Queen guitarist Brian May compiles air guitar compilation

Brian May has put together a compilation album titled Air Guitar Anthems.

The 3CD collection pulls together artists including Metallica, Alice Cooper, Kiss, Rainbow, Rush, Dio, Motorhead and Thin Lizzy.

May says: “It’s an interesting discussion between a simple riff and a complex riff. Most of us think simple is great but there are definite exceptions like Message In A Bottle by The Police is the most incredibly complex thing but it sticks in the mind and it’s obviously one of the greatest riffs of all time – it’s actually got a great song written around it as well.

“A riff is a riff is a riff – and it’s a mystical thing. Either it grabs you or it doesn’t and some things can be quite involved or some things can be incredibly simple.”

Air Guitar Anthems is out now and features 56 tracks. Watch a trailer below.

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Air Guitar Anthems tracklist

CD1

1. Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody
2. Led Zeppelin – Whole Lotta Love
3. The Rolling Stones – Start Me Up
4. ZZ Top – Gimme All Your Lovin’
5. T Rex – 20th Century Boy
6. Meat Loaf – Bat Out Of Hell
7. Ram Jam – Black Betty
8. Deep Purple – Smoke On The Water
9. Bachman-Turner Overdrive – You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet
10. Metallica – Stone Cold Crazy
11. Alice Cooper – Poison
12. Kiss – Crazy Crazy Nights
13. Motorhead – Ace of Spades
14. Thin Lizzy – The Boys Are Back In Town
15. Whitesnake – Here I Go Again ‘87
16. Derek & The Dominoes feat. Duane Allen – Layla
17. Rainbow – Since You Been Gone
18. Boston – More Than A Feeling

CD2

1. Dire Straits – Money For Nothing
2. Journey – Don’t Stop Believing
3. Status Quo – Down Down
4. Bryan Adams – Run to You
5. Free – All Right Now
6. The Who – I Can’t Explain
7. The Kinks – You Really Got Me
8. Muddy Waters – Mannish Boy
9. Bad Company – Feel Like Makin’ Love
10. Billy Idol – White Wedding
11. George Thorogood & The Destroyers – Bad To The Bone
12. Survivor – Eye of the Tiger
13. Cream – Sunshine of Your Love
14. Chuck Berry – Johnny Be Good
15. Buddy Holly – That’ll Be The Day
16. Small Faces – All Or Nothing
17. Sex Pistols – God Save the Queen
18. The Animals – The House of the Rising Sun
19. Brian May & Kerry Ellis – Parisienne Walkways

CD3

1. Def Leppard – Pour Some Sugar On Me
2. The Police – Message In A Bottle
3. The Darkness – I Believe In A Thing Called Love
4. Stiltskin – Inside
5. The Knack – My Sharona
6. Toto – Hold The Line
7. Lynyrd Skynyrd – Sweet Home Alabama
8. Rush – The Spirit of Radio
9. Motley Crue – Girls Girls Girls
10. Twisted Sister – I Wanna Rock
11. Mott The Hoople – All The Young Dudes
12. Joe Walsh – Rocky Mountain Way
13. Blue Oyster Cult – (Don’t Fear) The Reaper
14. Dio – Holy Diver
15. Soundgarden – Black Hole Sun
16. Robert Palmer – Addicted To Love
17. Shadows – FBI
18. The Troggs – Wild Thing
19. Queen – We Will Rock You