Since the 1970s, Queen has sold 300 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling artists in history.[2][3]Billboard ranked them as the 87th Greatest Artist of All Time.[4] According to RIAA, Queen has sold 97.7 million certified records in the US.[5]
Founded in 1970, Queen released their self-titled debut album in 1973. Despite not being an immediate success, they quickly gained popularity in Britain with their second album Queen II in 1974.[6] Their 1975 single, "Bohemian Rhapsody", was No. 1 in the UK charts for nine weeks (and a further five weeks in 1991 after Mercury's death) and is the third-biggest-selling single of all time in the UK.[7] In the US, "Bohemian Rhapsody" hit the Billboard Top 40 charts in three different decades, reaching No. 9 on its original release in 1975, No. 2 in 1992 after being featured in the film Wayne's World, and hitting the Top 40 once more in 2018 upon the release of the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. The 1981 compilation Greatest Hits is the biggest-selling album in UK history, with 6 million copies sold by 2014. The 1991 compilation Greatest Hits II is also one of the UK's top ten biggest-sellers of all time, with 3.8 million copies sold by 2012.[8]
In 1972, Queen signed a production deal with Trident Studios.[9] Later in their career, Queen signed a record contract with EMI, and Elektra in the United States. The band would remain with EMI for the rest of their career, although in 1983 they terminated their American contract with Elektra and signed with Capitol Records. However, in 1990, they terminated their US contract with Capitol and signed with Disney's Hollywood Records,[10] which has remained the current owner and distributor of Queen's entire music catalogue in North America.[11]
In 1991, Hollywood Records paid tribute to Queen's 20th anniversary and remastered their entire catalogue and released all albums up to 'The Miracle' on compact Disc in the US. Each album contains at least one bonus track.
Subsequently, 14 albums (all studio albums up to The Miracle, as well as Live Killers and Greatest Hits) were remastered at Abbey Road Studios and released on CD and cassette in the United Kingdom between July 1993 and March 1994. Queen's entire album back catalog was remastered and re-released in the UK and the rest of the world (excluding the US) through 2011 to commemorate their 40th anniversary (as well as being the 20th anniversary of Mercury's death). The 2011 remasters were released by Universal's Island Records label, as the band's contract with EMI ended in 2010,[12] and then on SACD by Universal Music Japan, between November 2011 and April 2012. In an interview with BBC Wales, Brian May announced a new compilation album titled Queen Forever, which was later released by Hollywood Records in November 2014.[13]
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Notes
^ Before 2011 compilation albums were not listed on the Top 200 Albums Chart in France, but instead on a separate chart for compilation albums only. The French chart positions here for the compilation albums are their peak positions on the French Compilation Albums Chart.
A^Greatest Hits charted originally at number 5 on the Compilation Albums Chart, but the remastered version in 2011 qualified for an entry on the Top 200 Albums Chart when it peaked at number 56 in March 2011.[19]
B^Greatest Hits II charted originally at number 1 on the Compilation Albums Chart, but the remastered version in 2011 qualified for an entry on the Top 200 Albums Chart when it peaked at number 57 in March 2011.[19]
C^Greatest Hits II did not enter the Billboard 200 chart, but peaked at number 16 on the Top Hard Rock Albums chart in January 2021.[46]
"—" denotes albums that failed to chart or were not released.
Notes
^ Before 2011 compilation albums were not listed on the Top 200 Albums Chart in France, but instead on a separate chart for compilation albums only. The French chart positions here for the compilation albums are their peak positions on the French Compilation Albums Chart.
D^Greatest Hits I and II did not enter the Billboard 200 chart, but peaked at number 3 on the Catalog Albums chart in January 2007.[50]
Queen appearance on the live album include the songs "God Save the Queen", "Radio Ga Ga", "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions" performed with contribution from various artists. The DVD release also included "Bohemian Rhapsody".[81]
Queen appearance on the live album spawned on three CD's include the songs "Say It’s Not True", "Invincible Hope", "46664: The Call", "The Show Must Go On", "Is This the World We Created", "Amandla", "Bohemian Rhapsody", "I Want It All", "I Want to Break Free", "Radio Ga Ga", "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions". Performances featured a number of guest musicians on lead vocals.[82]
2005
46664: One Year On
Various Artists
4-track EP includes a new song "Invincible Hope" credited to Queen + Nelson Mandela
Top 100 (Kent Music Report) peaks to 12 June 1988: Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 243. ISBN0-646-11917-6. N.B. The Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA from mid-1983 until 12 June 1988.
Top 50 (ARIA) peaks from 13 June 1988: "Australian Charts Queen". australian-charts.com Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 16 September 2011. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
Top 100 (ARIA) peaks from January 1990 to December 2010: Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. pp. 227–228.
