Queen

**Queen** was a Rock Band act from FantasyAGT: Battle of the Champions. They were eliminated in the Semifinals.

## Background

Queen are a British rock band that formed in London in 1970. Their classic line-up was Freddie Mercury (lead vocals, piano), Brian May (lead guitar, vocals), Roger Taylor (drums, vocals), and John Deacon (bass guitar). Queen's earliest works were influenced by progressive rock, hard rock and heavy metal, but the band gradually ventured into more conventional and radio-friendly works by incorporating further styles, such as arena rock and pop rock, into their music.

Before forming Queen, Brian May and Roger Taylor had played together in Smile. Mercury, then known by his birth name, Farrokh "Freddie" Bulsara, was a fan of Smile and encouraged them to experiment with more elaborate stage and recording techniques. Mercury joined in 1970, suggested the name "Queen", and adopted his familiar stage name. Deacon was recruited before the band recorded their eponymous debut album in 1973. Queen first charted in the UK with their second album, Queen II, in 1974, but it was the release of Sheer Heart Attack later that year and A Night at the Opera in 1975 which brought them international success. The latter featured "Bohemian Rhapsody", which stayed at number one in the UK for nine weeks and was influential in helping to popularise the music video.

The band's 1977 album News of the World contained "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions", which have become anthems at sporting events. By the early 1980s, Queen were one of the biggest stadium rock bands in the world. "Another One Bites the Dust" (1980) became their best-selling single, while their 1981 compilation album Greatest Hits is the best-selling album in the UK and is certified eight times platinum in the US. Their performance at the 1985 Live Aid concert has been ranked among the greatest in rock history by various music publications. In 1991, Mercury died of bronchopneumonia, a complication of AIDS, and Deacon retired in 1997. May and Taylor have performed under the Queen name with Paul Rodgers and Adam Lambert as vocalists on several tours since.

Estimates of their record sales range from 150 million to 300 million records, making them one of the world's best-selling music artists. Queen received the Outstanding Contribution to British Music Award from the British Phonographic Industry in 1990. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.

## Preliminary

Queen's preliminary performance in Episode BC02 consisted of singing their song, "Bohemian Rhapsody". Mike, Saf and Pennies gave them standing ovations, referring this as a 'legendary performance'. Queen's performance was strong enough for the Judges to send them to Judge Cuts instead of Sons of Serendip and Forte.

## Judge Cuts

Queen's Judge Cuts performance in Episode BC06 consisted of singing their song, "Somebody to Love". Mike, Saf, guest judge Fuz, Pennies and Fresh all gave them standing ovations. Their performance was strong enough for the judges to send them to the Quarterfinals.

## Quarterfinals

Queen's Quarterfinal performance in Episode BC012 consisted of singing their song, "Don't Stop Me Now". Mike, Saf and Pennies all gave them standing ovations. Queen finished in either 6th or 7th place in the vote. Although Saf and Fresh didn't vote for them, Mike and Pennies did, causing a tiebreaker: whichever act received more votes from America proceeded to the Semifinals. It was revealed Queen had more votes than Light Balance, sending them to the Semifinals.

## Semifinals

Queen's Semifinal performance in Episode BC016 consisted of performing their song, "We Are the Champions". Mike, Saf and Pennies all gave them standing ovations. Queen did not receive enough votes to move onto the Finals, eliminating them from the competition along with Chris Blue, instead of Brian Justin Crum.