10 Most Influential Rock Bands

When it comes to being proficient behind your instrument, rock musicians sometimes get so bogged down in their technique that they actually forego their ability to write songs in exchange for endless guitar noodling. Can't we just have people who can play well and actually write?

The answer: Queen. With each member contributing to the band aesthetic, every member had their own virtuosic talents from Roger Taylor's fiery drum performances to Brian May's perfectly meticulated guitar symphonies. At the center, Freddie Mercury's voice became one of the best in rock and roll, with his stage presence being a template for how every frontman should articulate themselves.

Across the 70's and 80's, the band scored hit after hit while still challenging their audience from the sparse instrumentation of "We Will Rock You" to the rock masterpiece that is "Bohemian Rhapsody." After Queen, the standard for writing rock songs was kicked up a notch, with bands required to put more thought into the way they approached their craft. With Queen's studio perfectionism and fantastic hits, rock and roll was given a certain amount of sophistication rather than being a meat-headed genre for degenerates. The tides were turning for rock, with Queen being one of its biggest waves.