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 hiring Adam Lambert to sing the Freddie Mercury parts, 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, all of the group’s original fans continue to celebrate their music, never having forgotten 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 just 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. I never understood that title because the album had nothing to do with jazz. Nonetheless, here we have 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 single but was noticed by fans 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 actually the first single released from the album. While it never broke into the US Billboard Top 200, it did find success on the Rock charts, becoming a top ten hit. However, over the years, this is one that’s kind of been forgotten, which is sad because it’s a really great rock and roll tune. The song was written by Brian May, who originally wrote it 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 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. This was the modern-sounding Queen that had begun with the success they had on the album The Game. The band had no problem tapping into a sort of 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, there is something about this song that reminds us of the early ’80s hit by Ray Parker Jr., entitled “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 this point on, we are going to 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 the third and final single released from the record. However, the song was placed very deep on the album as the next-to-last song on side two. I’ve never understood the placement of this song. 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 the debut album by Queen with the killer track “Modern Times Rock ‘n’ Roll.” It’s the only song on the album composed by Roger Taylor and the only track that features lead vocals by Roger. Although Roger Taylor did share lead vocals with Freddie Mercury and Brian May on the album’s opening track, “Keep Yourself Alive.” Queen’s debut album was released in 1973, 51 years ago.

# 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. Queen Sheer Heart Attack was the album that alerted everyone that this band was on the edge of doing some really spectacular stuff. 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.” 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 continued to release in the mid to late 1970s kept surprising fans with just how good this group had become.

# 1 – Orge 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 from that documentary, who have yet to explore the band’s first three albums. They simply just know the hits. That’s sad because if they would take 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.