For a first time, American created tribute to lifetime acheivment as a rock band, I am shocked of the 4 choices made. What's up? Did VH1 hire a Brit to make up the list? Surely no American is likely to have done so well a job with their 1st 4 acts receiving this honor. Personally, I could do without Kiss. Judas Priest, is for me easily my all time favorite band that is considered by most to be a pure Metal Band(like Metallica, Motorhead, Slayer, Megadeth, etc.). Queen and Def Leppard are my two all time fovorites, or at least Def Leppard once was my favorite, until so little as 1 single Queen albume(News of...).
Speaking of Queen on the list, once again I got the usual eye-rolls which's only negative is my personal assesment that the eye-roller in question has a severely flawed taste in music, or is ignorant, when I presented my rant of hate towards the musical taste of the U.S. My theory less than well recieved is that, if the U.S. would have followed Europe accordingly with the similar comparison of popularity with Queen as The Beatles got here, Queen would be widely considered the greatest rock band ever to exist, and it would be The Beatles having to argue their dominance in history directly in respect with Queen, not vice versa.
Queen music seems to be far from where they should be in respect, but I can't see a single impulse or attitude that treats them as outdated and 'old school' in a negative way, while nearly half of the Beatles classics, and almost all of Elvis's hits seem sorely past their time to public perception.
In closing, could you imagine the response if a monster hit film, major tv moment, or other massively exposed and taken in by the general public, or current culturally exposed and consumed masses a Queen album track such as 'The Prophet Song' or 'In the Lap of the Gods' or 'The March of the Black Queen' could make a splash with... Is it me, or would these, like many others, not totally blow the minds of millions and make a major impact on music as a whole forever? Are we, or bullshit, other people who likely won't be reading this still so screwed up to where are celebrated top hits will still be rancid shit from Madonna, the Dixie Chicks, Britney Spears and way too much more, or would their finally be that final wake up call to the unknown to the masses discovery of those songs that only fall short to Bo Rhap in that they don't last quite as long?
I have always been shocked over time that my prediction has not happened yet, that being that I assumed some band would take advantage to the obvious commercial potential in covering one of Queen's commonly unknown to most non fans tracks like 'Liar', 'Doing Alright', 'Las Palabras', as well as many others, expecially the ones I mentioned several sentences ago. The Beatles used to be victimes of others taking advantage of their greatness by covering songs that were less publicly known, as well on occasion as tracks that are massively popular.
Queen, in the U.S. for sure, is the most untapped source of this. I hate country, but have to admit my brother is right in his repeated idea of a country singer(Dwight Yoakum) he likes having the opportunity to at any time turn 'Dreamer's Ball' into his cover and a massive top hit. Hell, Vanilla Ice took one element of Under Pressure that was no greater than a couple of others(Freddie's voice, Brian's guitar at certain moments) and coupled it with stupid shit. The results were incredible.
Hey, I know the true cultural shame of it all from experience. I was a class of '92 high school graduate, which indicates that most of my pre-college schooling was in the 80's, and also in a suburb near/country enough shithole known officially as the town of 'The Colony' Texas. In short, this place needs to become to the U.S. what Hiroshima and Nagasaki was to the Japanese, or at least back in those times.
Okay, to my point set up lamely, but no turning back now. In this, pre-"gay