Being considered one of the most beloved bands of all time, Queen has certainly earned its place among the best. With their combination of energetic, awe-inspiring music and charismatic performers, they’re easily the greatest band of all time.

The long-lasting legacy all began when Freddie Mercury (Farrokh “Freddie” Bulsara) first saw Brian May and Roger Taylor playing Smile together, which Freddie was a fan of. When Mercury met May and Taylor, he encouraged them to work with more elaborate stages and recording techniques. By the time Mercury joined in 1970, he came up with the name “Queen” for the band, and found John Deacon in 1971, who would later become the bass guitarist.

Mercury really led the band to greatness with his extraordinary talent and passion. To me, he is the greatest artist to have ever walked the earth and has inspired me to not be scared, to throw myself out there, and use my creativity to its fullest just as he did. His talent was truly shown in how he was able to work with the rest of the band to create songs that balanced different multiple musical genres successfully such as arena rock, pop rock, and opera.

From 1974 through 1976, the band reached commercial success with releases such as Sheer Heart Attack, A Night At The Opera, and of course, Bohemian Rhapsody, which was number one in the U.K. for nine weeks straight. Even today, Bohemian Rhapsody is voted England’s number 1 single to be released.

My favorite moment from Queen was their performance at Live Aid. This was such a big deal in 1985 since this was the biggest rock concert of all time. Queen wanted to perform at Live Aid for the cause but also because they wanted the chance to “pitch themselves against other bands.” Their performance consisted of a combination of their classics, including Bohemian Rhapsody, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, We Will Rock You, and We Are the Champions.

Queen will always be my go-to band. I could not be more grateful to know their talent and their story.