10 Incredible Songs From Musicians Who Knew They Were Dying

"Fairy tales of yesterday, grow but never die. I can fly, my friends. The show must go on."

If the 2018 film Bohemian Rhapsody accomplished anything, it was reminding us of just how bloody good Queen and Freddie Mercury were.

Mercury famously passed away from an AIDS-related illness in November 1991, though he himself knew of his diagnosis over four and a half years prior, opting to only let his bandmates and family know at the time. From the time Mercury was diagnosed, Queen would release three albums; 1989's The Miracle, 1991's Innuendo and 1995's posthumously-released Made in Heaven.

Primarily written by guitarist Brian May, The Show Must Go On chronicles Mercury's years after being diagnosed with the illness that would later take his life. Forever the showman, Mercury worked tirelessly to maintain a healthy public image and to maintain the standard of the band's work, with May regaling the take for the song: "I said, 'Fred, I don't know if this is going to be possible to sing.' And he went, 'I'll f**king do it, darling' - vodka down - and went in and killed it, completely lacerated that vocal"

What tugs at the heartstrings more than a song dictating the tenacity of a dying man is the fact that it is the final track on Mercury's final (living) album.