10 Biggest Geniuses In Rock And Roll
9. Brian May - Queen
There are many rock musicians who get heralded as 'the dumb one' over the years. It's no real secret that while there is some genuine talent on display, the more sophomoric humor and basic lyrics don't really paint rock musicians in the best light all of the time. Given that most musicians can wail on their instruments, Brian May is one of the few guitarists who was actually capable of holding his own both on and off the stage.
From day one, May's approach to rock and roll was a bit unorthodox, with him making his signature Red Special guitar by himself. Though Freddie Mercury receives most of the attention nowadays when talking about Queen, the way May would work out his guitar parts was much more complex than your average six-stringer, as he would sometimes layer up to 3 part harmonies in his solos.
That's before you even get down to the fact that the man is actually smart off the stage, having a degree in astrophysics and even going on to write papers about the future of the practice. Above all else, May has always brought a high level of musicianship to Queen, determined to give people their money's worth with amazing solos to match the greatest frontman on Earth. While Freddie might have the energy of Queen, Brian May is where the group's class comes from.