Freddie Mercury, Live Aid. (1985)

 At 6:41 p.m. Mercury stepped out in front of 72,000 people — plus the hundreds of millions watching on television — and delivered a 20-minute performance for the ages. “They just nailed it,” says Live Aid organiser Hince. “I think it was the right time. The audience had to sit through bands who maybe weren’t as exciting as Queen were. More laid back. And I thought they needed a kind of shot in the arm, you know? Queen came on and just ripped the place up.”

 A truly charismatic Mercury, who looked full of confidence, jogged out on to a vast stage sporting his trademark moustache and wearing white jeans, a white tank top, and with a studded band around his right bicep, began by sitting at the piano and playing a short, inspired version of “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

 And as there phenomenal live set came to an end it wasn’t only Queen who realized they had been sensational. Paul Gambaccini, who was part of the BBC broadcasting team at Live Aid, recalled the awe among other superstar musicians watching backstage. “Everybody realized that Queen was stealing the show,” said Gambaccini. These were the very words Elton John uttered when he rushed into Mercury’s trailer after the set. “You bastards, you stole the show,” joked the charismatic star.

“Queen smoked ’em. They just took everybody. They walked away being the greatest band you’d ever seen in your life, and it was unbelievable,” said Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters. “And that’s what made the band so great; that’s why they should be recognized as one of the greatest rock bands of all time, because they could connect with an audience.”

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