My Top Ten Queen Favorites

I am Queen-obsessed.

I hadn't always been this way though. I have always loved Queen's music, well, at least what the radio played. And Freddie Mercury's voice was music to my ears because it is one of the purest sounds ever. But I had never appreciated their music, their art, their story, Freddie Mercury's life, and their contribution to rock and roll as I do now.

I became more engrossed in Freddie Mercury when I watched The Freddie Mercury Story: Who Wants to Live Forever on Reel TV. I knew about his homosexuality (although, I learned later that he lived bisexually as well) and that he had been diagnosed with AIDS. But other than that, I never knew about his life nor that of Queen's journey to stardom. That documentary opened my eyes, and I became more intrigued by Mercury and Queen.

Of course, when Bohemian Rhapsody hit theaters, it triggered a resurgence of Queen and their music and opened up a door to the band's and Mercury's world.

However, it wasn't until I had attended a rock symphony paying tribute to the music of Queen where my obsession ignited. Brody Dolyniuk's Freddie-Mecury-like vocals and the beautiful music of the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra gave me a taste of what it would have been like to be at a Queen concert. Because Queen was such a stadium-performing type of band, hearing their music live sung by the closest version I will ever get to hear of Freddie Mercury was the best thing ever.

After that, I was hooked. I then scoured YouTube Music for more of Queen and was blown away by how much of their awesome music I had never heard! I knew of the ones on the radio, but I didn't realize how eclectic their entire collection was. They certainly did not box themselves into a specific genre (even they were considered as rock) and weren't afraid to push the boundaries of music.

I have definitely built quite a Queen playlist. Although dwindling down my favorites was most difficult because I love so much of their songs, I wanted to highlight my top ten.

10. Don't Stop Me Now

The very first time I heard it was on a commercial, but I didn't realize it was a Queen song until I heard the actual track. It instantly became one of my favorites because of its upbeat tempo, and the commercial used it as a means of motivation, which it became for me because it just makes a person just want to move!

9. My Melancholy Blues

I had recently started listening to blues and jazz. When I first heard this song, I was blown away! It was so different from the rest of Queen's rock and absolutely highlighted Mercury's pure, angelic vocals and his amazing range. What made it even more beautiful was all he needed was a piano and slight percussion to deliver it. When I listen to it, it's as if I could imagine myself sitting in a jazz bar listening to this perfect performance in front of my very eyes.

8. Somebody to Love

Who doesn't love Somebody to Love? It's been covered on Ella Enchanted, Happy Feet, and Glee. There's just something about this song that grabs at the heartstrings and makes a person start singing. Not only is it an anthem for those looking for love, but Queen does it in such an entertainingly operatic fashion that makes it so much fun to sing.

7. Bohemian Rhapsody

I hate ranking Queen's songs because they're all so awesome and different, and you would think that Bohemian Rhapsody would rank higher because, after all, it's Bohemian Rhapsody! But I've discovered so much more of their great music, yet I wanted to include this song because how could I not. And I had to place it somewhere. This song needs no explanation, though. We all know how wonderful this piece of work is.

6. Another One Bites The Dust

John Deacon's bass rules in this track. Not only because it was written by him, but because the beat is just sick! And of course, Mercury's vocals lays it down in such perfection. What makes this song so memorable is that it's danceable. I see why it exploded here in America in 1980 because it was perfect for the rise of the club scene era.

5. Who Wants to Live Forever

This is one song that I wish I could have heard Mercury sing live. It is a damn powerful ballad and highlights the crazy range and strength of his voice. The lyrics themselves, which were written by Brian May, target the heart and Mercury drives the words through with amazing force.

4. Love of My Life

This song is both heart wrenching and sweet. I fell in love with it after watching a video of Mercury's performance of it at their Wembley concert, and the entire audience sang it with him. It's as if he had connected with each and every person singing because the song is so relatable and beautiful.

3. These Are The Days of Our Lives

This was the last video that Mercury made with Queen. His declining health was already evident. Yet, that's what makes this song all the more special and bittersweet. It seemed as if it was both a testament to Mercury's life as a great showman and his farewell to the world and fans he loved. Not only that, the beautiful lyrics by Roger Taylor make listeners reminisce and ponder on their own lives.

2. I Want to Break Free

This song became my anthem when I wanted to break free from my own old life. Again, Deacon's bass rules as does his lyrics. But after I saw the video, it just solidified it as one of my top favorites! The video was fun and artistic, and the most outrageous fact was hearing in a Mercury interview that it was Taylor's idea to dress up in drag! And he ended up being the prettiest of them all!

1. Radio Ga Ga

It was a toss up between this song and I Want to Break Free. In the end, Radio Ga Ga won. The song itself, the lyrics (written by Taylor), the beat, and the video created the perfect package for me. Majority of Queen's music is catchy, but the video brought it to a whole new level where a crowd of participants along with the band raise their hands at the chorus. Nothing can beat, however, their performance of it at Live Aid in 1985. I watched a video of it and caught goose bumps, so I can only imagine how amazing it was to actually have been there and participate. Only Queen had the ability to engage thousands and thousands of people in unison.

There it is, my top ten. Some may agree, and some might not. But we can all agree to disagree because, as I mentioned before, it is so difficult to choose just ten and then rank them in some kind of order. I have so many other favorites that I may have to do an Honorable Mentions List as well!

I would so love to hear other people's take on this and what their top ten would be!