Queen as progressive band?

Queen's debut album was not progressive as such, though it contains progressive material - such as Liar, with My Fairy King hinting at what was to come. It is more of a straightforward rock album with a hard edge. But let me make it clear - Queen's debut album is better than any album Led Zeppelin ever made. Queen II is without doubt a prog album, and the most progressive album Queen ever produced. It is quasi-conceptual, and contains brilliant progressive songs - Father to Son, Ogre Battle and the epic March of the Black Queen. One cannot speak of "fillers" in this album. The Fairy Feller's Masterstroke segues into Black Queen through Nevermore - a short but magnificent song beautiful on its own or as part of the three mentioned songs. It is a world away from songs such as Do You Think It's Alright or Miracle Cure from Tommy; or Stop and Bring The Boys Back Home from The Wall.

Sheer Heart Attack was far more accessible than the previous two albums, but even without epic songs or themes there are still progressive elements to be found - massive harmony vocals throughout, use of delay in guitar solos, etc. A Night at the Opera brings everything together. The hard edge of Queen is polished, Queen II's extravagance is refined, whilst keeping it as accessible (not commercial) as Sheer Heart Attack. It is a varied album with a wide influence, but The Prophet's Song and Bohemian Rhapsody stands out. Brian May pioneered the use of delay to create Bell, cannon and counterpoint effects in a live take in the former. Much has been said about Bohemian Rhapsody. All I need to add is that Queen achieved in 6 minutes with this song that it took Pink Floyd 23 to do with Echoes. Could they have made it 3-4 times longer? Yes. Was it necessary? No.

The follow-up, A Day at The Races, is pretty much a companion album to its predecessor. How do you follow up a great album without massive disappointment? This way. The rest of the band's catalog is pretty much straightforward rock, until the (supposed to be) last album - Innuendo. Very much like A Night at the Opera in its varied content, it also contains massive songs such as the title-track, The Show Must Go On, and the psychedelic I'm Going Slightly Mad. But unlike the first albums, the band makes use of synthesizers, giving the music a much deeper range. I've always believed that had the likes of Led Zeppelin released Innuendo (song) 20 years earlier, it would be regarded as the greatest song of all time. 

Queen will never be considered a progressive band such as Pink Floyd, King Crimson or Yes, but they pushed boundaries back a great deal, and were without doubt musical pioneers. Queen were the masters of vocal harmonies and arrangements. Other band's didn't do the same simply because the couldn't. The same goes for May's guitar arrangements - Procession, Good Company, etc. Furthermore, didn't other progressive bands also abandon their earlier progressive sounds? Owner of a Lonely Heart? Another Brick in the Wall Part 2? 

Progressive at first? Definitely. Progressive at the end? Yes. Progressive as such? Not enough. Brilliant, though.