Every Queen Album Opening Song Ranked From Worst To Best

7. Keep Yourself Alive - Queen

The very first song on the very first Queen album, and therefore the tune that started this whole crazy journey, is the fabulously-titled Keep Yourself Alive.

Written by Brian May prior to John Deacon joining, Keep Yourself Alive is known for its heavily-phased guitar parts and Mercury's characteristically over-the-top delivery, which would help the band take a foothold in popular culture going forward.

Whilst not as polished as future releases, this song actually benefits from a lack of sheen, as it sounds authentic and a little bit punky.

Punk Queen, now there's a thought.

Keep Yourself Alive is hard rock at its most basic, but it's also hard rock done very well. It was in keeping with the styles of the time, but Freddie's unique vocals had one foot firmly in the future.

Contributor
Contributor

Jacob Simmons has a great many passions, including rock music, giving acclaimed films three-and-a-half stars, watching random clips from The Simpsons on YouTube at 3am, and writing about himself in the third person.