Favourite Queen Album

15. Hot Space (14 by Classic Rock)

I'm sure people like it, but it's not for me. At all.

14. Made in Heaven (15 CR)

I was incredibly disappointed when I first heard this, as it was hyped to be something more than it ended up. It has some good songs, but it doesn't flow as an album, and the songs are obviously plucked from different points in time. Putting a Queen backing track to a Freddy solo track does not make a Queen song. I don't dislike anything on here, but it's hardly a Queen album. I can see why Classic Rock listed this as their worst album, and if I liked Hot Space more, or disliked the remodelled tracks on this more, I would agree.

13. Flash (13 CR)

It's not bad, per se, but as Classic Rock points out, it falls somewhat flat without the visuals to accompany the instrumentation. Some soundtracks are good enough to stand on their own. This isn't. The title track though is, of course, pure gold.

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WEE GAP

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12. The Game (12 CR)

The first album not to have the "no synths" tag, and the first of the more mainstream and commercial sounding Queen.

11. The Works (8 CR)

A triumphant return to form after the horror (to my ears) of Hot Space.

10. A Kind of Magic (11 CR)

It was hard to decide whether to place this below or above The Miracle. I probably like the good songs on this more than I do the good songs on The Miracle - but the bad songs on this are far worse. For (lack of) consistency alone, this gets the lower position.

9. The Miracle (10 CR)

A comeback album of sorts, despite being only three years after the last album. More uniformly good than A Kind of Magic, but while that means the low points aren't as low, nor are the high points as high. Still, in retrospect, knowing now what we know of Freddy's health, this really is a remarkable album.

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HUGE GAP

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8. Jazz (4 CR)

Again, it was hard to decide whether to place this below or above the next album - this time, News of the World. Lack of consistency is probably once more what keeps this in the lower position.

7. News of the World (7 CR)

An album so much more than the two most well-known songs. The only song I don't like quite so much is Get Down Make Love - but this is only on the album. I like it when it is performed live, which goes to show it is still a good song - merely that I don't like this studio recording as much.

6. Innuendo (9 CR)

How to go out with a bang. Again, retrospectively, this album is so much greater than it seemed at the time. The title track is tremendous, and it's hard not to read a lot into Days of our Lives. The Show Must Go On is triumphant. This really is the only album from Queen's latter days which can be compared with their earlier albums. It still doesn't reach those dizzy heights, but it is infinitely closer than anything else from the '80s or '90s.

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WEE GAP

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5. A Night at the Opera (1 CR)

I can't help but feel that this was placed at #1 by CR because of "that song". Admittedly, this is a fantastic album, and has some of my favourite songs on it - but I can't help think that ADATR refined the formula, and made a better album because of it. There are clear comparisons between the two albums, and you can almost identify which song on one album is the equivalent of one on the other - but ADATR has better consistency and flow.

4. A Day at the Races (5 CR)

As per above.

3. Sheer Heart Attack (3 CR)

An explosive start with Brighton Rock. The killer song everyone knows with Killer Queen. The exquisite 1,2,3 of Tenement Funster, Flick of the Wrist and Lily of the Valley. The belting Now I'm Here. Back in the days of album sides, side one is incredible! Side two is a little less cohesive, but every song is still wonderful, and the last two songs are perfect.

2. Queen (2 CR)

A million miles away from where Queen ended up, this hard rocking debut is still one of my favourite Queen albums, and includes some of my favourite Queen songs.

1. Queen II (6 CR)

I can't quite believe that Classic Rock rated this as low as six. Barring Greatest Hits, this was the first Queen album I actually bought, and it was nothing like what I expected. The whole idea of having a white side and a black side (instead of sides one and two) appealed to me, and with each side having a Queen of the appropriate colour. The March of the Black Queen is probably my favourite Queen song, but so much of this album is great. I love the songs. I love the way the songs segue together, and the suite this creates on the black side. Best Queen album by a long shot! ❤️