On this day in 1985, nearly 90,000 people geared up to attend the Live Aid concert at the John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia.
Meanwhile, over the pond, Queen erupted their set at London’s Wembley Stadium with “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
Released in 1975, the operatic rock opus was a massive hit for the band, selling more than a million copies while topping the charts for nine weeks.
“Bohemian Rhapsody” is memorable for several reasons – not least of which the first epic guitar solo which segues into the song’s operatic section. And in this historical live rendition, Brian May brings the band’s masterpiece to a crescendo with one of rock’s best-known electric guitar lead breaks using his “Old Lady” in front of a wall of Vox AC30 amplifiers.
Coincidentally, Queen’s 1973 debut album, Queen, was released also on this day. Buy it here.
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