Rating: 7/10
While it’s not my favorite Queen album, I can definitely appreciate Sheer Heart Attack for it’s experimental, eccentric, and glam-rock nature. Not only does this album contain some lovely ballads, as well as some immensely catchy guitar-driven tracks, it also boasts one of the most iconic songs in Queen’s catalog ‘Killer Queen’.
In this post I’ll be ranking all the songs on Queen’s third studio album, Sheer Heart Attack, from least to most favorite. I hope you enjoy, and feel free to share your thoughts on the album! Now without further ado, let’s get into the ranking!
13. Tenement Funster (Track 3)
I like the guitar that opens up the song, and I appreciate that Roger got some lead vocal time. I could see myself chilling to this song every now and then, but overall it’s just not really for me.
12. Stone Cold Crazy (Track 8)
This is one of the more popular songs on the album, but it’s just not my favorite. The instrumental opening is pretty cool, but the rest of the song just feels a bit too chaotic for me. I could see myself listening to this though in a very particular mood and having a blast (maybe when I’m feeling very angry/hyper).
11. Brighton Rock (Track 1)
Okay, I know I’ve said this about all the songs I’ve talked about so far, but I really like the opening of this song. It puts you in this atmosphere and it makes me feel like I’m at a music festival from decades ago. And this song does a nice job of opening up the album, I’d say it establishes Sheer Heart Attack’s overall sound very well. Freddie has good vocals (that honestly doesn’t even need to be said though, right? If Freddie’s singing that you already know the vocals are gonna be good). I just don’t really see myself listening to it outside of the album, but it’s not bad. And the guitar solo at the end is amazing.
10. Bring Back That Leroy Brown (Track 11)
This track has a very different sound from the rest of the songs on the album, but it’s a lot of fun. Queen has this sort of sub-genre in their early music that focuses on jaunty, playful, piano-driven pieces (think ‘Seaside Rendezvous’ or ‘Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy’) and I think this fits into that sub-genre perfectly. This song is so much fun, but it’s not an absolute favorite from the album.
9. She Makes Me (Stormtroopers In Stilettos) (Track 12)
There are some absolutely stunning harmonies in this song, and the vocal effects used here make the song feel very warm and hazy (in a good way). The song doesn’t really go anywhere, but it’s pretty nice all throughout. The breathing at the end is a little weird though…
8. Misfire (Track 10)
‘Misfire’ feels very uplifting and joyful, and it’s only 1 minute and 50 seconds long, so it’s basically just a cheerful, infectious interlude for the album. It’s a lot of fun to listen to and I wish it was longer, but alas.
7. In the Lap of the Gods (Track 7)
This is a really weird song, and it definitely draws on Freddie’s love of opera for influence, but it’s pretty cool. I feel like if you can’t appreciate a weird but good song then you won’t like Queen’s early music, and this song is a good example of that. It’s wacky, a little chaotic, but so good. Roger’s high notes that open the album are so great, I love them. And the harmonies are so Queen-esque and amazing. Basically, this is a really strange song that kind of weirded me out when I first listened to it, but now I just jam out every time it comes on.
6. Flick of the Wrist (Track 4)
Ahhh, the transition from ‘Tenement Funster’ into this is so clean and seamless!! This is another weird song, but again, I just jam out to it. It feels very angry, but it’s so catchy and has a nice rhythm to it that I can’t help but dance around to. My favorite part of the song is the “A dig in the ribs, and then a kick in the head. He’s taken an arm and taken a leg.” part because the way Freddie sings it is so passionate and emphatic. Basically this is a solid bop, and I love listening to it.
5. In the Laps of the Gods… Revisited (Track 13)
The first version of the song is already fantastic, and this one is even better. The piano and drum instrumental makes the song feel very laid back, and Freddie sings the lyrics with such passion and determination in his voice. I just learned that this song was one of the band’s closers for the live shows for awhile, which makes total sense because it’s very anthemic. Ahh, what I would give to sing along to this song at a 1976 Queen concert…
4. Now I’m Here (Track 6)
“A baby I was when you took my hand, and the light of the night burned bright. And the people all stared, didn’t understand, but you knew my name on sight.” Aside from ‘Killer Queen’ this was the first song I heard from this album, so maybe I’m biased to it, but this song is just so catchy. From the beautiful vocals and vocal effects to the blazing, guitar-driven chorus, this song is just an absolute blast. The lyrics are also really cool and interesting (apparently they recount one of the band’s early experiences in touring with another band). It’s one of the safer, less-eccentric songs on the album, but it’s an absolute banger so who cares? “A thin moon me in a smoke-screen sky, where the beams of your love-light chase. Don’t move, don’t speak, don’t feel no pain, with the rain running down my face.”
3. Dear Friends (Track 9)
This is a minute-long sentimental piano ballad, and it’s just as lovely as you would imagine. Freddie honestly amazes me in how well he can sing hard-rock anthems as well as heartfelt ballads. He’s so talented, and he sounds so beautiful here. The backing harmonies also add a lot of dimension to the song, and overall, this is just a gorgeous, brief little interlude.
2. Lily of the Valley (Track 5)
This song is so pretty, from the piano to Freddie’s heartfelt vocals. The lyrics are also very personal. I don’t know exactly what it is about this song that hits so hard for me, but I just love it a lot. It’s a pretty short song, and I wish it was longer, but it’s also a solid 1 minute and 45 seconds of perfection, so oh well. The harmonies are angelic, and this is just a beautiful song.
1. Killer Queen (Track 2)
Please, what else could take the top spot? Not only is this one of Queen’s most iconic and well-known songs, it’s also just an absolute banger. It’s a pop song done so well, with so much individuality and flamboyance that you don’t even realize that it’s pop (and by that I mean pop by 70s standards). The harmonies here are so complex and detailed and well-done, it’s astonishing. Queen really found something amazing with this song, and it’s no wonder that this was the song that propelled them into fame. Of course, I’ve heard this song so many times that it doesn’t really do it for me the way that it used to, but from an objective standpoint it’s still such an amazing song. I’d love so much to be able to go back and hear this song for the first time, because I know I’d fall in love with it immediately.
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