Find Me Somebody To Love

It's not hard for me to pick a favorite era of music. There are only a handful of bands and artists that I can listen to on repeat, over and over again without any skips, and Queen leads the pack. Since the release of the film Bohemian Rhapsody in 2018, there has been an increase of hype around the band and many new people have joined the Queen fan club. However, I have memories from 15 years ago listening to Queen with my dad in his old, beat-up truck.

I believe Bicycle Race is the first Queen song I have a memory of. My dad would put it on regularly when we would drive around in his tiny, white truck. I think it was his go-to because he knew it would make me laugh. I mean, what a funny song! But now, almost 2 decades later, I can see that it was so much more than just a silly song. The harmonies, the arrangement, the orchestrated chaos; each Queen song is a masterpiece that cannot be replicated by any other artist or group.

As a musician myself, the artistry and talent of Freddie Mercury are awe-inspiring to me. To write, sing, and perform as he did is something that, again, cannot be replicated. Part of the reason why Queen is my favorite band of all time is that Freddie's live performances are some of the best live performances I've ever witnessed (even though I've only seen them live through Youtube videos because sadly, I wasn't born early enough in history to actually see them live). I think that I tend to appreciate and love bands more when their live show is top-notch. When a band or an artist sounds better live than on a professional studio recording, that's when you know they are something incredible.

In reality, it all comes down to one song for me. Queen could have only released this one, single song and they would still be my favorite band of all time. "Somebody To Love" remains the greatest song ever written and recorded, in my opinion. I can remember listening to the studio cut in the truck with dad, and then watching Anne Hathaway sing it in Ella Enchanted (you can laugh, but that movie was a staple of my childhood!). Somebody To Love became a regular in my repertoire as a child performer, because not only was it my favorite song, but it's a killer song. And now, over a decade later, it's still my go-to song to perform as the finale at shows, and it's also my number one pick for those random karaoke nights. I often loop the Live in Montreal recording on long drives, and I've watched the Youtube performance probably over a hundred times. Nothing gives me chills like that performance does. I pretty much love everything by Queen, but "Somebody To Love" remains dearest to my heart, and I don't know if there will ever be another song to top it for me.

It might be crazy for one band to solidify my favorite decade of music. I honestly don't listen to much more music from the '70s. If it wasn't for Queen, I'd probably go with the '80s (even though Queen was still rockin' and rollin' in the '80s, my favorites from them took place in the '70s, however, their 80's stuff is still golden and I love it all).

I'm an obsessive music listener. I'm someone who finds an artist or song they like and then just loops it till it runs dry. Queen hasn't run dry yet, and I don't think they will. Their music has become our band road-trip essentials; nothing pumps us up like Bohemian Rhapsody and Another One Bites The Dust. It's funny, too, because I'm a pop artist. The current Top 40 is where I tend to live artistically. However, that's not what I gravitate towards for pre-game before shows. It's not even what I tend to listen to during my daily life. I think that fact just speaks to how timeless Queen's music is, and how their songs transcend genres.

I love music. I believe it's one of the most powerful and inspiring forms of communication, and I think that Queen's music is a testament to that. The music of the '70s wouldn't even be on my radar if it wasn't for Queen, making them the primary (and only) reason for the 70's being my favorite decade of music.