Queen celebrate 50th anniversary of album Brian May calls ‘biggest step ever’ | Music | Entertainment

Queen have been performing for over half a century and now the band has passed another massive milestone.

This weekend Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon’s second album Queen II celebrates its 50th anniversary.

Posting the iconic cover that would later be recreated for Bohemian Rhapsody’s music video, the band wrote: “50 Years Old Today! Queen II.”

Released on March 8, 1974, Queen II was the band’s heaviest record and hit No 5 in the UK album charts before eventually being certified Gold.

It also included Queen’s first hit single, Seven Seas of Rhye, which had launched a couple of weeks prior.

According to udiscovermusic: “Released 50 years ago today, Queen’s second LP introduced many of the band’s trademark sounds and has since become one of their most celebrated LPs among fans.”

“The band split the album into White and Black sides matching the songs’ moods. The White side includes emotionally rich songs by Roger Taylor and Brian May. The Black side features Freddie Mercury’s heavier, more fantastical songwriting.”

Brian once said of writing and recording Queen I: “I think that was our biggest single step ever.”