10 Greatest Vocal Performances In Classic Rock

For any singer who has ever dreamed of truly entertaining a crowd with their voice, Freddie Mercury is the reason most of them have a career. The man was a living legend throughout Queen's tenure and interpreted each members' songs as if he had lived their stories himself.

Though there were many great Mercury originals to choose from, "Bohemian Rhapsody" will forever be known as Freddie's opus. With a length spanning over 6 minutes, the song is a harrowing journey through different rock styles, with balladry being interspersed with classical runs. Most musicians would not even dream of marrying classical music with the rock genre, but Mercury was determined to bring his operatic tendencies to the masses.

While many fans remember the circular stance of each band member singing in the video, much of the vocal work on the intro was overdubbed multiple times by Mercury himself. When cutting the operatic mid section of the song, the tape was so worn down that the ending master looked almost transparent due to the sheer amount of vocal layers. Once he moves away from the more eclectic styles, Mercury uses the ending hard rock riffs to show his ability to truly bring down the house. Great singers may have come and gone from rock's canon, but "Bohemian Rhapsody" is the main reason why Freddie Mercury is such a marvel in music history.