Legacy

This chapter surveys the existence of Queen—as a band and a cultural product—since 1991. It is argued that the ongoing status of Queen is one of protecting and enshrining certain iconic elements of their musical identity: the extravagant and flamboyant performance style of Mercury; the sonic power of their idiolect; and their position in the canon of rock music. These observations are drawn from examination of the replacement vocalists, a major single release in 1997 (‘No One But You’), and the West End musical We Will Rock You. The chapter concludes by considering Queen’s influence on later artists, which is not as widespread as may be intimated from the praise lavished by their successors (such as Dave Grohl or Katy Perry). It is contended that the very nature of Queen’s idiolect meant that such influence is either difficult to discern musically or is limited to a small selection of textural patterns, such as vocal or guitar arrangements.