Queen's origins can be traced back to Smile, a band founded in 1968 by Brian May and Roger Taylor, with Tim Staffell as the vocalist. When Staffell left to join another band, Freddie Mercury, a devoted Smile fan, joined May and Taylor, leading to the formation of Queen. Thus, Smile transitioned into Queen, a name suggested by Mercury himself.

They underwent several bassist auditions before meeting John Deacon in a bar; who made his first appearance with Queen in 1971. It was around this time that Freddie Mercury designed the band's logo, featuring zodiac signs representing each member's astrological sign - two lions for Deacon and Taylor (both Leos), a crab for May (Cancer), and two fairies for Mercury (Virgo).

They released their debut self-titled album, "Queen" in 1973 featuring almost every one of Queen's signatures; from Freddie Mercury's intense harmonies to Brian May's rich, orchestral guitar overdubs and the suite-like structures of "Great King Rat."

In 1974, Queen's breakthrough moment arrived when they performed "Seven Seas of Rhye" on Top of the Pops, a popular television show; leading EMI to release it as a single along with "See What A Fool I've Been." Later that year, their sophomore album, "Queen II," reached No. 5 on the UK charts.

In 1975, Queen unleashed their magnum opus, "Bohemian Rhapsody," as the lead single for their next album, "A Night at the Opera." The epic composition mesmerized listeners and spent an incredible 18 months at the top of the UK charts.

In the following years, they released "Hot Space" in 1982, "The Works" in 1984, and "A Kind of Magic" in 1986. In 1987, there were rumors about Freddie Mercury's AIDS diagnosis, initially denied by the band, but Mercury confirmed it in 1991 and called for support in his battle against the disease. Sadly, Mercury passed away on November 24, 1991, at the age of 45. Following Mercury's death, a greatest hits album was released, and a commemorative concert took place.

This Saturday we're hosting a Queen vinyl listening session curated by Vedant Naik at our store in Mahim from 4PM to 6PM.