50 Years Ago: Queen Finally Becomes an Overnight Success

Queen's self-titled debut hardly raised the pulse within the general population. Their second induced palpitations with an increasing number of listeners. But the group’s third studio effort, Sheer Heart Attack, was properly named.

In retrospect, Queen's rise seems altogether mercurial. For Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon, however, nearly half a decade of hard work had gone into developing their sound and honing their talents since the group’s first manifestations in 1970.

First came a four-song demo in February 1971, then their first concert that July, followed by a management arrangement in 1972 that gave them almost free reign to experiment at Trident Studios. That resulted in a proper recording contract with EMI, and spawned those initial two records. Still, the fledgling Queen had to weather very mixed reviews and prove their mettle on stage over the next two years, undertaking numerous tours across the U.K. – including a famous stint in support of good friends Mott the Hoople.

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They also made their first trip to America, although that had been rudely cut short by a serious illness that temporarily sidelined Brian May. The band had to start working on the sessions for what would become Sheer Heart Attack without him, but May thankfully recovered to bring his contributions — both instrumental and compositional — to bear on this most intriguing and eccentric LP.

Issued on Nov. 8, 1974, Sheer Heart Attack began with a flourish of carnival music, inviting listeners to run off to the circus with Queen. It's easy to see why so many did.

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Among the main attractions were May’s magnum-guitar symphony, "Brighton Rock," the staccato bombast of "Now I’m Here," and the dazzling whimsy of their double-platinum breakthrough single "Killer Queen." But also featured was Taylor’s cheeky "Tenement Funster," which bled straight into the muscular cynicism of "Flick of the Wrist" and flowed seamlessly into the surprisingly fragile "Lily of the Valley."

Side two took this contiguous musical approach to even more daring heights. Queen opened with the disorienting "In the Lap of the Gods" and the speed-metal convulsion of "Stone Cold Crazy" before settling down into May’s soothing "Dear Friends" and Deacon’s incredibly mature first contribution to Queen, "Misfire." Then, just as quickly, Queen shifted gears into the ragtime curiosity of "Bring Back That Leroy Brown," the dreamy glam fantasy "She Makes Me (Stormtrooper in Stilettos)," and, finally, the reprise of "In the Lap of the Gods … Revisited."

Ultimately, Sheer Heart Attack was both schizophrenic and of a piece. This gold-selling international Top 20 hit set the adventurous template that seduced fans and then kept them on their toes every time a new Queen album landed on record store racks, each bearing astonishing gifts of outlandish imagination and brilliant songcraft.

As time went by, future Queen albums boasted bigger hits and even more consistent material. Sheer Heart Attack crystallized their inimitable style, however, even as it showed the way forward for the band. They never looked back.