songs throughout their live career. Even though they added those outragious songs such as Staying Power and A Kind of Magic, they never left out Bohemian Rhapsody or We Will Rock You.
Anyway, I'm done rambling now...thanks for reading. Take care.
Steve
Queen and Queen II had an extreme metal feel with songs like Son & Daughter and Ogre Battle all at the same time with classics like Funny How Love Is. Sheer Heart Attack had a song as metal as metal gets with Stone Cold Crazy (which could also be said to be one of the first thrash metal songs ever). Also on Sheer Heart Attack we heard John's pop song Misfire. Lets also remember that Sheer Heart Attack and Queen II were released in the same year and even at this time it is hard to determine their musical genre. Both of these albums are so disimilar its not even funny.
If you were to go on and study the other albums you'll still find some what of a balance of the hard rock and pop. I'd hate to believe that Queen went totally into pop at one point in their career. Even during Hot Space they still had Put Out the Fire which wasn't pop I don't think, that was just a good hard rocker song. On The Works you'll find Tear it Up and Hammer to Fall and even find Radio Ga Ga and I Want to Break Free.
I'm not going to get into any of the other albums because it is all self explainatory. One other thing I would like to mention, however, is that their live shows never changed. They would always play their hard rocking songs throughout their live career. Even though they added those outragious songs such as Staying Power and A Kind of Magic, they never left out Bohemian Rhapsody or We Will Rock You.
Anyway, I'm done rambling now...thanks for reading. Take care.
Steve
Pre 1983 - Rock
Post 1983 - Pop
Post 1983 - Pop
^FALSE
For the most part, rock IS pop.
Queen were predominetly rock before hot space. They always had popish songs in the 70's though. You wouldnt call 'killer queen' rock, but you wouldnt call it pop either. Same with their pop years, they always had rock songs aswell as pop songs, hammer to fall, under pressure.
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Benn wrote: [/QUOTENAME]Pre 1983 - Rock
Post 1983 - Pop[/QUOTE]
What's with Innuendo;-)?
Post 1983 - Pop[/QUOTE]
What's with Innuendo;-)?
US POP = Commercial success
UK Pop = Popular (the people)
I think Queen is both definition, all depends, i mean Pop music is very different now than in old days, and of course they were rockers
UK Pop = Popular (the people)
I think Queen is both definition, all depends, i mean Pop music is very different now than in old days, and of course they were rockers
They played Rock, that is pop(ular)
I don't count pop as a genre. For example Mozart was pop in his time.
I don't count pop as a genre. For example Mozart was pop in his time.
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Benn wrote: [/QUOTENAME]Pre 1983 - Rock
Post 1983 - Pop[/QUOTE]
you saying "the game" and "hot space" are more rock than pop?
interesting....please elaborate
Post 1983 - Pop[/QUOTE]
you saying "the game" and "hot space" are more rock than pop?
interesting....please elaborate
This an easy one to answer.
From 1973 to 1980 they were fantastic
From 1981 to 1991 the were crap
From 1973 to 1980 they were fantastic
From 1981 to 1991 the were crap
I always thought they fall into both categories throughout their career, but when doing something such as an ID tag, I generally switch them from rock to pop for Hot Space and beyond. :-P