Queen
Queen are a rock band founded in 1970 by guitarist Brian May, drummer Roger Taylor, bassist John Deacon, and vocalist and pianist Freddie Mercury. Mercury died of AIDS in 1991, and the band continues to perform with various guest singers.
Matthew Bellamy declared "In the world of rock, Queen stands out as a good example of the clash between guitar and piano in songwriting. I think that’s where you stumble across those more unusual arrangements and chord structures. In my heart I want to do more hard rock music, but at the same time, I’m much more attracted to the piano."
Queen are said to be one of Bellamy's mother's favourite bands. Bellamy also invited his grandmother to see the musical "We Will Rock You" by Ben Elton, his grandmother hated it but Bellamy loved it. According to an interview, Wolstenholme has yet to see "We Will Rock You".
Howard is also a big Queen fan. Muse's complexity and live shows have been linked and compared to Queen's. In 2006 Howard mentioned that he is quite good friends with Queen's drummer, Roger Taylor. He also stated that he would like to have Queen hit "Don't stop me now" played at his funeral.
The albums Black Holes and Revelations and The Resistance contain apparent influences from Queen, most strikingly United States of Eurasia.
The band also once mentioned in a recent interview that Queen were "the best band in the world".
Back to Influences