Killer Queen
Queen, 1974. Solo by Brian May.
A layered, orchestral guitar solo in a three-minute single.
Brian May's solo on his Red Special is one of the clearest early examples of his orchestrated guitar writing. It opens with a bell effect, in which the notes of a chord enter one after another and ring on, a device borrowed from big-band and barbershop arranging. From there it opens into three independent guitar voices that weave around each other rather than simply harmonising in parallel. May has named it among the solos he is proudest of. Listen for the bell effect at the start, where each guitar note enters separately and stacks up into a chord, like a choir joining one voice at a time.
Killer Queen by Queen is ranked #70 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Brian May and the song was released in 1974. It appears on 8 lists, placing as high as #2 (The Metal Circus (Spain), reproducing Q magazine).
The story of Killer Queen
Freddie Mercury wrote Killer Queen in a single night, and unusually for him he finished the words before the music. The lyric sketches a glamorous, expensive call girl, complete with a nod to the Let them eat cake line attributed to Marie Antoinette; Mercury said his point was that high-class people can be just as mercenary, and he encouraged listeners to read it their own way. The song's cabaret flavour and wit marked a departure from the heavier sound of Queen's first two albums.
Sessions for Sheer Heart Attack ran from July 1974 and spread across several studios, with most backing tracks cut at Rockfield in rural Wales, overdubs at AIR and Wessex in London, and mixing at Trident. Roy Thomas Baker co-produced with the band. The track is packed with detail: stacked four-part harmonies in the choruses and behind the verses, and two separate bass lines, one of which peels off into a descending run.
Brian May was seriously ill for much of the project. After Queen's American tour supporting Mott the Hoople he developed hepatitis and then a duodenal ulcer that required surgery, and he recalled hearing Mercury work on the song while recuperating and worrying he would miss out. Space was left for his guitar, which he added once he was well enough. EMI released Killer Queen on 11 October 1974 as a double A-side with Flick of the Wrist, and it gave Queen their first major hit on both sides of the Atlantic.
The solo
Brian May's solo, played on his home-made Red Special, is one of the clearest early examples of his orchestrated, multitracked guitar writing. It opens with a bell effect, in which the notes of a chord enter one after another and ring on, a device borrowed from big-band and barbershop arranging that suits the song's music-hall character. From there it opens into three independent guitar voices that weave around each other rather than simply harmonising in parallel. The parts were built up by overdubbing after May's recovery from hepatitis and ulcer surgery, with guitar overdubs for the album logged at AIR Studios in London. Specific amp settings for the session are not documented in the sources consulted. May has named it among the solos he is proudest of and called the song a perfect pop record.
Legacy
Killer Queen was Queen's breakthrough, reaching No. 2 in Britain and No. 12 in the US and establishing the band commercially. AllMusic has described it as the real beginning of Queen's radio sound, and it has since been certified four times platinum in the US and double platinum in the UK. The song stayed in Queen's live medleys through 1981, returned on The Works tour, and features in the musical We Will Rock You. Katy Perry has credited it with helping her find her musical identity at 15, and later named a perfume after it.
Top 10 facts about Killer Queen
Mercury wrote the lyrics before the melody, which he said was the reverse of his normal method.
WikipediaThe song was released as a double A-side with Flick of the Wrist.
WikipediaBrian May contracted hepatitis after the US tour with Mott the Hoople and collapsed with a duodenal ulcer on August 2, 1974, compressing the album schedule.
Wikipedia: Sheer Heart AttackSheer Heart Attack used four studios: Rockfield for most backing tracks, AIR and Wessex for overdubs, and Trident for mixing.
Wikipedia: Sheer Heart AttackThe solo begins with a bell effect, where chord tones are introduced one at a time and allowed to sustain.
Mother MercuryMay has called Killer Queen a perfect pop record containing one of the solos he is most proud of.
SongfactsThe recording features two different bass lines, one of which breaks away into a descending run.
WikipediaKiller Queen has been certified 4x Platinum by the RIAA in the United States.
WikipediaIn 1986 the song was reissued as the B-side of Who Wants to Live Forever.
Wikipedia5 Seconds of Summer's 2018 cover raised money for the Mercury Phoenix Trust, the AIDS charity founded after Mercury's death.
Wikipedia
Live versions
- Live Killers (1979) Captured as part of the medley era when the song was a fixture of Queen's sets from 1974 to 1981.
- Queen Rock Montreal (1981) Filmed Montreal Forum shows including the song within Queen's live medley.
- The Works Tour medley (1984) Reinstated after a shortened Somebody to Love during the 1984–85 tour.
Notable covers
- Sum 41 (2005) Title track of the tribute album Killer Queen: A Tribute to Queen.
- 5 Seconds of Summer (2018) Released ahead of the Bohemian Rhapsody film; profits went to the Mercury Phoenix Trust.
In our lists
- The Road Trip 50 — #17
- The 25 Greatest Glam Guitar Solos — #2
- Twin Guitars & Harmonies — #6
- Solos in Hit Singles — #17
Sources
- The Metal Circus (Spain), reproducing Q magazine: Los 20 mejores solos de guitarra — #2
- Alhambra Guitarras (Spain): The best guitar solos in history (Los Mejores Solos de Guitarra de la Historia) — #7
- Classic Rock (Louder): The 100 greatest guitar solos in rock — #7
- Magazyn Gitarzysta: 100 solówek wszech czasów [100 solos of all time] — #43
- Radio Beat: 88 kytarových sól na Beatu — #51
- Guitar Solo Legends: The 100 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time — Ranked (2026) — #55
- Digital Dream Door: 250 Greatest Rock Guitar Solos — #56
- Thomann: 25 Iconic Guitar Solos
- Wikipedia: Killer Queen
- Wikipedia: Sheer Heart Attack
- Wikipedia: Killer Queen: A Tribute to Queen
- Songfacts: Killer Queen
- Mother Mercury: Brian May's Guitar Harmonies
Who played the guitar solo on Killer Queen?
Brian May played the solo on Queen's Killer Queen (1974).
What guitar was used on the Killer Queen solo?
A red special through a Vox AC30 amp, according to widely reported accounts.
Where does Killer Queen rank among the greatest guitar solos?
#70 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 79 published lists; it appears on 8 of them.
Who wrote Killer Queen?
Freddie Mercury wrote both the words and music, reportedly in a single night.
What is Killer Queen about?
Mercury said it portrays a high-class call girl, making the point that classy people can be mercenary too.
What album is Killer Queen on?
It is on Queen's third album, Sheer Heart Attack, released in November 1974.
What guitar did Brian May use on Killer Queen?
He played his self-built Red Special, multitracking three separate guitar lines for the solo.
How did Killer Queen do on the charts?
It reached No. 2 in the UK and No. 12 in the US, Queen's first big international hit.