Music With A “Q”! So Much More Than Queen! But “Killer Queen” Of Course!

In my look at “Music A – Z”, I came to the letter “Q”…I have been keeping the list focused just on songs with that letter, but of course, the iconic band Queen is “All things Q” so I ended with a trio of their classics as well……but let’s start with one of the most beautiful songs from a real Troubadour you should know!

10 – “Quiet Town” by Josh Rouse

Josh Rouse is a terrific singer/songwriter with a large catalog of great music.

His song “Flight Attendant” was featured in the Julia Roberts movie “Eat Pray Love”, but I want to share a song he wrote after moving to a small town in Spain in 2004, taking up residence in a “Quiet Town”, where he writes:

“I know somewhere
There is a party going down
Interesting people
Conversation to be found
I’ve lived in cities
Where there is no solitude
I’ve made some friends here
That I hope I never lose
But, for now
I want to stay in this quiet town…”

Of course, there is a tradeoff, as he notes:

“Ohhhh
Sometimes I miss the show
I learned a long time ago…”

Here is the terrific music video:

Here is a terrific greatest hits collection from his years with Rykodisc – he is worth checking out, and thanks to my friend Blair Butler for turning me on to him several years ago!

Here is more about his music:

I am a huge fan of rock bands that can incorporate a wide variety of instruments into their music, and here is one of the best:

9 – “Questions 67 And 68” – Chicago 

This 1971 hit captured the “Chicago” sound of the early 70’s perfectly – lots of horns and great hooks…they had a number of great hit songs like “Color My World”, “Saturday In The Park” and “Feelin’ Stronger Every Day” before they settled into a soft rock/pop groove later in their career.

Here is a great performance from French TV by the band in 1969!

The band formed in 1967 and was very political early on – their albums were produced by James William Guercio, who also made a movie in the early 70’s that became a cult classic:

“Electra Glide In Blue” tells the story of a Highway Patrolman, played by Robert Blake, who tries to solve a murder mystery – Guercio included several members of Chicago in the film, as this bike gang that confronts Blake.

This movie is terrific – you can see the trailer for it, plus lots of great trivia, here:

Next up, one of the early “boy bands” with a huge hit song:

8 – “Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)” – The Backstreet Boys

BSB formed in 1993 and had a decades-long run of soft pop hits, like this one:

“Quit playin’ games with my heart
Before you tear us apart (my heart)
Quit playin’ games with my heart
I should’ve known from the start…”

Here is the official music video:

Ah, classic boy bands, god bless. Now, how about the soul groove of two terrific Brothers:

7 – “Q” by The Brothers Johnson

“Right On Time” Is the second album by the Los Angeles, California-based duo Brothers Johnson. Released in 1977, the album peaked at number two on the R&B albums chart and number thirteen on the pop albums chart in the U.S. It includes the number-one R&B song, “Strawberry Letter 23”, and winner of a Grammy Award in 1978 for Best R&B Instrumental Performance, “Q”. Produced by Quincy Jones.

Check it out!

I love these guys! They recorded the seductively slow jammin’ “Strawberry Letter 23”, which is actually about the 22nd letter! Want to know more?

Of course you do! Here are the secrets of “Strawberry Letter 23!”

Next up, another catchy gem from one of the music’s greatest Artists:

6- “Queenie Eye” by Paul McCartney

This came from the McCartney album called “NEW” several years ago. McCartney explained that the song name and chorus lyrics were from a children’s game he would play when he was young called “Queenie, Queenie, who’s got the ball?” 

The video is notable for the array of famous people that appear in it including: actors Johnny Depp, Jeremy Irons, Chris Pine, Jude Law, Sean Penn, Alice Eve, actor-comedian James Corden, Meryl Streep, actress-comedienne Tracey Ullman, models Kate Moss, Lily Cole among others..see how many you can spot:

McCartney still performs live around the world, and never seems to consider slowing down…speaking of a classic band from th 90’s that also never slows down:

5 – “Quick Escape” by Pearl Jam

Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam have been together since 1990, one of the “godfathers of grunge”, and they keep going strong, with new music and touring still today.

Here is one of their more recent songs:

“Reconnaissance on the corner 
In the old world not so far 
First we took an aeroplane
Then a boat to Zanzibar 
Queen cranking on the blaster 
And the Mercury did rise 
Came along where we all belonged 
You were yours, and I was mine 

Yeah, yeah
Had to quick escape 
Had to quick escape 
Had to quick escape 
Had…”

Check out the music video here:

Note the reference to Queen in the lyrics? More on them in a moment, but first, why not a gorgeous song from David Bowie:

4 – “Quicksand” by David Bowie

This beautiful song comes from his 1971 album “Hunky Dory.”

Bowie said of the song, “The chain reaction of moving around throughout the bliss and then the calamity of America produced this epic of confusion. Anyway with my esoteric problems I could have written it in Plainview or  Dulwich” and that it was a mixture of “narrative and surrealism”.

Here is a live performance from 1997:

Beautiful! Of course, Bowie recorded one of the greatest songs of modern times when he teams up with Queen for this one:

“Under Pressure” is classic, and it was conceived and written in a wine-fueled creative frenzy – would you have expected otherwise?

See that story here!

Now, time to give you the ultimate “Q” songs by the band that owns the letter forever:

3 – “Killer Queen” by Queen

There are so many songs I could have shared, but doesn’t this sum up their unique sound perfectly? See for yourself with this performance from “Top Of The Pops”:

I have a live Queen DVD from Wembley Stadium in London, and the massive crowd is mesmerized by the band – and by Freddie Mercury’s stage presence. Simply one of the greatest bands of all time.

2 – “Radio Ga Ga” by Queen

A great celebration of music from the master! Watch as Freddie gets 72,000 fans to clap in unison’s the band performs the song at Live Aid in 1985:

I mean, what a showman! The crowd LOVED them, and their short set is, without a doubt, the highlight of the entire event!

Oh, and you didn’t think I was done, did you?

1 – “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen

How could I end on Queen and to include this masterpiece? It’s simply one of the greatest songs in rock history. Queen has a library of some of the most interesting music of all time – from the hard-rocking “Tie Your Mother Down” to the pop majesty of “You’re My Best Friend” and of course, the massive rock anthem “We Will Rock You / We Are The Champions!”

But of course, nothing compares to the pop/rock symphony of “Bohemian Rhapsody”, forever immortalized in “Wayne’s World”, and one of the most interesting rock operas ever recorded…here is the classic music video:

“Bohemian Rhapsody” is from the album “A Night At The Opera” – a classic that has been re-released in an expanded form, so buy it – and see more of what’s on the album here:

Hope you enjoyed this look at the sound of “Q”!

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Categories: 70's Music, Art, Classic Rock, Music, Obscure Music, Pop Culture, Talent/Celebrities, The Beatles

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