By 1975, it became obvious that rock and roll had expanded far beyond simple, high energy ‘three chords and the truth’ songs.  

The style that once inspired nearly every adolescent kid to grow their hair and form a band in their garage had grown incredibly complex and convoluted. Rock and roll fell into the hands of ‘professionals’, whose grandiose and complex compositions, laced with air-tight production and convoluted lyrical themes, left their audience as passive observers rather than active participants.

King Crimson, Yes, ELP, 10cc, Steely Dan, Genesis , etc., etc., all significantly altered the musical landscape, but Queen pushed the tendency for monumentally elaborate productions to extraordinarily new frontiers. What could possibly be more elaborate than “Bohemian Rhapsody?” Can anything ever outdo its pomposity? The emotionally hyper-exaggerated lyrics about murder and impending death, the sixty-part harmonies that convey the theme’s intensity artfully layered over an airtight musical arrangement fills every square inch of musical real estate until a "Night at the Opera" seems almost quaint in comparison. In less than six minutes, Queen outdoes what Wagner’s “Ring Cycle” took over twelve hours to accomplish.

It’s been documented that “A Night at the Opera” was the most expensive album ever recorded (in its time), and it’s not hard to hear why. Exquisitely elaborate guitar lines meticulously overdubbed to resemble full orchestration? Of course. Vocal ensembles that would make the Mormon Tabernacle Chois blush? Certainly. Percussion that relies on tympani and gong for emphasis? Why not? “A Night at the Opera” may have been a magnificently rococo experiment that nearly killed rock and roll, but its outsized, excessively bombastic greatness will forever represent the zenith of the style. It cannot be denied.

Featured tracks:

Death on Two Legs

Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon

I'm in Love with My Car

You're My Best Friend

39

Sweet Lady

Seaside Rendezvous

The Prophet's Song

Love of My Life

Good Company

Bohemian Rhapsody

God Save the Queen (instrumental)

November 1975 - Billboard Charted #1