This was the performance that defined the decade.
There’s no denying that Queen’s 20-minute live performance at Live Aid in 1985 is one of the greatest ever.
But even before that, music lovers around the world considered Queen’s short set to be one of the greatest of all time.
After a period of turmoil and infighting within the band, the rock legends emerged onto the global stage and established themselves as one of the greatest bands the genre has ever produced.
When we think of Live Aid, Queen’s epic performance always comes to mind first. (Photo by Phil Dent/Redferns). Photo: Getty
Everyone present (and certainly the world) at Wembley Stadium on 13 July 1985 knew they were witnessing history in the making.
So it’s likely that Queen’s matinee performance is often the first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions Live Aid.
The image of Freddie punching the sky in triumph has since become iconic and etched into the minds of millions of people around the world, regardless of whether they were Queen fans or not.
However, just hours later, Freddie was back on stage with Brian May to perform a stunning impromptu song that has largely been forgotten.
Queen really stole the show at Live Aid. (Photo by FG/Bauer-Griffin/Getty Images). Photo:Getty
Self-proclaimed loudest act of the day (reportedly cranking up the sound system throughout the performance), Freddie and Brian returned to the stage that night in a very different way.
Queen shocked the Wembley crowd with epic renditions of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, ‘Hammer To Fall’, ‘Radio Ga Ga’, ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’, ‘We Will Rock You’ and ‘We Are The Champions’ when they first appeared at 6.42pm that night.
However, three hours later it was a different story as they stripped away the pomp and showmanship to deliver a spectacular performance.
After watching footage of the pain and suffering caused by the Ethiopian famine, Freddie and Brian came up with the idea of writing a song dedicated to those who had suffered.
Before the event, they spoke to Live Aid creator Bob Geldof about the prospect of contributing an original song to the cause.
At 21:48, the pair returned to the stage, accompanied only by Brian’s guitar, and brought 89,484 people to tears.
Freddie Mercury & Brian May – Is This the World We Created? (Live Aid 1985)
The Queen lead singer and guitarist performed the stunning ‘Is This The World We Created?’, written by Freddie and Brian, in Munich.
It was a beautifully introspective moment amid rock and pop songs performed by the likes of David Bowie, U2, Phil Collins, Paul McCartney, Status Quo and Sting that day.
On the recent anniversary of Freddie Mercury’s death, as fans shared their favourite memories of the rock icon, Brian May joined in.
And rightly so – but who can blame anyone when their previous film is considered the greatest of all time?
At every Queen concert since Live Aid, Freddie and Brian would relive this performance with their devoted fans. ‘Is This The World We Created?’ also closed out 1984’s The Works.
Although this emotional performance is often forgotten, that doesn’t mean it was any less impactful than their legendary performance earlier that evening.
