Greatest Hits

Not to be confused with 1981's Greatest Hits, 1992's Classic Queen, or 1992's reissue of 1981's Greatest Hits, 2004's Greatest Hits is a superb 20-track sampler of Queen's best, eclipsing all of the aforementioned packages. Excepting their late-career singles, this set spans the British group's tenure, from 1974's "Seven Seas of Rhye" to a 1984 live performance of "Under Pressure." In between are a host of the ambitious, distinctive, and often brilliant songs on which Queen built their name. The multi-part "Bohemian Rhapsody," with its lilting melodies, layered operatic vocals, studio trickery, and heavy metal breakdowns, epitomizes the group's recombinant aesthetic and cheeky flair. The spare, disco-funk of "Another One Bites the Dust" and the breezy, music hall-like "Killer Queen" should be familiar to anyone within earshot of a radio in the '70s and '80s. The givens -- the camp-rockabilly "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" and perennial stadium anthems "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions" -- are here, but surprises like the exuberant "Don't Stop Me Now" give a well-rounded perspective on the band. With Brian May's unique guitar sound and Freddie Mercury's brash, personality-filled vocal performances, Queen was one of the most original and popular acts in rock history, and Greatest Hits brings the group's peak moments together on one remarkable disc. ~ Anthony Tognazzini