Over a career spanning six decades, Queen have become one of the most successful music artists in the history of the recorded music industry.
Their consumption on digital platforms towers above other classic bands and artists of their generation and even many contemporary artists, attesting to the substantial and transgenerational appeal of Queen.
This collection offers insights into the Queen phenomenon through considering their artistry, influences, sound, singing style, use of instruments and technology, composition, live performance, as well as their impact on other music makers, and fandom. Bringing together academics from a range of disciplines in music studies, including musicology, composition, performance, as well as specialists in film and media studies, sociology, queer studies, and business studies, the book examines the many dimensions of Queen and lessons we can learn from them to inform future practice in popular music.
Contributors Foreword: In the beginning ... Tim Staffell, musician and co-founder of Smile Introduction Queen: A Success Story Tony Rigg, University of Central Lancashire, UK, and Ewa Mazierska, University of Central Lancashire, UK Part 1 – Artistry 1. 'Life is Real': The Beatles’ Influence on Queen Nick Braae, Waikato Institute of Technology, Hamilton, New Zealand 2. The Vocal Style of Queen: Phonetic and Musicological Perspectives Mariusz Gradowski, University of Warsaw, Poland, and Monika Konert-Panek, University of Warsaw, Poland 3. From the Individual to the Collective: The Vocal Artistry of Queen Diane Hughes, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia 4. Brian May live in ’75: The Sound of a Distinctive Guitarist Simon Partridge, University of Central Lancashire, UK and Simon Bradley, Music Journalist, UK 5. Queen Live 1973-1982: Studio to Stage, Stage to Show Leigh Carriage, Southern Cross University, Australia 6. A Night at the Opera: Fusions and tensions between modernity and postmodernity Cristina Parapar, Sorbonne University, France 7. Don’t Stop Him Now! Freddie Mercury’s Glam/ Leather Performances of Masculinity Konrad Sierzputowski, Independent Scholar Part 2 – Legacy 8. The Bells are Ringing Out: The Impact of Queen Nick Braae, Waikato Institute of Technology in Hamilton, New Zealand 9. We Will Rob You: Queen Sampled Justin Morey, Leeds Beckett University, UK 10. Queen at Hammersmith Odeon, Christmas Eve 1975: A retrospective Marie Josephine Bennett, University of Winchester, UK 11. Queen at Sun City: Controversy and Beyond Michael Drewett, Rhodes University, South Africa 12. Old Queen, New Queen: The Reimagination of Perfection! Stephen Langston, University of West Scotland, UK 13. Rhapsody for Queen in Bohemian Rhapsody the Biopic Ewa Mazierska, University of Central Lancashire, UK 14. Everybody Loves Queen: The Circles and Waves of Queen Fandom Ewa Mazierska, University of Central Lancashire, UK, and Tony Rigg, University of Central Lancashire, UK Index
Tony Rigg is a music industry professional and educator affiliated with the University of Central Lancashire, UK. He has occupied senior management roles in market-leading organisations, including Operations Director for Ministry of Sound. He co-edited and co-wrote Popular Music in the Post-digital Age: Politics, Economy, Culture and Technology (Bloomsbury, 2018), The Future of Live Music (Bloomsbury, 2020) and The Evolution of Electronic Dance Music (Bloomsbury, 2021) with Ewa Mazierska and The Present and Future of Music Law (Bloomsbury, 2021) with Ann Harrison. Platforms include Music Research Group social media platforms. Ewa Mazierska is a professor at the University of Central Lancashire, UK. She has published over 20 monographs and edited collections concerning popular culture and music. These include the collaborations with Rigg, Popular Polish Electronic Music, 1970-2020: A Cultural History (2021) and Popular Viennese Electronic Music, 1990-2015: A Cultural History (2019). Mazierska’s work has been translated into many languages. She is the principal editor of a Routledge journal, Studies in Eastern European Cinema.
Reviews for The Artistry and Legacy of Queen
This book is a must for any literate Queen fan. As eclectic as the band itself, this anthology incorporates a comprehensive range of commentary and critical approaches, from musicology to queer studies and postmodernism, considering both the artistry and legacy of the group. Their recordings, their live performances and Mercury’s star status are all analyzed with precision and affection, while not shying away from controversy. * Matthew Bannister, postgraduate theory supervisor, School of Media Arts at Wintec, Kirikiriroa/Hamilton, Aotearoa/New Zealand * The value of this collective work lies, besides other things, in a convincing and thematically broad treatment of many aspects of Queen's output. Analytical musicological studies, supplemented by sections on Queen's media representation, the group's fandom, etc., constitute a comprehensive treatise that will undoubtedly contribute to the consolidation of existing “Queen Studies”. * Jan Blüml, Assistant Professor, Palacký University Olomouc, Czech Republic *
