10 Best Rock Album Openers Of The 1990s
6. Innuendo - Queen (Innuendo)
Queen aren't the first act that come to mind when you think of the 90s, but the lords of arena rock actually put out two albums in the decade.
The second was Made in Heaven, which came four years after Freddie Mercury's death in 1991. The first was released just eight months before his tragic passing.
Innuendo marked a return to Queen's early sound, shedding off the synth-drenched pop of their 80s run. To help them with this task, they recruited Yes guitarist Steve Howe to play on the title track, which also happened to open the record.
This is an epic in every sense of the word. Mercury gives a powerhouse performance (as always) and the actual music sounds like the score to a fantasy battle scene.
Queen were always at their best when they were being slightly ridiculous and this song is balls-to-the-wall insane.
Unapologetically camp and over-the-top, Innuendo serves to highlight the theatricality that elevated Queen above the status of a regular rock band.
On an album featuring the excellent Headlong, These Are the Days of Our Lives, and The Show Must Go On, Innuendo was the perfect choice for a first track.