The Reason Adam Lambert Is ‘Better’ Than Freddie Mercury According To Brian May

One of the most legendary and influential rock bands of the world, Queen was founded in 1970 and its classic lineup consisted of Freddie Mercury as the lead vocalist, Brian May as the lead guitarist, Roger Taylor as the drummer, and John Deacon as the bassist. The band produced and released best-selling records that hit the charts all around the world which brought its members great fame and commercial success.

Queen is not only a rock band but also a cultural phenomenon and a great inspiration for the young generations of bands and musicians who want to be the next Queen by creating their own unique works. However, it’s very challenging to become their successor because it’s impossible to find instrumentalists like May, Taylor, Deacon, and an iconic frontman like Freddie Mercury with his unique talent and charisma.

Freddie Mercury’s Career With Queen

Freddie Mercury gained international fame and commercial success as Queen’s lead singer and proved that he’s one of the best vocalists in the world thanks to his four-octave vocal range. Mercury was the unique voice behind 15 Queen records all of which almost became best-sellers in the world. Both Freddie and the band itself have a dedicated and longtime fan base that didn’t stop listening to them even years after the singer’s death.

Unfortunately, Freddie Mercury was suffering from AIDS and passed away because of bronchial pneumonia resulting from the disease on November 24, 1991, at the age of 45. His bandmates and fans were devastated about the news, and it was so hard to continue creating and performing without Mercury. However, Queen members decided to preserve the band’s legacy so they began working with different singers such as Paul Rodgers and Adam Lambert.

Why Does Brian May Regard Adam Lambert As A Better Singer Than Freddie Mercury?

After Brian May and Roger Taylor appeared on 2009’s American Idol, they noticed a contestant, Adam Lambert. Two years later, they wanted to hire Lambert as their new lead singer, and the band started to be known as Queen + Adam Lambert. They performed on many tours and concerts together and released two live albums entitled ‘Live in Japan’ and ‘Live Around the World.’ Lambert’s performance is appreciated by both their fans and the band members themselves.

In one of the previous interviews that he joined, May admitted that it’s not easy to sing Queen’s songs as the late frontman did but according to him, Lambert is very good at it. The new lead singer can perform the songs with a higher vocal range than Mercury during their live performances. He emphasized that even Mercury himself would praise his talent if he witnessed it. Also, May stated that Lambert has a natural talent both as a singer and a frontman like Mercury.

Regarding Adam Lambert, Brian May said:

“They’re difficult songs to sing, Queen songs. There’s too much range. So many people can’t sing them in the original key, even if they are good singers, Adam comes along, and he can do it easily. He can do it in his sleep!

He can sing higher than even Freddie could in a live situation. So I think Freddie would look at this guy and think, ‘Hmm… Yeah. Okay.’ There would be a kind of, ‘Hmm … You bastard. You can do this.’

He doesn’t have to try. He is a natural, in the same way, that Freddie was. We didn’t look for this guy, but suddenly he’s there, and he can sing all of those lines. … He doesn’t imitate; he just does his own thing.”

You can watch the interview below.