Call them a puzzle, an anomaly, a magical rarity, or all three, Queen were one of those bands who, on paper, never should have reached the stadium rock status they did with the kind of music and image they had. With strong elements of progressive rock, classical music, and even heavy metal, this quartet of British intellectuals started a rock band in 1970 that would prove to the world that sophistication and rebellion weren’t necessarily mutually exclusive. Never committing fully to any one genre, Queen instead committed themselves to quality, resulting in a new “regal” kind of rock. Powered by the brilliant composition and musicianship of Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon, led of course by legendary frontman and forever unequaled performer Freddie Mercury, Queen took rock music to dizzying heights with their own raw yet refined brand of sonic majesty.