This is Queen The Greatest
– a weekly celebration of Queen’s outstanding
songs, performances and achievements
from the last 50 years.
As well as being incredible musicians and performers,
all four members of Queen were
extremely talented song writers as well
– each contributing a significant portion of
the extensive catalogue we enjoy
to this very day.
What is perhaps less well known,
is that each band member can also lay claim to
penning their fair share of the songs
that would become Queen’s most
successful chart hits.
To celebrate this remarkable facet,
let’s take some time to look at those hits
and who wrote them.
This week let’s focus on five classic hits
that all came from Queen’s
sensational drummer – Roger Taylor.
As well as writing, among others,
fan favourites such as “I’m In Love With My Car”,
famously the B-Side to ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’,
and the live tour de force ‘Sheer Heart Attack’,
Queen’s first major chart success with
a Roger composition came in 1984
with ‘Radio Ga Ga’.
This iconic video moment of
the crowd clapping along to the drum beat
was quickly adopted by fans attending
live Queen shows around the world.
More chart success followed on the next album
with the title track, ‘A Kind of Magic’,
accompanied by another classic video
in which Freddie gets to weave his magic
over his less than glamorous looking band mates.
By the time ‘The Miracle’ album came along in 1989,
songs were being credited as being composed by Queen,
rather than individually – but it’s been
acknowledged that Roger was the originator of
two of the albums chart hits –
‘Invisible Man’….
…and ‘Breakthru’.
Finally, ‘These Are The Days of Our Lives’
is a song close to every Queen fan’s heart
and although it was originally conceived by Roger
as a reflective song about being a Parent,
it took on a different significance on its release
shortly after the tragic loss of Freddie.
The song, deservedly, gave Queen a number one hit.
Thanks for watching.
Later in the series we will take a look
at the hits originated by Freddie, Brian and John
– but until then, see you for the next instalment
of Queen The Greatest.