A Night At The Opera: 50 years on, Brian May and Roger Taylor on Queen's operatic masterpiece - only in the new issue of Classic Rock

The cover of Classic Rock 346, featuring Queen — (Image credit: Future)

Figaro-oh-oh-oh! Oh boy, do we have a royally jam-packed issue this month! Yep, hard as it may be to believe, but October (Halloween, to be specific) marks the 50th anniversary of the original release of Queen’s epic single Bohemian Rhapsody. Undoubtedly one of rock’s Dead Sea Scrolls, it’s not hyperbole to say that Bo Rhap changed the course of the band’s career and popular music as we know it.

This issue we celebrate it and the making of the groundbreaking album from whence it came – Queen’s A Night At The Opera – in the company of Sir Brian May and Roger Taylor. Both single and album are about to be re-released on vinyl, so I do wonder if we might have another Bo Rhap No.1 on our hands this year?

What's more, the new issue is one of our premium editions, and includes an official A Night At The Opera sticker, poster and art card (subscribers, UK newsstand and online orders only).

Also in the issue: we chat to Scorpions about their 60 years in rock; get the story behind UFO’s sojourn to Montserrat to record No Place To Run with George Martin; go behind the scenes of Tom Petty’s deeply personal Wildflowers album; Ann and Nancy Wilson tell us about the making of Heart’s debut record and much more besides.

Until next month…

Get the new issue of Classic Rock

Features

Queen
Fifty years on, Brian May and Roger Taylor reveal the vision, precision and daring behind Queen’s A Night At The Opera, the album that rewrote rock’s rules.

Scorpions
Rudolph Schenker and Klause Meine look back over 60 years, from being trashed in the UK press to being lauded rock icons.

Heart
How Ann and Nancy Wilson gatecrashed a male-dominated, payola-fuelled rock scene 50 years ago with Dreamboat Annie.

Creeper
Before the vampires and rock’n’roll theatre, it was shoestring punk gigs, DIY video shoots, hard work and, ouch, sales work.

Tom Petty
Despite all the chaos and confusion that fed into it, the deeply personal Wildflowers is the album he regarded as his best.

David Bowie
Band members, friends and associates tell the story of The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars.

UFO
When ace-card guitarist Michael Schenker quit, no sulks, they took off to the Caribbean and recorded a belter without him.

The cover of Classic Rock 246, featuring Queen — This special premium edition contains an official A Night at the Opera sticker, poster and art card – available with all subscriptions, online orders and UK newsstand sales. (Image credit: Future)

Regulars

The Dirt
Foo Fighters back in the studio? Twister Sister to play 2026 world tour. Radiohead confirm UK shows. Welcome back Paradise Lost and Lemonheads. Say hello to Hollow Souls and Margarita Witch Cult. Say goodbye to Rick Davies, Brent Hinds, Tony Beard, Mark Volman.

The Stories Behind The Songs: Counting Crows
How a song written immediately after and about a wild night out became radio staple, a huge hit and their signature song.

Q&A: Eric Gales
The blues guitarist on his record for his late brother, cutting heads with Bonamassa, surviving time behind bars.

Reviews
New albums from Michael Schenker, Ash, Chrissie Hynde, Mammoth, Lemonheads, Cardiacs, Sparks, Vernon Reid, Dizzy Reed, Goo Goo Dolls, Biohazard and more. Reissues from John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band, Ronnie Wood, Steve Howe, Foghat, Humble Pie, Frank Zappa, Elton John, Supergrass, King Crimson and more. DVDs, films and books on Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel, Charlie Harper, Ringo Starr, U2, Marianne Faithfull and more.

Buyer’s Guide: Zakk Wylde
The pick of his records with Ozzy, Black Label Society and more.

Lives
We preview tours by Todd Rundgren, Y&T and Coheed And Cambria. Plus gig listings – who’s playing where and when.

The Soundtrack Of My Life: Devon Allman
The singer and guitarist picks his records, artists and gigs of lasting significance.

* Copies of the new issue of Classic Rock can be purchased online from Magazines Direct

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* NB: Due to some unexpected logistical delays, this issue will be on the UK newsstand from Tuesday

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Artists

Classic Rock editor Siân has worked on the magazine for longer than she cares to discuss, and prior to that was deputy editor of Total Guitar. During that time, she’s had the chance to interview artists such as Brian May, Slash, Jeff Beck, James Hetfield, Sammy Hagar, Alice Cooper, Manic Street Preachers and countless more. She has hosted The Classic Rock Magazine Show on both TotalRock and TeamRock radio, contributed to CR’s The 20 Million Club podcast and has also had bylines in Metal Hammer, Guitarist, Total Film, Cult TV and more. When not listening to, playing, thinking or writing about music, she can be found getting increasingly more depressed about the state of the Welsh national rugby team and her beloved Pittsburgh Steelers.

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