Is The Complete Works a good place to start with Queen?

Yes, The Complete Works is recommended as a starting point for new Queen listeners. An ambitious collection blending rock operatics with theatrical flair, showcasing Queen's eclectic influences and dynamic musicianship. Released in December 1985, The Complete Works encapsulates Queen's prolific output during the late 1970s and early 1980s. This compilation arrived shortly after the band's landmark album, A Kind of Magic, marking a time when they were achieving massive commercial success and solidifying their legacy as one of rock’s most innovative acts.

Who is The Complete Works for?

The Complete Works works well if you're into epic sing-along moments, dynamic shifts in pacing and late-night nostalgic reflections.

How many songs are on The Complete Works?

The Complete Works has 158 tracks, running approximately 532 minutes.

The Complete Works

Queen · 1985

532 min · 158 tracks · hard rock

An ambitious collection blending rock operatics with theatrical flair, showcasing Queen's eclectic influences and dynamic musicianship.

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Top tracks — play these first

→
Keep Yourself Alive Start here — accessible entry with immediate hook
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Bohemian Rhapsody — This iconic track exemplifies Queen's groundbreaking approach to song structure, seamlessly blending rock, balladry, and opera into a single narrative arc.
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Somebody to Love — With its gospel-inspired vocals and rich harmonies, this track showcases Freddie Mercury's vocal prowess and the band's unique ability to create emotionally resonant music.
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We Will Rock You — A stadium anthem that features one of the most recognizable beats in music history, representing Queen’s unmatched ability to engage audiences worldwide.
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Killer Queen — This track blends intricate melodies with clever lyrics, highlighting the band's knack for storytelling within their musical compositions.

Is this for you?

Good fit if you like

epic sing-along moments
dynamic shifts in pacing
late-night nostalgic reflections
celebratory anthem energy
varied emotional landscapes

Maybe skip if you

prefer concise listening experiences
seeking straightforward song structures

Where this album fits

In the catalog: Deep Cut — A comprehensive collection but not a primary entry point for new listeners.
Themes: theatrical excess· London glam scene· rock opera spectacle
Career context: Released in December 1985, The Complete Works encapsulates Queen's prolific output during the late 1970s and early 1980s. This compilation arrived shortly after the band's landmark album, A Kind of Magic, marking a time when they were achieving massive commercial success and solidifying their legacy as one of rock’s most innovative acts.
Stylistic neighbors: David Bowie· Electric Light Orchestra· The Darkness

Tracklist

Disc 1

1 Keep Yourself Alive Start here 3:47
2 Doing All Right 4:09
3 Great King Rat 5:43
4 My Fairy King 4:08
5 Liar 6:25
6 The Night Comes Down 4:23
7 Modern Times Rock’n’Roll 1:48
8 Son and Daughter 3:23
9 Jesus 3:44
10 Seven Seas of Rhye 1:15

Disc 2

1 Procession 1:12
2 Father to Son 6:14
3 White Queen (As It Began) 4:35
4 Some Day One Day 4:22
5 The Loser in the End 4:03
6 Ogre Battle 4:08
7 The Fairy Feller’s Master Stroke 2:41
8 Nevermore 1:18
9 March of the Black Queen 6:33
10 Funny How Love Is 2:50
11 Seven Seas of Rhye 2:48

Disc 3

1 Brighton Rock 5:10
2 Killer Queen 3:00
3 Tenement Funster 2:47
4 Flick of the Wrist 3:17
5 Lily of the Valley 1:45
6 Now I’m Here 4:14
7 In the Lap of the Gods 3:22
8 Stone Cold Crazy 2:16
9 Dear Friends 1:08
10 Misfire 1:50
11 Bring Back That Leroy Brown 2:15
12 She Makes Me (Stormtrooper in Stilettoes) 4:09
13 In the Lap of the Gods… (revisited) 3:46

Disc 4

1 Death on Two Legs (Dedicated To…) 3:43
2 Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon 1:07
3 I’m in Love With My Car 3:05
4 You’re My Best Friend 2:52
5 ’39 3:30
6 Sweet Lady 4:03
7 Seaside Rendezvous 2:16
8 The Prophet’s Song 8:21
9 Love of My Life 3:38
10 Good Company 3:23
11 Bohemian Rhapsody 5:55
12 God Save the Queen 1:15

Disc 5

1 Tie Your Mother Down 4:48
2 You Take My Breath Away 5:08
3 Long Away 3:33
4 The Millionaire Waltz 4:55
5 You and I 3:26
6 Somebody to Love 4:56
7 White Man 4:59
8 Good Old‐Fashioned Lover Boy 2:54
9 Drowse 3:45
10 Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together) 5:54

Disc 6

1 We Will Rock You 2:02
2 We Are the Champions 3:01
3 Sheer Heart Attack 3:27
4 All Dead, All Dead 3:10
5 Spread Your Wings 4:34
6 Fight From the Inside 3:03
7 Get Down, Make Love 3:51
8 Sleeping on the Sidewalk 3:07
9 Who Needs You 3:07
10 It’s Late 6:27
11 My Melancholy Blues 3:30

Disc 7

1 Mustapha 3:01
2 Fat Bottomed Girls 4:17
3 Jealousy 3:13
4 Bicycle Race 3:02
5 If You Can’t Beat Them 4:15
6 Let Me Entertain You 3:02
7 Dead on Time 3:23
8 In Only Seven Days 2:30
9 Dreamers Ball 3:30
10 Fun It 3:29
11 Leaving Home Ain’t Easy 3:15
12 Don’t Stop Me Now 3:30
13 More of That Jazz 4:16

Disc 8

1 We Will Rock You 3:16
2 Let Me Entertain You 3:16
3 Death on Two Legs 3:33
4 Killer Queen 1:57
5 Bicycle Race 1:29
6 I’m in Love With My Car 2:01
7 Get Down, Make Love 4:31
8 You’re My Best Friend 2:10
9 Now I’m Here 8:42
10 Dreamers Ball 3:42
11 Love of My Life 4:59
12 ’39 3:26
13 Keep Yourself Alive Start here 4:00

Disc 9

1 Don’t Stop Me Now 4:27
2 Spread Your Wings 5:15
3 Brighton Rock 12:17
4 Mustapha
5 Bohemian Rhapsody 6:01
6 Tie Your Mother Down 3:41
7 Sheer Heart Attack 3:35
8 We Will Rock You 2:48
9 We Are the Champions 3:27
10 God Save the Queen 1:32

Disc 10

1 Play the Game 3:32
2 Dragon Attack 4:19
3 Another One Bites the Dust 3:35
4 Need Your Loving Tonight 2:49
5 Crazy Little Thing Called Love 2:43
6 Rock It (Prime Jive) 4:33
7 Don’t Try Suicide 3:52
8 Sail Away Sweet Sister 3:33
9 Coming Soon 2:51
10 Save Me 3:48

Disc 11

1 Flash’s Theme 3:30
2 In the Space Capsule (The Love Theme) 2:43
3 Ming’s Theme (In the Court of Ming the Merciless) 2:41
4 The Ring (Hypnotic Seduction of Dale) 0:57
5 Football Fight 1:28
6 In the Death Cell (Love Theme reprise) 2:24
7 Execution of Flash 1:06
8 The Kiss (Aura Resurrects Flash) 1:45
9 Arboria (Planet of the Tree Men) 1:41
10 Escape From the Swamp 1:43
11 Flash to the Rescue 2:44
12 Vultan’s Theme (Attack of the Hawk Men) 1:12
13 Battle Theme 2:18
14 The Wedding March 0:56
15 Marriage of Dale and Ming (and Flash Approaching) 2:04
16 Crash Dive on Mingo City 1:00
17 Flash’s Theme Reprise (Victory Celebrations) 1:24
18 The Hero 3:31

Disc 12

1 Staying Power 4:13
2 Dancer 3:48
3 Back Chat 4:35
4 Body Language 4:32
5 Action This Day 3:35
6 Put Out the Fire 3:19
7 Life Is Real (song for Lennon) 3:31
8 Calling All Girls 3:52
9 Las palabras de amor (The Words of Love) 4:31
10 Cool Cat 3:29
11 Under Pressure 4:03

Disc 13

1 Radio Ga Ga 5:46
2 Tear It Up 3:28
3 It’s a Hard Life 4:08
4 Man on the Prowl 3:28
5 Machines (or ‘Back to Humans’) 5:10
6 I Want to Break Free 3:20
7 Keep Passing the Open Windows 5:22
8 Hammer to Fall 4:28
9 Is This the World We Created…? 2:14

Disc 14

1 See What a Fool I’ve Been
2 A Human Body
3 Soul Brother
4 I Go Crazy
5 Thank God It’s Christmas
6 One Vision
7 Blurred Vision

What to play next

Listen next

A Kind of Magic

1986

It carries forward the theatricality and energy from The Complete Works.

Go back to

The Works

1984

The Works sets the stage for the stylistic evolution found in The Complete Works.

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Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata