"Queen" was founded in 1970 in London, England by guitarist Brian May, lead vocalist Freddie Mercury and drummer Roger Taylor, bass player John Deacon joined the group during 1971. The group is widely known for their musical diversity, complex arrangements, vocal harmonies, and incorporation of audience participation into their live shows.
Their "Live Aid" performance during 1985 was voted the best live rock show of all time in an industry poll. "Queen" enjoyed success in the U.K. in the early 1970's with the albums Queen and Queen 2, although it was 1974's Sheer Heart Attack and A Night at the Opera in 1975 that the band began to realize international recognition.
The group has released a total of fifteen studio albums, five live albums, and a number of compilation albums. Eighteen of these have reached number one on charts around the world. After Freddie Mercury's death in 1991 and John Deacon's retirement in 1997, May and Taylor have performed infrequently under the "Queen" moniker.
Since 2004 they have been collaborating with Paul Rodgers, and have been using the name "Queen + Paul Rodgers."