Students and teachers watched social media as influencers crowded the stages to see popular music stars perform at the famous music festival known as Coachella.
The 24th annual Coachella music festival took place in California from April 11-13 and April 18-20.
The world’s largest transportable Ferris wheel, featured at Coachella.
Photo Courtesy: Mrs. Maurissa Auer
“I didn’t really follow who was actually performing this year, but I do always enjoy the fashion,” senior Ksena Spencer said. “I saw other people saying that the performers didn’t get enough appreciation this year.”
Many artists headlined over the weekends including Lady Gaga on Friday, Green Day on Saturday and Post Malone and Travis Scott on Sunday. Several other artists performed leading up to the main stages.
“My sister-in-law went and she said it was fun,” Chorus teacher Miss Marissa Auer said. “She said it was really high energy, and she saw influences.”
Over the years, fewer celebrities attend the event because it has become less elite. It has become overcrowded with influencers recording every moment. This is caused by brands sponsoring them.
“Most people my age watch their favorite influencers or famous people go to Coachella and like to keep up with what they’re doing,” junior Lily Ewing said.
Even with all of the famous pop stars who perform, social media usually focuses on the guests who attend and what they are doing throughout the festival.
“I mean, it’s a bit bizarre watching people pay so much money on clothing, camping equipment and the actual concert part of it itself,” Spencer said.
Needles dropped on spinning vinyl after crowds of eager collectors filled music shops to celebrate Record Store Day.
April 5 marked the 18th annual Record Store Day, an event that honors independent record stores with exclusive, limited new releases. In many cases, fans crowd the sidewalks before a store’s opening in an attempt to get the record they’re looking for.
For Greensburg’s local music store, CD Warehouse, nearly 200 people were in line.
The hall leading into CD Warehouse’s ‘Retro Room,’ where RSD releases were available.
Photo Courtesy: Michael Casper
“Being a part of Record Store Day is truly exciting,” CD Warehouse owner Michael Casper said. “It’s a fun day overall for everyone involved. Ultimately, my favorite part is seeing the amount of people that come out and support a small, locally owned business.”
Around 1,400 stores participate in the celebration, which makes distribution of the releases challenging, according to Casper. He explained that stores are “not guaranteed” to get everything they order for the event.
“We ordered 50 Gracie Abrams albums, but only received 10,” he said. “They only made 12,000 of them, so all stores only got a percentage of what they ordered. A total of 2,000 ‘Wicked’ Soundtracks were made for Record Store Day; you can imagine how limited that is.”
Some artists found in the 2025 releases included Taylor Swift, Post Malone, Wu-Tang Clan, The Cure and many more. About 330 titles were available for this year’s date.
The Cure’s “Head on the Door” vinyl picture disc, released for RSD 2025.
Photo by: Kerrick Shaw
Art teacher and record collector, Mr. Darryl Audia, said that events like RSD are helping to revitalize the use of physical media.
“There’s a lot that you miss out on with digital media,” Mr. Audia said. “Growing up with cassettes, mainly, you had something to look at and something to hold in your hand. I often find myself creating a playlist but never listening to an artist’s entire album; records are great for fixing that.”
For students, records are making somewhat of a comeback as well; some have listened to records their entire lives through family, and others are just diving into collecting albums recently. Freshman Annabelle Volk explained that she is “actively exploring new music” while looking for fairly priced albums.
“I have about 20 records right now,” Volk said. “I normally go to CD Warehouse and find them for a decent price. I didn’t see anything from this year about Record Store Day, but I am really looking forward to learning more about it and experiencing it next year.”
Another student, junior J’Taime Turner-Hill, collects records because of her grandma.
“Growing up, she had a bunch of records,” Turner-Hill said. “Every Christmas she’d play the Michael Jackson Christmas album; it was like a tradition. I got a big bin full of records from her, I couldn’t even count how many.”
The enthusiasm from younger collectors hasn’t gone unnoticed by record stores. Casper acknowledged how the support from people, especially on RSD, is “amazing” and would be for any store.
“It’s exciting to see how we have grown and have been able to provide more people with the opportunity to get so many titles,” Casper said. “We have tried to make Record Store Day our own celebration; all of the employees here get really excited seeing everyone come to support small businesses. It’s amazing to see the support, and it feels good knowing that we’re doing a good job at providing physical media.”
From Pink Pilates Princess users to Boujee Football Rap users, students listened to hours and hours of music to get through 2024.
To end every year streaming services put out a “wrapped” which is made up of the users’ top artists, top songs and the number of minutes listened.
Students were eager to share their stats and talk about their favorite artists of the year.
“My top artists were Ariana Grande, SZA and Billie Eilish,” senior Greg Paravate said.
Artists varied from student to student, even teachers shared their music taste from the year.
“My top artist was Khruangbin, they make very chill music,” Math teacher Mr. Al Toret said.
Mr. Toret’s top five songs on Apple Music.
Photo courtesy: Mr. Al Toret
Spotify and Apple also released data from every user overall. This includes top artists from the year which would make Taylor Swift 2024’s Global Top Artist.
Following the top artists, users were able to see their total minutes spent listening to music in 2024.
“Overall, I had about 30,000 minutes listened,” Paravate said.
Other users only listened occasionally or used the music as background noise.
“I had 15,218 minutes because I only really listen when I’m driving,” junior Andrew Lehnhardt said.
Lehnhardt’s top Spotify artists and songs.
Photo courtesy: Andrew Lehnhardt
While these streaming services do provide several different pieces of information and stats for their users, many spoke of the things they wish they could see more of or what they would change if it was up to them.
“I’d want to see what song or songs I skipped the most throughout the year,” Lehnhardt said. “That way I’d know what songs I should probably take off my playlist.”
Students also wanted to see the minutes they listened to divided up into each playlist and how long they spent with each.
“I would really like to see stats on how long or often I listened to each of my playlists,” Paravate said.
While both streaming services release the users’ “stats,” many believe that the wrapped isn’t completely accurate.
“Most of my top artists didn’t shock me,” Mr. Toret said. “However, my fourth artist felt wrong. I don’t think I listened to her nearly that much.”
Many users claimed to have a few artists or songs in their wrapped that felt a little off, but for the most part felt like what they saw made sense.
“Some of them were shocking, but for the most part I guess it made sense,” Toret said.
Fans walk out of the stadium leaving glitter on the floor and friendship bracelets behind after superstar Taylor Swift closes her tour.
After over a year of touring, Swift has officially wrapped up her longest tour ever, The Eras Tour. The tour opened on March 17, 2023, and ended on Dec. 8, 2024.
Over the course of The Eras Tour Swift played a total of 149 shows, which brought in around $2 billion, making The Eras Tour the highest grossing tour of all time. The tour consisted of 51 different cities that spanned over 21 different countries.
Taylor Swift shows off her new bodysuit in Miami N1.
Photo By: Adison Poole
GS students have attended shows all over the U.S. Senior Cecilia Ecklund attended Cincinnati N2 and shared her experience of the show.
“I enjoyed every moment of the show, but if I had to pick just one part it would be the surprise song segment,” Ecklund said. “Taylor brought out two special guests, Aaron Dessner and Gracie Abrams. Additionally, it was the first time she played three surprise songs.”
Every night Swift opened the show with songs from her seventh album Lover. She then went through the rest of her eras as the show went on, usually playing five songs from each of her 11 albums, for a total of 44-46 songs a night.
The surprise song segment was different every night of the show, making it a unique experience for those in attendance. Swift opened with a song or mashup on guitar followed by a song or mashup on piano.
“On other nights, I would occasionally watch the livestreams on TikTok and YouTube,” Ecklund said.
When people couldn’t attend shows, many tuned into different livestreams on social media platforms. Over the course of The Eras Tour many creators on sites such as Tik Tok gained followers by livestreaming the entire concert for everyone to enjoy from the comfort of their own home.
Viewers at home not only followed along just for the show, but some also even took part in a game known as Mastermind. The game was presented by a mobile app named Swift Alert. In the game players selected each of Swift’s outfits for the night and answered open ended questions such as what surprise song she might play or if she’d bring out a special guest.
“I was late to the game, but I started playing Mastermind during the second leg of the U.S. tour,” Ecklund said.
Senior Lauryn Swierczynski attended Pittsburgh N2 and spoke highly about the experience.
“My favorite part had to be the electric atmosphere in the stadium,” Swierczynski said. “When the Reputation era [started], the stadium legitimately shook beneath your feet.”
The shows brought people together all over the world. All over social media influencers posted different videos and pictures that showed them traveling and following the tour. Much like some of those people, sophomore Reese Pittler traveled to attend Nashville N2.
“When I went to the show it was the night after she announced Speak Now Taylor’s Version,” Pittler said. “Everything around the stadium was purple and very magical.”
Over the course of the tour Swift was also able to release both Speak Now and 1989 under her own name. She also announced and released her newest album The Tortured Poets Department.
Swift made an effort to create this atmosphere on each night of the tour. In her recently published book on The Eras Tour, Swift spoke about her experiences and said this tour was her most “ambitious” project yet.
Swift was able to bring people together in and out of the stadium over the course of her tour. Each night fans gathered outside the event and hung out while Swift performed.
By the end of the tour Swift was able to play to a grand total of 10,168,008 Swifties inside the stadiums. This number does not account for the fans outside, but on certain nights such as Munich N1 there were an estimated 50,000 fans outside as well.
“It was such a once in a lifetime experience,” Swierczynski said. “I’m so glad I had the opportunity to be a part of it.”
Fans of Dancing with the Stars continue to watch on the edge of their seats as celebrities become dancers and waltz towards the Mirrorball trophy.
After the 500th episode on Nov. 12, NBA player Dwight Howard and pro Daniella Karagach were eliminated after scoring a 26/30 in their Argentine Tango and a 48/60 on their instant dance.
Nov. 19 was the semi-finals.
Along with the judges, fans across America can also vote by texting their favorites to a number up to ten times.
Four couples remain, Chandler Kinney and her partner Brandon Armstrong, Joey Graziadei and his partner Jenna Johnson, Stephen Nedoroscik and his partner Rylee Arnold and Ilona Maher and her partner Alan Bersten.
“I would like to see Ilona go home because while I like her, I don’t think she is as strong as the other competitors,” Chorus Director Ms. Maurissa Auer said.
But after the semi-finals, Ms. Auer changed her mind about the Rugby Olympian.
“I think after watching the semi-finals, I can tell she seemed a lot more confident and more sure of herself,” Auer said.
When it came to eliminations, fans were shocked to see that all couples survived.
“Rylee and Stephen are my favorites because Stephen was on the national gymnastics team, and I feel like they dance really well together,” junior Reese Price said.
Price re-watches an episode in her free time.
Picture by: Emma Helmick
Nedoroscik is a two-time Olympic medalist, and this is Arnold’s second year as a Dancing with the Stars professional dancer.
“Even though Jenna and Joey are my favorite couple, I think Chandler is really good and deserves to win,” senior Sloane Potter said.
Kinney has managed to be a fan favorite of both viewers and judges by having the best score from the semi-finals. She has been in several shows and movies.
“I expect Joey and Jenna to end up winning, though,” Potter said.
Graziadei was on season 20 of the Bachelorette and was the season 28 Bachelor and this is his partner Jenna Johnson’s 8th season dancing as a pro.
“The competition has been very high for a few years and this year has been full of very talented couples,” Price said.
The Fall season brought cool temperatures, leaf-covered sidewalks and another year of Luke Bryan’s Farm Tour.
Bryan wrapped up his 15th iteration of the Farm Tour just 20 miles from Greensburg in Smithton, Pennsylvania, on September 28. The tour had only six shows in total and took place over the course of nine days, starting in Grantville, PA, on September 19. The tour featured special guests Conner Smith, The Peach Pickers with Rodney Clawson, Tucker Wetmore and DJ Rock.
Four of the shows were held at never-before-played family farms, including the Smithton show at the Cunningham Family Farm.
Luke Bryan’s stage set up on the Cunningham’s Family Farm.
Photo Courtesy: Brooke Ropchock
“I enjoy going to concerts, I like to go to at least a couple country concerts a year,” Learning Support teacher Mr. Luke Ewing said. “Going to the Farm Tour was something I haven’t done before, so I was really excited to experience it.”
Several roads were closed and only available to local residents in anticipation of the heavy traffic from nearly 20,000 fans attending the show. Mr. Ewing said this led to “turnarounds,” “overflows” and long waits for parking.
With the overwhelming attendance and through the help of the tour’s presenting sponsor, Bayer, Bryan has been able to provide over nine million meals to Feeding America food banks since 2015 with his hashtag campaign, #Herestothefarmer.
“He mentioned at the concert, if you post the show, to use the hashtag,” Ewing said. “He comes and plays at these farms and in doing that he’s really able to give back; you don’t see a lot of artists do that. He’s helping a lot of people out.”
On the day following the Farm Tour’s end, PPG Paints Arena was packed full for the fifth annual $uicideboy$ Grey Day tour.
Since its first run in 2019, Grey Day has been combining rap and hardcore genres with its long list of supporting artists over the years, some of which have been smaller artists from $uicideboy$’ record label, G*59.
“I had so much fun with everyone around me,” senior Brenna Kohl said. “The experience was great. The energy, the music and seeing the career they’ve built for themselves was so good to be a part of.”
For this 41-date arena and amphitheater North American tour, $uicideboys$ were joined by Denzel Curry, Pouya, Haaper, Shakewell and Ekkstacy. The tour began in Nashville, Tennessee, on August 7 and wrapped up in Lincoln, Nebraska on October 11.
“The openers were good, but I was most looking forward to the boys themselves,” Kohl said. “The people I was with loved the openers though, so I was glad to dance and try to sing along with them.”
This year is their fourth time visiting Pittsburgh during the Grey Day tour, but only the second time they’ve played PPG Paints; the first two shows instead being at Stage AE.
“They gave a great show with such a large crowd and really expressed their emotions in the music,” she added.
On the same day, Billie Eilish kicked off her Hit me Hard and Soft tour in Quebec City, Canada. The tour has 83 total shows; the North American leg ends mid-December, and the entire tour will last until late July of 2025.
Eilish stopped at PPG Paints Arena on October 13 for her ninth show this year, supported by Nat & Alex Wolff.
“I’ve heard so many good things about her concerts and it completely lived up to my expectations,” senior Carlie Wilcox said. “It was my second big concert of an artist I’ve been listening to for years. It was amazing.”
Similar to Bryan’s efforts to give back, Eilish is committed to making a difference with environmental impacts. A portion of all ticket sales during the North America leg will go to REVERB, a nonprofit organization trying to educate and engage musicians and their fans on environmental sustainability.
Every show will have two REVERB Eco-Villages, a place for fans to help take action for the planet, at the main entrance.
“I wanted to go because the music itself was meaningful, too,” Wilcox said. “Some of her music is sad and some is exciting; she really made you feel the music with her. The performance she gave with each song made the show unforgettable.”
Pittsburgh has over 100 more concerts coming throughout the remainder of the year and into next. Upcoming Stage AE shows include Ken Carson and Tucker Wetmore on Oct. 22 and Nov. 9 respectively. PPG Paints Arena has almost 20 upcoming shows such as Iron Maiden playing on Nov. 8, Rod Wave on Nov. 12 and Justin Timberlake on Dec. 14.
“We have the golden opportunity to see any kind of concert we could want with Pittsburgh only an hour away,” Ewing said. “Having all these venues so close is awesome.”
The 2024 election will take place Nov. 5 all around the country. The polls people will attend are based upon their address.
“Young or old, if you’re a citizen, your voice needs to be heard,” Law and Economics teacher Mrs. Beth Simone said. “That’s the point of democracy; that we all have a voice.”
The presidential nominees are Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. Harris will be running alongside Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Trump is joined by Senator JD Vance.
A poster of an electoral map with results from 2020 that hangs in Mrs. Simone’s room.
Photo By: Emma Helmick
The Pennsylvania senator race is between Republican nominee Dave McCormick and Democratic incumbent Bob Casey.
“We’re not all going to be happy with the end result, but, if we don’t go out and vote and if we don’t exercise that power, we lose that power,” Mrs. Simone said. “It becomes more likely for someone to just be able to take power if we’re not making sure to use ours.”
The deadline to register to vote both in person and by in-mail ballot was Oct. 21.
“I have registered to vote this year, I looked into the candidates, and I’ve seen what their policies are and how they plan to address issues, so I do plan to vote this election,” senior Hannah Stillwagon said.
Young people who are not currently eligible to vote but will be by the election can still register now.
“News sources aren’t really influencing me because they are usually biased, most of the news and commercial ads are,” senior Brenna Kohl said. “I’m trying to make my decision based on what they say in their own speeches and debates.”
For the past few months, news channels and commercials have taken over, as well as political texts, calls, emails and social media posts.
It is easy to get lost in information by relying on that type of media. So it is important to keep up with the candidate’s websites and steer clear from staying loyal to just one news channel.
“Know what key issues matter to you and then see how the candidates match up,” Simone said. “I’ve literally never found a candidate that believes everything I’ve ever wanted. I look to see what really matters to me and then who matches up best with that.”
The community is soaking up the sounds that carried them through the past three months as the summer season events end.
The summertime was packed full of concerts, markets and other events to keep locals busy over break. The festivities kicked off with Elton Rohn, the Elton John tribute band, at St. Clair Park for SummerSounds.
Elton Rohn performs at St. Clair Park for SummerSounds.
Photo Courtesy: David Baldinger
SummerSounds is an annual free concert series put together entirely by 50 volunteers who present Greensburg with a wide variety of musicians over 14 weeks. Preshows lasted from 6:15 to 6:45, the main show then starting at 7 p.m.
“It’s a very exciting thing,” junior Maddox Kunkle said. “I think it’s done very professionally, it’s more top-of-the-line.”
The SummerSounds lineup included various tributes and original acts to appeal to music lovers of all ages. This summer’s end marks 24 years of concerts for SummerSounds with more to come under new management from the Greensburg Community Development Corporation.
“Because it’s free, anyone could go if they wanted,” Kunkle added. “People might’ve even been in for a surprise with what bands they saw.”
Once a month on select Thursdays from April through December, the Greensburg Night Market is active across four city blocks with over 140 vendors selling foods, art, jewelry and much more.
A typical view of the street during the Greensburg Night Market.
Photo Courtesy: Alex Newill
“The turnout for all the markets was pretty good this year,” owner and founder of the Night Market Ms. Jessica Hickey said.
The Greensburg Vintage Market was also active throughout the summer season. Over 50 vendors gather throughout St. Clair Park and the parking lot behind the Amphitheatre, selling vintage décor, collectables, clothing and other vintage items along with food and plants.
The vintage market set up.
Photo Courtesy: Alex Newill
“The heat can be a bit of a challenge during the summertime,” Ms. Hickey said. “We had a couple hot markets, but our water refill station and being in the park for some shade helped a lot.”
On August 16, GS held the annual Back to School Bash at Offutt Field to kick off the 2024-2025 school year.
“It seemed pretty crowded, and everyone had a great time,” Associate to the Superintendent and Back to School Bash Coordinator Mrs. Kayla Tamer said. “It was an exciting night.”
The Bash was in conjunction with Mini-THON, which provided students and families with the dunk tank and cornhole fundraiser at the event. There were over 25 community vendors, 10 student organizations and five food vendors.
Mr. Nick DeMary sits in the dunk tank.
Photo Courtesy: Mrs. Tamer
“It was a team approach,” Mrs. Tamer added. “The layout this year was a little bit different, we recognized the athletes and activities in the middle. I think the weather kept some people away, but overall, it was really fun.”
On August 24, the Greensburg Music Fest was back for the 6thconsecutive year. This year’s festival was spread throughout three locations with five stages total and 15 bands who played throughout the day. The Music Fest is presented by the Westmorland Cultural trust in partnership with Green Beacon Gallery and Band Together Pittsburgh.
“It was a fantastic experience,” senior Wesley Heverly said. “The talent from the kids who are a part of Band Together was mind blowing.”
Band Together Pittsburgh is a nonprofit organization that creates music with musicians on the autism spectrum. Heverly had the pleasure of participating in the event at St. Clair Park and helped promote it with posters he made himself.
Greensburg always has something to look forward to, but especially during the summertime. Each of these events will be back around next year, with an all-new lineup of bands with SummerSounds for students and Greensburg locals to enjoy.
“It’s always tough to see the summer end because of the events that occur during the season,” Greensburg Mayor Robert Bell said. “I couldn’t be more happy with the results of this past summer’s event calendar. Hopefully, we’ll be able to announce a few new events for next year.”
With the 70s punk movement on the uprise, the Ramones provided a foundation with their simple yet strong lyrics and three-chord sound; they live on with being considered the first true punk band. The Ramones took shape in 1974 following each member’s adopting of the surname Ramone and went on to play a raging 2,263 concerts over the next 22 years.
The Ramones was the combination of members from two bands and a rookie in the New York City borough of Queens. The original lineup consisted of John Cummings and Thomas Erdelyi, who played together in a garage band during the late 60s; Jeff Hyman, singer of the early 70s glam rock band, Sniper; and Douglas Colvin, who had recently moved from Germany. Colvin and Cummings invited Hyman to join their new band, with Erdelyi looking to be their manager. As each member’s role in the band was solidified, the name “Ramone” was introduced by Colvin, inspired by Paul McCartney’s pseudonym: Paul Ramon.
Hyman, Cummings, Erdelyi and Colvin went on as Joey (vocals), Johnny (guitarist), Tommy (drummer) and Dee Dee Ramone (bassist), respectively.
Sporting their ripped jeans and leather jackets, the Ramones played their first CBGB gig in August of ’74, managing to cramp in over 70 more shows at the club before the year’s end. With their electric performances lasting barely 20 minutes per and still pulling in an incredible crowd, they quickly rose to be the faces of the New York punk scene.
Bands such as The Stooges, The Sex Pistols, The New York Dolls and many more all brought punk rock to life before the Ramones became known as originators, which I feel is necessary to mention. Depending on how you view it, punk music can even be traced back to the 1950s with ruder rock and roll garage bands. However, the influence the Ramones left is still undeniable.
After two years of earning a powerful reputation through intense performances all over New York, they finally recorded their debut self-titled album in only one week’s time and released it in late April of 1976.
Coming out to be just under thirty minutes long, “Ramones” consists of 14 hard-hitting tracks that each go only slightly above or below two minutes – the longest being the seventh track, “I Don’t Wanna Go Down to the Basement,” at two minutes and forty seconds. Although it stands today as one of the most famous albums of all time, especially for punk rockers, it didn’t push the Ramones up the charts – managing to only reach 111th on the US Billboard 200 chart with both singles falling flat upon release.
Their music took the early rock music essentials and boiled them down to the basics; each song remained simple and comedic, but they were loud, fast and kept everyone listening, regardless of whether or not they understood the gibberish coming out of Joey’s mouth.
“Ramones” kicks off with 20 seconds of their fast-paced instrumentals that immediately have you shaking your head and tapping your feet before hitting you with Joey’s iconic drum-backed hey-ho-let’s-go’s that have since become the band’s chant. “Blitzkrieg Bop” was one of the two singles that failed to become hits at the time, the other being “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend.” Although it didn’t do much for them then, it’s now one of their most recognizable songs and is an iconic ‘70s punk rock tune.
“Judy Is a Punk,” is a prime example of their repetitive nature with the first and second verse being identical. Its fictional lyrics follow two juvenile girls, Judy and Jackie, through their antics and joining of the SLA (Symbionese Liberation Army, a far-left American terrorist organization of the 1970s). The girls returned in the 1980 album “End of The Century” track titled “The Return of Jackie and Judy.”
“I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” follows “Judy Is a Punk” and is one of my all-time favorites from them. By far the slowest song on the album, “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” is a straightforward love song written by Tommy to breakup the trend of I-Don’t-Wanna’s in their song titles. It features instruments you wouldn’t expect to hear from a punk band like tubular bells and a glockenspiel. In comparison to their live performances, every song on this album is slower than what their fans were used to.
In my opinion, “Ramones” was never topped. Like most bands, their debut stood the test of time and is truly their best work – however they do have other classic albums to offer, like “Rocket to Russia” and “Road to Ruin.” The Ramones had countless big successes, such as: “Rock ‘n’ Roll High School” (1979), a film from legendary film producer Roger Corman; various iconic singles like “Do You Remember Rock ‘n’ Roll Radio?” (1980) and “Pet Sematary” (1989); and their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March of 2002.
Unfortunately, as of 2014, all original members of the Ramones have passed away, but sequential members, Marky, Richie and CJ Ramone, still tour to this day. In 2003, “We’re a Happy Family: A Tribute to Ramones” was released – co-produced by Rob Zombie and featuring Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica, U2, Kiss and many others.
I can almost say that you had to be there to fall in love with the sound of the Ramones – but, obviously, I was not. If you’re interested in punk music whatsoever, whether it be classic, ‘90s or ska, “Ramones” is an essential, no-skip listen.
Made up of Brian May, Roger Taylor, John Deacon and Freddie Mercury, Queen is no doubt solidified as one of the world’s most recognizable bands of all time. Their presence in the music realm is impossible to overlook; no matter your music taste, I’m sure you have participated in the stomp-stomp-claps of “We Will Rock You.”
Prior to Queen, May and Taylor worked together in a band called Smile, which brought a large enough following to stick them on the map, one of those followers being Mercury. Upon Mercury’s joining the band in 1970 and their eventual name change, Queen performed live with various bass players before Deacon joined in 1971. The band played their first live show with the iconic lineup that July and went on as one of the most exciting groups in rock ‘n’ roll history.
The opening track of their debut album, “Queen,” and their eventual first single, “Keep Yourself Alive,” caught the ears of visiting producers John Anthony and Roy Thomas Baker during the early recording sessions of the album. It prompted them to work with Queen, promoting them to a number of record labels through “showcase” performances before striking a deal with EMI Records and Trident and finally putting out the finished album in 1973.
After the drawn-out process that came before their debut, they held a steady pace, releasing an album yearly until 1980 and then releasing less consistently before Mercury’s death from bronchial pneumonia, a result of AIDS, in 1991.
All while playing minor shows on tours promoting their first album, Queen recorded “Queen II,” now with access to regular studio time. They took advantage of the tools at hand and earned themselves the number five spot on the British Album Chart. It featured their first hit, “Seven Seas of Rhye,” and helped to establish the layered sound that became a staple of theirs. Regardless of the complex yet fantastic instrumental passages and fantasy driven lyrics, and the overall boost it brought the band, it received mixed critical reviews; the Winnipeg Free Press called it an “over-produced monstrosity.”
They quickly one upped themselves with the release of “Sheer Heart Attack” in 1974, reaching number two in the UK and going gold in the US; it was their first go at international success. The album features various hits, but most prominently “Stone Cold Crazy” and “Killer Queen.”
Being fully welcomed by American fans as they grew with fame, Queen headlined tours in the US in 1975. Although they were quickly becoming one of Britain’s most popular bands, they were held back from living the lavish lives they earned because of their contract with Trident. They fought to break free from Trident’s management and landed in the hands of Elton John’s manager, John Reid.
“A Night at the Opera,” at the time the most expensive album to ever be produced, was released later that year. Like most of their work before it, “A Night at the Opera” experimented with the sounds of various genres and bent the radio rules with songs like May’s “The Prophet’s Song,” and, of course, “Bohemian Rhapsody,” arguably their most well-known single.
This album took Queen to an even higher level. It showcased each member’s talent and how the band as a whole was an incredible music machine. It opens with “Death on Two Legs,” a track dedicated to their manager before Reid. It brings an intense sci-fi sound to the album, but is then followed up with the soft, piano-led, “Lazing on A Sunday Afternoon.” The contrasting themes flow throughout the album.
After Roger Taylor’s heavier track, “I’m in Love With my Car,” Deacon, the most in-the-shadows member of Queen, shines in composing “You’re my Best Friend,” one of the bigger hits off the album.
Kicking off the B-side, the incredibly overlooked eight-minute-long track, “The Prophet’s Song,” was overshadowed by the singles and hits off the album, however it is where Brian May shines most. Although the A cappella segment takes up a large chunk of the song and can drag on for some, it is nonetheless a powerful and epic feature.
Serving as a cushion to land on after the long ride that is “The Prophet’s Song,” “Love of my Life” is yet another all-time greatest hit of theirs featured on “A Night at the Opera.” It’s an emotional ballad that lives on through Freddie and Brian May’s voices, being the one song not sung live by Paul Rogers or Adam Lambert after Mercury’s passing, because of being dedicated to Mercury’s ex-wife Mary Austin.
The closing track, “Bohemian Rhapsody,” was a shock to all. When recording, over 180 overdubs were used to accomplish the incredible operatic vocals that remain unbelievably recognizable today. The song may be one of the few to live on forever, having been revived various times, such as with the release of the (subpar) Queen biography of the same name in 2018, or its iconic cameo in Wayne’s World (1992).
Regardless of your taste in music, whether it’s modern pop or an obscure rock subgenre, I find it safe to assume that everybody knows and loves Queen’s hits. It is undeniable that Freddie Mercury’s voice is known amongst all, hopefully including today’s kids. It could be hard for some to explore the songs that aren’t as widely recognized as others, but no matter which one is chosen and when, Queen will always bring the same electrifying feel.
The Lions' Den 