News Of The World

When it was released in 1977, News of the World seemed at loggerheads with a music world that had moved beyond Queen's operatic pomprock and on to punk. In fact, the album was more in step with the punk scene than the output of most superstar acts of the time, as it contains Roger Taylor's furious "Sheer Heart Attack" and Freddie Mercury's lean, brutal "Get Down, Make Love." Of course, News is famous for its opening medley, "We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions." Attend any sports event in the Western world, and you'll hear the former. If it's a championship match and the home team wins, you'll hear the latter. That's a tribute to the staying power of the music, but News of the World offers proof that, even as Queen maintained their position as rock & roll royalty, they continued to evolve and react to the times. --Daniel Durchholz