10 Most Underrated Queen Songs

Feature Photo: Christopher Hopper; Distributed by Elektra Records., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Our 10 Most Underrated Queen Songs list takes a stroll back in time to some of the band’s most loved albums. It’s such a shame that the band’s legacy was cut short with the passing of Freddie Mercury in 1991. Nobody sounded like Freddie Mercury; Queen was a special band. Yes, they have carried on over the years, first joining forces with Paul Rodgers and then touring with Adam Lambert, but it will never be the same.

It’s nice that a new young legion of fans has discovered the band because of the biopic film. Still, the group’s original fans continue to celebrate their music, never forgetting the set of brilliant albums the band released. This article looks at some of the band’s less popular songs, we should say. Of course, they were popular among the die-hard fans, but for the newer fans and the casual fans, we wanted to showcase some of the songs that they may not know or be aware of that we think are simply stunning.

# 10 – If You Can’t Beat Them – Jazz

We open our 10 Most Underrated Queen Songs list with the exquisite feel-good song “If You Can’t Beat Them.” The song was released on the band’s underrated Jazz album in 1978. I never understood that title because the album had nothing to do with jazz. Nonetheless, here’s another happy song written by John Deacon. The man knew how to write feel-good songs, and this was one of his best. It was never released as a regular Queen single, but fans noticed it because it followed “Bicycle Race” on the album.

# 9 – Headlong – Innuendo

Continuing with our 10 Most Underrated Queen Songs list, we take a look at the band’s final studio album released while Freddie Mercury was alive, called Innuendo. The album was released in 1991. “Headlong” was issued as the lead single from the album in the United States, while “Innuendo” was the first single in the United Kingdom and most other territories. “Headlong” reached number three on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart and number fourteen on the UK Singles Chart. However, over the years, it’s kind of been forgotten, which is sad because it’s a really great rock and roll tune. Brian May wrote the song originally for his solo album. However, instead of releasing it as a solo artist, he decided it fit better with Queen, especially with Freddie Mercury’s vocals. May’s playing is unbelievable on this—it’s a really cool track.

# 8 – Hammer To Fall – The Works

“Hammer to Fall” was our favorite track on Queen’s The Works album. The Works was the band’s eleventh studio album, released in 1984. The big hits off this album were “Radio Ga Ga” and “I Want to Break Free.” However, the real rocker on the record was the Brian May composition “Hammer to Fall.” The song was released as the fourth and final single from The Works. The sound of that guitar riff kind of brings the band back to the old days. It sounded like something that could have been released off one of the first five albums. It’s funny; it really wasn’t that long between the first five albums and The Works in 1984, but back then, it seemed like a long time.

# 7 – The Invisible Man – The Miracle

In the number seven position on our 10 Most Underrated Queen Songs list is a very interesting song. Written by Roger Taylor, “The Invisible Man” was released as a single from The Miracle in 1989 and reached number twelve on the UK Singles Chart. This was the modern-sounding Queen that had begun with the success of the album The Game. The band had no trouble tapping into a dance-pop sound that had earned them great success with the song “Another One Bites the Dust.”

What we love about this song is the addicting bass lines and those thundering drums by Roger Taylor that open the song. However, something about this song reminds us of the early ’80s hit by Ray Parker Jr., “Ghostbusters.” Throw in a little Talking Heads in there, and you have quite a mix of styles and familiar melodies all bopping around.

# 6 – It’s Late – News Of The World

From here on, we’ll focus on the band’s albums up to News of the World. And speaking of News of the World, the track “It’s Late” has always stood as one of our favorite tracks on the record. The News of the World album was released in the fall of 1977. “It’s Late” was released as a single in North America, Japan, and New Zealand in 1978, reaching number seventy-four on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. However, the song was placed very deep on the album as the next-to-last song on side two. I’ve never understood this song’s placement. This is a great track written by Brian May. The ending is just simply killer.

# 5 – Modern Times Rock ‘n’ Roll – Queen

We’ve always looked forward to Roger Taylor’s songs on Queen’s albums. They were usually the heaviest tracks on the records. I love Roger Taylor’s voice; it’s just so rock and roll. It all begins on Queen’s debut album with the killer track “Modern Times Rock ‘n’ Roll.” It’s the only song on the album composed by Roger Taylor and the only full track that features him as the sole lead vocalist. Roger also takes one of the short middle-eight lead passages on “Keep Yourself Alive,” along with Brian May. Queen’s debut album was released in 1973.

# 4 – White Man – A Day At The Races

And speaking of heavy, one of the heaviest tracks on the band’s breathtaking album A Day at the Races was the Brian May-penned tune “White Man.” Everything we love about Queen is featured on this track. The guitar work by Brian May is just stunning. Of course, Freddie Mercury’s vocals are out of this world, and then when Roger Taylor and John Deacon punch their way into the song, it’s just not your ordinary rock and roll fare. What a follow-up album this was to A Night at the Opera. The band could do no wrong in the mid to late seventies.

# 3 – Flick Of The Wrist – Sheer Heart Attack

Freddie Mercury could write the most melodic, heavy, metal-sounding rock songs we have ever heard. This one will make your head spin joyously. Sheer Heart Attack was the album that alerted everyone that this band was on the edge of doing some really spectacular stuff. “Flick of the Wrist” was released alongside “Killer Queen” in 1974, but it was naturally overshadowed by “Killer Queen.” enormous success. I first heard “Stone Cold Crazy” on the radio in 1974 and was like, what the heck is that? I had never heard anything sound like them. And before you could say “I’m in Love with My Car,” the band became one of the most famous rock and roll groups in the world only a year later.

# 2 – Spread Your Wings – News Of The World

When I first purchased News of the World, this song and “It’s Late” were instantly my favorite songs on the record. If I had to pick one of the two, the nod would go to “Spread Your Wings.” Written by John Deacon, the song was released as a single in 1978 and reached number thirty-four on the UK Singles Chart. The song’s piano opener is pure vintage Freddie Mercury. The whole band joins in magnificently on the spectacular chorus. This was such a killer track overshadowed by “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champions.” Every album the band released in the mid to late 1970s kept surprising fans with how good this group had become.

# 1 – Ogre Battle – Queen II

In our book, this is not an underrated Queen song. In fact, on our top 10 Queen songs list of all time, we placed “Ogre Battle” in the number one spot. We are very much aware of how great a tune this is. However, there are millions of Queen fans, especially the newer ones who came on board from discovering the band through the Bohemian Rhapsody biopic, who have yet to explore the band’s first three albums. They simply just know the hits. That’s sad because if they took the time to dive into the band’s catalog, they would be blown away by this amazing track released on Queen’s second album, simply called Queen II.