Queen vs. Led Zeppelin

[Chinaski]

The thing about Queen is, most of there best songs are 'deep cuts', i.e. not on the Greatest Hits 1 a 2. Greatest Hits have been a bit of a bad thing for Queen in a way as so many people just listen to them and do not listen to the album tracks. There are some absolute gems missing from Greatest Hits:

Tie Your Mother Down (Yes, believe it or not. It didn't crack the top 20 you see and Queen were quite strict).

Spread Your Wings (id)

You Take My Breath Away

Love Of My Love

March of the Black Queen

White Queen

Death On Two Legs

All of these are incredible.

Also, check out Fight from the Inside which has one of Slash's favourite riffs (he played it live during the Illusion era).

I just gave a couple of these a listen. I've never heard anything outside of the famous singles before. The drumming on Fight from the Inside was cool.

Listening to March of the Black Queen now. I think a problem I have with Queen is that I find the harmonies kind of melodramatic a lot of the time. It means it doesn't really connect with me on any personal level. It ends up sounding a bit....silly to my ears. Maybe that's kind of intentional and it just hasn't clicked with me yet.

[dalsh327]

I can't see American fans liking Queen over Led Zep, or UK fans liking Zeppelin over Queen. Queen fans in America are a cult, they might have a Greatest Hits in the collection and that's about it.

One thing Brian May and Jimmy Page agree on is Paul Rodgers being a great singer.

[DieselDaisy]

America has always been a bit, anti-Queen. Well no, that is not really true. In the mid '70s Queen were big in The States - maybe not quite Zeppelin 'big' but big nonetheless. They played Madison Square Garden for instance. America's love of Queen peaked with The Game album (two US #1s, 'Another One Bites the Dust' and 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love') and then vanished soon after. Part of Queen's decline in that territory concerned Mercury's adoption in the early '80s of an uber gay image which offended conservative America. Further, Queen did a music video promo for 'I Want To Break Free' (1984) which featured the band dressed as women doing domestic duties; the Americans said to themselves, 'why are these limey fags dressed as women?' (Much of the humour of that video was lost on American viewers as it was essentially a spoof on long-running British soap, Coronation Street). Thirdly, Queen literally refused to tour States as it would see a dip in their attendences: why tour for 5,000 in America when you can play 80,000 in Europe and South America? Queen were absolutely gigantic worldwide during the '80s except one place, The States. So there was a sort of, 'fuck America' mentality.

Queen's popularity in America didn't begin to resurface until Wayne's World's appropriation of 'Bohemian Rhapsody' in the early 1990s.

Edited June 5, 2013 by DieselDaisy

[Guest Len B'stard]

Noofters didn't go down well in the states back in the day

[DieselDaisy]

Britain loves nothing better than a good queen. It is part of that camp comic tradition, of Kenneth Williams etc. Mercury played-up to that tradition, especially in the '70s where it was all suggestive and 'nudge nudge, wink wink' and the crowd thought he was just faking it like Bowie. So Fred played up to that. Only Fred could have introduced a song, to a predominatly straight macho hard rock crowd, with, ''alright my little darlings, this is a delicate little number''.

[Guest Len B'stard]

Danny LaRue syndrome Sort of like why did working mans clubs always have a drag act on at a Stag do.

[luciusfunk]

America has always been a bit, anti-Queen. Well no, that is not really true. In the mid '70s Queen were big in The States - maybe not quite Zeppelin 'big' but big nonetheless. They played Madison Square Garden for instance. America's love of Queen peaked with The Game album (two US #1s, 'Another One Bites the Dust' and 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love') and then vanished soon after. Part of Queen's decline in that territory concerned Mercury's adoption in the early '80s of an uber gay image which offended conservative America. Further, Queen did a music video promo for 'I Want To Break Free' (1984) which featured the band dressed as women doing domestic duties; the Americans said to themselves, 'why are these limey fags dressed as women?' (Much of the humour of that video was lost on American viewers as it was essentially a spoof on long-running British soap, Coronation Street). Thirdly, Queen literally refused to tour States as it would see a dip in their attendences: why tour for 5,000 in America when you can play 80,000 in Europe and South America? Queen were absolutely gigantic worldwide during the '80s except one place, The States. So there was a sort of, 'fuck America' mentality.

Queen's popularity in America didn't begin to resurface until Wayne's World's appropriation of 'Bohemian Rhapsody' in the early 1990s.

Good post. What a lot of people don't even realize about the Break Free video is that it wasn't even Freddie's idea to dress in drag.

I can't see American fans liking Queen over Led Zep, or UK fans liking Zeppelin over Queen. Queen fans in America are a cult, they might have a Greatest Hits in the collection and that's about it.

One thing Brian May and Jimmy Page agree on is Paul Rodgers being a great singer.

I'm American and I own all their releases, even some bootlegs.

[Demon Wolf]

Queen, hands down.

Dat variety.

[Iron MikeyJ]

I atest to the fact that queen disappered from america in the 80's. They were literally a non factor. so were zeppelin, but for very different reasons. But honestly america didn't need queen then. We had van halen, motley crue, all the 80's "hair bands", aerosmith was making a comeback, and gnr on the rise. The market was saturated with rock music. I'm not saying their wasn't room for queen, (the things others have stated probably did play a role), their obviously wasn't a high demand for them. Not untill freddie's death, then wayne's world.

But its zeppelin all day for me. I'm not in the mood to sit here and defend led fucking zeppelin. Ill just say that imo they are the greatest rock n roll band of all time, period.

[luciusfunk]

I atest to the fact that queen disappered from america in the 80's. They were literally a non factor. so were zeppelin, but for very different reasons. But honestly america didn't need queen then. We had van halen, motley crue, all the 80's "hair bands", aerosmith was making a comeback, and gnr on the rise. The market was saturated with rock music. I'm not saying their wasn't room for queen, (the things others have stated probably did play a role), their obviously wasn't a high demand for them. Not untill freddie's death, then wayne's world.

But its zeppelin all day for me. I'm not in the mood to sit here and defend led fucking zeppelin. Ill just say that imo they are the greatest rock n roll band of all time, period.

I wouldn't really brag about the hair bands of the 80s. Aerosmith's comeback was 1986 with Run DMC, while Queen had stopped touring the same year.

[DieselDaisy]

Yes, it was Rodge's idea who looks disturbingly attractive as a chick in the video!

[Georgy Zhukov]

I'm American, and I own all thei studio albums. I think Queen wins for being more original and keeping up with the times. If Queen survived into the present they would still be making great records.

Edited June 5, 2013 by Georgy Zhukov

[Spoon87]

Queen aaaaaall the way.

Never got into Led Zep.

[Silent Jay]

Led Zeppelin, the greatest rock n roll band of all time.

[Towelie]

Not really a fan of either, but Queen have more good songs than Led. The only Led songs I can listen to without cringing are Black Dog and When The Levee Breaks.

Oh, and Bohemian Rhapsody >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Stairway To Heaven

[Zint]

Zep, vastly so

[Georgy Zhukov]

I do love Led Zeppelin though. Just think Queen has more good songs.

[bran]

i just hate these polls when i love both bands involved

[izzygirl]

Queen without a doubt.

[Georgy Zhukov]

i just hate these polls when i love both bands involved

Same. So I just vote for the band with Freddie Mercury.

[izzygirl]

i just hate these polls when i love both bands involved

Same. So I just vote for the band with Freddie Mercury.

Exactly.

[GivenToFly]

Can we please make it so that mentioning Tolkien in a debate about Led Zeppelin is the same as mentioning Hitler in a political debate?

(As in, you lose all credibility and nobody pays any attention to you anymore.)

[Crash Diet]

Led Zep for me, but Freddie was a genius

[luciusfunk]

Can we please make it so that mentioning Tolkien in a debate about Led Zeppelin is the same as mentioning Hitler in a political debate?

(As in, you lose all credibility and nobody pays any attention to you anymore.)

Same should go for gay in a Queen debate, then.

[Guest Len B'stard]

Can we please make it so that mentioning Tolkien in a debate about Led Zeppelin is the same as mentioning Hitler in a political debate?

(As in, you lose all credibility and nobody pays any attention to you anymore.)

Same should go for gay in a Queen debate, then.

Or ballet?