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.

Autorentext

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 Professor of Film Studies at the University of Lancashire, UK. She published over 30 monographs and edited collections on film and popular music, including Popular Polish Electronic Music, 1970-2020: A Cultural History (2021) and Poland Daily: Economy, Work, Consumption and Social Class in Polish Cinema (2017). She is the principal editor of Studies in Eastern European Cinema. Her work was translated into over 20 languages.

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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