10 Hard Rock Bands That Completely Changed Their Sound

10. Queen

Ever since the band's debut singles, Queen's sound always had a size to it that made it instantly recognizable. Regardless of what singer took the lead or which genre it crossed into, there was no one who was going to mistake for anyone else when they came on the radio.

At the same time, the band found a way to switch up their sound while still keeping their core identity. There are probably dozens of casual music fans who just see the group as a pop band, but Queen's catalog goes much deeper than just the epic rock song. The band's early years saw them dabbling in more progressive material, with frontman Freddie Mercury even creating his mythical music universe of Rhye.

Once the band went operatic, the band found ways to incorporate showtunes and jazz styles into their songs as well. Even when the more hard rock approach became less commercial in the early 80's, the band showed what good musical interpreters they were by taking on funk on "Another One Bites the Dust." With four distinct songwriters steering the charge, Queen managed to have the best of both worlds by having an identifiable sound that could be incorporated into countless different styles.