Has Queen surpassed everyone to be the 2nd most popular band ever?

[KevShmev]

I get the notion about popularity now versus overall.  I was just looking at some objective way to measure popularity.  Without that, how do we rank who's 1st or 2nd or whatever?

There is no objective way to look at this; it's an inexact science.

It just feels like younger people are listening to Queen more than just about any other rock band routinely thrown in that next tier after the Beatles. 

I think the Eagles have been elevated in recent years as well, largely because their music appeals to country fans as well, and with the addition of Vince Gill following the death of Glenn Frey, their audience has expanded.

If Freddie Mercury, a man who's been dead for 27+ years, suddenly came back to life, then yes, I agree.  However, "if Freddie Mercury were still alive," that would mean he'd also have been alive for the past 27+ years.  What would have happened over those 27+ years, and how would it impact Queen's popularity in the alternate universe 2019?  One thing we probably can conclude is that the movie Bohemian Rhapsody probably would not have been made, which means that the significant upturn in Queen's popularity resulting from that movie would not have happened.  Moreover, I can't think of a single "classic rock" band/artist who has enhanced its/his reputation by virtue of new material released during the time since 1990(-ish).  Maybe Queen would be a nostalgia band like Journey and Styx.

See, this is the fun of it all! Speculation galore!  There are so many ways of looking at it.

I think younger people (under 25 or so) are listening to Queen far more than the other (non-Beatles) bands listed above, and this has elevated their status.

Thoughts?

I think this is exactly right. As someone under 25, from my experience of what my peers are aware of and interested in, I don't think any of those other bands even comes close to Queen.

In terms of American under-25s, in my experience:

For Zep, it's Stairway and that's it.
For the Stones, probably a handful of songs. Sympathy for the Devil and Satisfaction are the only ones I'd be confident in, though.
For The Who, maybe Baba O'Reilly, but even that is pushing it.
For Floyd, Comfortably Numb, Money, and maybe Time or Us and Them.


Queen definitely has Bohemian Rhapsody, which I would say is the single most popular rock song among Americans my age. They definitely have We Will Rock You and We Are the Champions. They very likely have Under Pressure, Somebody to Love, Another One Bites the Dust and Crazy Little Thing Called Love.


In fact, I would go one step further and say that Queen is not that far away from the Beatles for the top spot among people in my demographic. They aren't quite there, but they are a very strong challenger. A way, way stronger one than anyone else.

Well said.  Sure, the majority of people over 40 are probably still gonna think that Floyd, LZ and the Stones are more popular, but as I said in the OP, younger people seem to be favoring Queen big time over those other bands, and I think that is what has elevated Queen to their current status.

[cramx3]

and once again, compared to the rest of that list, Queen is still touring now.  I don't know if Adam Lambert brings any new fans to Queen, but they are playing arenas here and have been for a few years now consistently.  That's going to help make new fans in ways that LZ, PF, and the Beatles cannot.

[KevShmev]

and once again, compared to the rest of that list, Queen is still touring now.  I don't know if Adam Lambert brings any new fans to Queen, but they are playing arenas here and have been for a few years now consistently.  That's going to help make new fans in ways that LZ, PF, and the Beatles cannot.

Assuming this is true, why is that an issue?  The Rolling Stones and U2, two other second tier bands, are still both touring as well.

[cramx3]

and once again, compared to the rest of that list, Queen is still touring now.  I don't know if Adam Lambert brings any new fans to Queen, but they are playing arenas here and have been for a few years now consistently.  That's going to help make new fans in ways that LZ, PF, and the Beatles cannot.

Assuming this is true, why is that an issue?  The Rolling Stones and U2, two other second tier bands, are still both touring as well.

Nothing is an issue.  I didn't compare to those bands.  And there is nothing to assume, they have and are continuing to tour in arenas in the US. (two nights at MSG locally for me this summer).  If the assumption is that touring brings in new fans, I think that's safe to say when you can continue doing it especially without the famous singer.   

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Controversial opinion (for the other thread but relevant), Another One Bites the Dust is a dumb song, and not even that cool of a bass line.

Agreed. I hate that song. And Fat Bottomed Girls, while we are at it.

[TAC]

*I use Mrs. Cool Chris as the barometer for this. She knows next to nothing about music from any genre or any era. So if she recognizes a song, and can name it and the artist, I consider that song 'widely known (at least in the rock genre)."

Fool proof!

[MirrorMask]

I agree too that the alternate history where Freddie would have lived would have been quite different for Queen.

Let's face it, death makes you immortal and a legend, and prevents you from doing fuckups. What would have happened to Nirvana had Kurt lived? probably they'd have released albums that didn't live up to the classics, they would have split up, Dave Ghrol would have founded Foo Fighters anyway and Kurt, dunno, maybe he'd have a lackluster solo carrer and by now he would be a fat, balding has-been. We'll never know, 'cause Kurt is forever young and tied to the three classic Nirvana albums.

Same with Freddie - I love Queen but come on, the '80s output was not on par with the '70s and it was more stripped down and commercial. They probably would have continued to have acceptable / mostly good album with the occasional great song, like The Miracle was (and if Freddie lives, take away one of their best songs off Innuendo, The Show Must Go On)... depending on the quality of their albums, by now they could have been on the same level of Bruce Springsteen and U2, just "another" big act with their following and the occasional new album no one but the diehards care about and the summer tour when they fill stadiums and that's it.

Freddie's death made him a legend and made Brian May and Roger Taylor the "survivors" in a sense, just like Paul McCartney is a walking musical god and the only living proof (sorry Ringo, I know you're still out there) that once there were the Beatles.

[Zook]

The Beatles never happened. It was a government illuminati conspiracy. Because reasons.

[Zantera]

In an age when music listening shifts towards streaming with focus on playlists and individual songs over "the album experience" as well as songs appearing in media having more of an impact, I think Queen has definitely climbed. While I think a lot of the bands listed and brought up in this thread (whether its Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin or Rolling Stones) deserve their status for a reason and are huge bands, I think Queen has an appeal because of their variety and because their songs are so prominent in movies, games or tv-shows. The new movie definitely helped too.

Unless you're a serious music listener who still cares about the album as an artform I think a band like Pink Floyd will definitely get more niche with time. Queen however lives on and whether it's "We are the champions", "we will rock you" or "bohemian rhapsody", they have made a lot of songs that instantly recognized and played all across the world. I feel like Bohemian Rhapsody is so well known at this point you could use the phrase "Is this the real life?" almost anywhere and someone will fill in "is this just fantasy?".

So yeah I think Queen would be a good bet for #2 behind The Beatles, and I don't even know what a serious contender for #3 would be. A lot of these bands are still relevant but mostly because of fans who have known about them for a long time. As society shifts and young people absorb music differently I think some of these giant bands will drop out of the mainstream consciousness and become legendary cult bands. 

[Indiscipline]

Beatles
Stones
Zep
Who
Floyd
Queen
Eagles
AC/DC
Metallica

Yeah

Yep, there are too many variables, but I would put U2 on that list now as well.  They were still packing stadiums earlier this decade over the course of five (!!) legs, which not many other bands can do.

Completely agreed.

I would put Bee Gees in that list as well.

[Elite]

What I find completely astounding is that Don't Stop Me Now hasn't even gotten as much as a mention in this thread. It absolutely belongs in all the lists of 'hit songs' people have posted over these past two pages.

I think this is exactly right. As someone under 25, from my experience of what my peers are aware of and interested in, I don't think any of those other bands even comes close to Queen.

In terms of American under-25s, in my experience:

For Zep, it's Stairway and that's it.
For the Stones, probably a handful of songs. Sympathy for the Devil and Satisfaction are the only ones I'd be confident in, though.
For The Who, maybe Baba O'Reilly, but even that is pushing it.
For Floyd, Comfortably Numb, Money, and maybe Time or Us and Them.


Queen definitely has Bohemian Rhapsody, which I would say is the single most popular rock song among Americans my age. They definitely have We Will Rock You and We Are the Champions. They very likely have Under Pressure, Somebody to Love, Another One Bites the Dust and Crazy Little Thing Called Love.


In fact, I would go one step further and say that Queen is not that far away from the Beatles for the top spot among people in my demographic. They aren't quite there, but they are a very strong challenger. A way, way stronger one than anyone else.

Then to respond to this post: I'm a high school teacher. Every single student knows or has heard of The Beatles. Everyone has heard of Queen and knows at least a couple of songs (the film definitely helped).

Barely anyone (if at all) has even heard of Led Zeppelin and/or Pink Floyd.

Granted, this is a 12-18 demographic, but still. The above 40's in this thread (and I am sorry for dumping you all in the same group) and vastly underestimating Queen and vastly overestimating other classic rock band.

Again, I'm in Europe. Things can be different elsewhere.

[MirrorMask]

I remember for the lulz asking some questions about the big names of hard rock to a coworker who's totally not into this kind of music...

I asked him "tell me a Led Zeppelin song" and he said Stairway to Heaven.
I asked him "tell me a Deep Purple song" and he couldn't remember the name but he hummed the guitar riff of Smoke on the Water.
I asked him "tell me a Black Sabbath song" and he couldn't say any.

[KevShmev]

I agree too that the alternate history where Freddie would have lived would have been quite different for Queen.

Let's face it, death makes you immortal and a legend, and prevents you from doing fuckups. What would have happened to Nirvana had Kurt lived? probably they'd have released albums that didn't live up to the classics, they would have split up, Dave Ghrol would have founded Foo Fighters anyway and Kurt, dunno, maybe he'd have a lackluster solo carrer and by now he would be a fat, balding has-been. We'll never know, 'cause Kurt is forever young and tied to the three classic Nirvana albums.

Same with Freddie - I love Queen but come on, the '80s output was not on par with the '70s and it was more stripped down and commercial. They probably would have continued to have acceptable / mostly good album with the occasional great song, like The Miracle was (and if Freddie lives, take away one of their best songs off Innuendo, The Show Must Go On)... depending on the quality of their albums, by now they could have been on the same level of Bruce Springsteen and U2, just "another" big act with their following and the occasional new album no one but the diehards care about and the summer tour when they fill stadiums and that's it.

Freddie's death made him a legend and made Brian May and Roger Taylor the "survivors" in a sense, just like Paul McCartney is a walking musical god and the only living proof (sorry Ringo, I know you're still out there) that once there were the Beatles.

All true, but things happen how they happen. 

And it is worth pointing out that while I would agree that Queen's output in the 80's wasn't as strong as it was in the 70's, they got more popular nearly everywhere else but here in the States.

Then to respond to this post: I'm a high school teacher. Every single student knows or has heard of The Beatles. Everyone has heard of Queen and knows at least a couple of songs (the film definitely helped).

Barely anyone (if at all) has even heard of Led Zeppelin and/or Pink Floyd.

Granted, this is a 12-18 demographic, but still. The above 40's in this thread (and I am sorry for dumping you all in the same group) and vastly underestimating Queen and vastly overestimating other classic rock band.

Again, I'm in Europe. Things can be different elsewhere.

Good points.  I have a nephew who will be 14 in a month and a niece who is 12 and both know who Queen is and can name songs by them (not just Bohemian Rhapsody).  Meanwhile, they have no idea who Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones or The Who are.  Or Rush, for that matter.

[Stadler]

I won't say the Monkees are brilliant, they just had catchy tunes (didn't they also have people write those catchy songs for them?).  I really don't know why the Beatles, one of my parents favorite band playing often as a kid, just never stuck with me.  I can't explain it other than it's just not my cup of tea.

There's a thread on this somewhere here.   

I still go back to the piece on the bonus disk of Billy Joel's Greatest Hits box set, where he talks about seeing The Beatles on Ed Sullivan for the first time.  We were not much more than two months out from that generations 9/11 (theirs was 11/22) and this was the sort of breath of fresh air that people were yearning for.    You add up the number of artists/musicians that saw that performance and decided they wanted to make music for a living, then add up all the artists/musicians that saw ANYONE ELSE and decided they wanted to make music for a living and you probably have six in one hand, half dozen in the other. 

Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson, Jimi Hendrix and the Stones were all waiting with baited breath to see what the lads would come out with next.   I don't think that was the case with the next Monkees album, no matter how good it might have been (I'm not a die hard, but more than a casual, fan of the Monkees).   The Monkees don't have even one epic, show-closer, event-stopper anthem, and yet the Beatles have at least three, maybe more (Top o' the head:  A Day In The Life, Let It Be, Hey Jude).   They have the most covered song in rock history - Yesterday, written and performed IN HOUSE by Sir Paul - and they haveHALF of the top ten most covered songs ever in this list (though it's obviously an incomplete list):  http://mentalfloss.com/article/20811/most-covered-songs-in-music-history.

I'm not denying their influence, but the quality by popularity argument never holds up. The Monkees, regardless of who wrote the songs, produced more enjoyable, catchier tunes to me. Let it Be and Hey Jude are incredibly boring. I like the message of Imagine (I know it's a solo tune) but the song itself does nothing for me. I'm almost 34, but I like plenty of older tunes, so the "you had to be there" argument is weak too. I'm sure that was coming, so I'm addressing it now.

Honest question, though:  why does it seem so hard to separate "what you like" from a more, if not "objective", then at least "external", standard?   I almost always say "The Beatles" when asked what my favorite band is, but the reality is, I rarely get goosebumps on my arm from listening to them, like I do (and did just yesterday) from hearing the "In The Cage Medley" from 3SL.   Bob Dylan is largely unlistenable to me - one or two exceptions - but I wouldn't be caught dead trying to argue "why is he even famous?"   Okay, so I missed the boat, that's on me, not him.

I would actually argue that the fact that you DON'T get it is sort of testament to their greatness.   Certainly there are millions that are touched by them - I've told this before, but I stood on the floor at McCartney and after "Yesterday", I realized I was crying like a baby, and I looked around out of embarrassment, and saw easily five other people in the same state, and we all sort of looked down at our shoes at once - but there are many, many millions more that are touched by bands that owe a significant amount to them and how they broke new ground in almost every way.

And I resisted this, because I don't want to appear like I'm belittling what you like, but let's be honest:  there's no Monkees without the Beatles.  Even down to the misspelled animal name (beetle, monkey), the Monkees are heavily patterned off the Beatles.  Smart, jokey, leader of the group?  John and Mike.   Cute-sy, heartthrob balladeer?   Paul and Davy.   Lunatic jokester not taken too seriously?   Peter and Ringo.    Oddball iconoclast?   Mickey and George.   If I recall correctly, there were numerous instances of Beatles references in their show; wasn't there one where Mike was throwing darts at a picture of Ringo?  Didn't they almost every episode have the montage that was reminiscent of the chase scene in A Hard Day's Night? And what was Mickey's first self-penned song?   "Randy Scouse Git", which, for those in the know, translates into "Horny Liverpudlian ass/jerk/clown/douche". 

[Stadler]

Bear in mind, too, that Panic! At The Disco - who played the 20,000 seat (including lawn) amphitheater here in CT not long ago with Fall Out Boy - did a cover of Bohemian Rhapsody for the "Suicide Squad" soundtrack.  That's the DC superhero movie with Will Smith as Deadshot, Margot Robbie melting the screen as Harley Quinn, and Jared Leto purposefully off-putting as The Joker.

My daughter is a pretty big Queen fan, but that was her introduction, not the band itself.   

[Zook]

Bear in mind, too, that Panic! At The Disco - who played the 20,000 seat (including lawn) amphitheater here in CT not long ago with Fall Out Boy - did a cover of Bohemian Rhapsody for the "Suicide Squad" soundtrack.  That's the DC superhero movie with Will Smith as Deadshot, Margot Robbie melting the screen as Harley Quinn, and Jared Leto purposefully off-putting as The Joker.

My daughter is a pretty big Queen fan, but that was her introduction, not the band itself.   

I may be a crotchety old man, but I know what the Suicide Squad is.

You've said the same thing before in your last post. I used the Monkees as an example of a band around the same time as the Beatles who I get more enjoyment out of. I haven't listened to The Monkees in many years, but they do have memorable songs.

There's no missing of any boats. People discover bands all the time that have been around for 30 years and fall in love. I think Bob Dylan sounds ridiculous too, and I would have thought so had I lived during his start. You either like something or you don't. I said this last time too, but I'll say it again: it's not my fault if I don't like a certain band while millions of others do.

[WildRanger]

These days Queen is the most streamed classic rock band on Spotify by far (34,448,781 MONTHLY LISTENERS).
Besides mentioned huge Queen songs, I would add Don't Stop Me Now (428 million views on Youtube) and Somebody to Love.


Although they are one of the most significant classic rock bands, I think The Who's popularity today is very overstated. Today they are not among the biggest rock bands at all. They could be very popular with baby-boomers, but millennials barely pay attention to them. I could argue that Black Sabbath, U2, AC/DC and Guns N Roses are much more popular rock bands than The Who today. Also here in Europe, Deep Purple has always been far bigger than The Who.
Even in the US, they haven't sold a huge amount of records. Their highest certified album by RIAA is Who's Next and it went only 3 Platinum.
And I'm saying this as The Who fan.

[cramx3]

I agree, I don't think The Who are up there with the rest, maybe they were before but you hardly ever hear much talk from anyone under 35 about them.  Their music does sound a bit dated to me as well (I've also never really been able to get into them so maybe thats why I feel this way), where as the other bands mentioned still sound legit today.

[Stadler]

Bear in mind, too, that Panic! At The Disco - who played the 20,000 seat (including lawn) amphitheater here in CT not long ago with Fall Out Boy - did a cover of Bohemian Rhapsody for the "Suicide Squad" soundtrack.  That's the DC superhero movie with Will Smith as Deadshot, Margot Robbie melting the screen as Harley Quinn, and Jared Leto purposefully off-putting as The Joker.

My daughter is a pretty big Queen fan, but that was her introduction, not the band itself.   

I may be a crotchety old man, but I know what the Suicide Squad is.

You've said the same thing before in your last post. I used the Monkees as an example of a band around the same time as the Beatles who I get more enjoyment out of. I haven't listened to The Monkees in many years, but they do have memorable songs.

There's no missing of any boats. People discover bands all the time that have been around for 30 years and fall in love. I think Bob Dylan sounds ridiculous too, and I would have thought so had I lived during his start. You either like something or you don't. I said this last time too, but I'll say it again: it's not my fault if I don't like a certain band while millions of others do.

Haha, I just wanted an opportunity to note how hot Margot Robbie was. 

Look, I must be misunderstanding you, and for that I'm sorry.  I don't mean to imply you're missing a boat in not liking the Beatles.  I've got no dog in that hunt.  I just keep getting an underlying implication that because YOU don't like them then their popularity is suspect at best.   That's all I'm commenting on.   If that's not there, then so be it, I'm wrong.  I just think someone can not like something but also understand why others could (thus the Bob Dylan reference). 

Surely if you love Pleasant Valley Sunday or Last Train To Clarksville (two GREAT songs) then surely you can understand why someone - maybe not you, but someone - would like Paperback Writer or She Said, She Said.   

[Stadler]

I agree, I don't think The Who are up there with the rest, maybe they were before but you hardly ever hear much talk from anyone under 35 about them.  Their music does sound a bit dated to me as well (I've also never really been able to get into them so maybe thats why I feel this way), where as the other bands mentioned still sound legit today.

I wrote about this before not long ago.  Never been a huge Who fan beyond the hits.  And I won an auction on eBay and got like 12 Who disks for maybe $20, including all their studio albums.   Other than Tommy, Quadrophenia and Who's Next, it was new to me and I was blown away how influential they were.   There were easily 15 moments where I was like "AH! THAT'S where Pearl Jam got that!" or "Oh! That's where that bit from Kiss came from!"    Only time that has ever happened with me is with Hendrix. 

But I agree, that influence and legacy is fading, slowly.  I wonder if that's because Townsend and Daltrey have not been as... graceful in their aging as, say, May and Taylor?    May/Taylor are doing high profile gigs with Adam Lambert, Jesse J (that was AMAZING, by the way) and others and Townsend is, well, playing the reclusive old man. 

[pg1067]

It just feels like younger people are listening to Queen more than just about any other rock band routinely thrown in that next tier after the Beatles. 

Anecdotally, my 15yo daughter started getting into Queen because she's a huge Panic at the Disco fan.  That had already started before the BhoRap movie was released.  She's not the only one of her friends for whom this is true.  Interestingly, while flipping channels, I came across a Jon Anderson/Trevor Rabin/Rick Wakeman show on AXS TV last night.  They were playing "Perpetual Change," so, as I often do, I challenged her to identify the time signatures.  Although she didn't fare too well, she commented with some measure of surprise, "I don't hate this!"  So there is hope in the world!

In terms of my other kid (almost 17yo son whose primary musical interests are rap) and other bands, my son owns a Zeppelin shirt.  Not sure how extensive his knowledge of the band's music is.  Both kids know of the bands I like (Rush, Yes, DT, etc.) and have varying degrees of knowledge about their music.  Son is very familiar with Moving Pictures but probably not much other Rush.  He also regards ACOS as a "classic" and had "Aces High" as his walk-up song one year when he played baseball.  I'm fairly sure both kids regard the Beatles as a bit of a joke band (possibly because some of their better known songs sound a bit like "novelty" songs and probably also because the band ceased to exist more than 30 years before either was born).  I doubt either has any real knowledge about the Stones, Floyd or the Who (I dislike the Stones and Floyd and like the Who).  They both know a little Sabbath (as a result of Guitar Hero and Rock Band).  My guess is that, because of me, my kids have somewhat more expanded knowledge of "classic rock" than a lot of their peers.

[Silent Man]

I agree, I don't think The Who are up there with the rest, maybe they were before but you hardly ever hear much talk from anyone under 35 about them.  Their music does sound a bit dated to me as well (I've also never really been able to get into them so maybe thats why I feel this way), where as the other bands mentioned still sound legit today.

I wrote about this before not long ago.  Never been a huge Who fan beyond the hits.  And I won an auction on eBay and got like 12 Who disks for maybe $20, including all their studio albums.   Other than Tommy, Quadrophenia and Who's Next, it was new to me and I was blown away how influential they were.   There were easily 15 moments where I was like "AH! THAT'S where Pearl Jam got that!" or "Oh! That's where that bit from Kiss came from!"    Only time that has ever happened with me is with Hendrix. 

But I agree, that influence and legacy is fading, slowly.  I wonder if that's because Townsend and Daltrey have not been as... graceful in their aging as, say, May and Taylor?    May/Taylor are doing high profile gigs with Adam Lambert, Jesse J (that was AMAZING, by the way) and others and Townsend is, well, playing the reclusive old man.

This is what I've been saying again and again. I grew up with The Who and they were the first band who played this kind of music. The chord changes of Pete Townshend were unheard of before The Who existed. But I never regarded them as widely popular. Yes, they were popular in the inner musician circles and amongst people who got much more into music than casual listening. The Who /Hendrix /Cream broke new grounds and became an inspiration for younger bands during the next many decades.

I realize many here love what Queen did, but comparing them with the Who /Hendrix /Cream class is totally wrong IMO. It's like the apples /oranges thing. I would rather compare them with the Oasis kind of music, or maybe even ABBA.

[Stadler]

I made CDs of the 15 or 20 songs that I thought my kid should know of the Beatles, Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd and Elton John.  I also did the setlists of Def Leppard and Kiss before we saw them together.    I'll probably do Queen at some point, and maybe Billy Joel, and the Stones.   She's a playlist girl and I usually let her pick the music when we drive together.   I'm always quietly surprised when one of those songs come on.   

[KevShmev]

This is what I've been saying again and again. I grew up with The Who and they were the first band who played this kind of music. The chord changes of Pete Townshend were unheard of before The Who existed. But I never regarded them as widely popular. Yes, they were popular in the inner musician circles and amongst people who got much more into music than casual listening. The Who /Hendrix /Cream broke new grounds and became an inspiration for younger bands during the next many decades.

I realize many here love what Queen did, but comparing them with the Who /Hendrix /Cream class is totally wrong IMO. It's like the apples /oranges thing. I would rather compare them with the Oasis kind of music, or maybe even ABBA.

I get most of that (except the last comment, which is bizarre), but we are talking popularity here, not influence. 

[Cool Chris]

I wonder if that's because Townsend and Daltrey have not been as... graceful in their aging as, say, May and Taylor?    May/Taylor are doing high profile gigs with Adam Lambert, Jesse J (that was AMAZING, by the way) and others and Townsend is, well, playing the reclusive old man. 

What? They are aging about as well as any rockers from that era. No drugs, no controversy, no drama. Played the SB halftime show (ok, that shouldn't be a barometer for success), they had (by what I've read) a well-received and attended tour a couple years ago, and are at on the road again, with talk of a new(!) album in the works.

[cramx3]

As I sit in a bar in Amsterdam that just played Let It Be followed by Hey Jude after Ariana Grande and other modern pop music 

And wait as I typed this they cut the music on hey jude and played somecrappy dance music 

[Stadler]

I wonder if that's because Townsend and Daltrey have not been as... graceful in their aging as, say, May and Taylor?    May/Taylor are doing high profile gigs with Adam Lambert, Jesse J (that was AMAZING, by the way) and others and Townsend is, well, playing the reclusive old man. 

What? They are aging about as well as any rockers from that era. No drugs, no controversy, no drama. Played the SB halftime show (ok, that shouldn't be a barometer for success), they had (by what I've read) a well-received and attended tour a couple years ago, and are at on the road again, with talk of a new(!) album in the works.

That's fair; I was more asking than stating.

[Peter Mc]

Can’t speak for the US but over here in the UK, there is no comparison between Led Zeppelin and Queen. Queen have countless hits and iconic songs and Zeppelin have Stairway and plenty of people won’t have even heard of that.

Killer Queen, We Will Rock You, Bohemian Rhapsody, Radio Gaga, Under Pressure, I Want To Break Free, A Kind Of Magic, Don’t Stop Me Now, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, You’re My Best Friend to name just a few are all huge songs over here. I would definitely put them second only to The Beatles in terms of popularity.

[KevShmev]

Can’t speak for the US but over here in the UK, there is no comparison between Led Zeppelin and Queen. Queen have countless hits and iconic songs and Zeppelin have Stairway and plenty of people won’t have even heard of that.

Killer Queen, We Will Rock You, Bohemian Rhapsody, Radio Gaga, Under Pressure, I Want To Break Free, A Kind Of Magic, Don’t Stop Me Now, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, You’re My Best Friend to name just a few are all huge songs over here. I would definitely put them second only to The Beatles in terms of popularity.

 

[erwinrafael]

Chalk this up as another evidence of Queen's influence:

https://youtu.be/tgbNymZ7vqY

[WildRanger]

Can’t speak for the US but over here in the UK, there is no comparison between Led Zeppelin and Queen. Queen have countless hits and iconic songs and Zeppelin have Stairway and plenty of people won’t have even heard of that.

Killer Queen, We Will Rock You, Bohemian Rhapsody, Radio Gaga, Under Pressure, I Want To Break Free, A Kind Of Magic, Don’t Stop Me Now, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, You’re My Best Friend to name just a few are all huge songs over here. I would definitely put them second only to The Beatles in terms of popularity.

That's true when it comes to hit singles, but when it comes to studio albums it's a different thing.
In Britain the first 6 Led Zeppelin studio albums outsold 70's Queen studio albums by far.
BPI source: Led Zeppelin I - 2XPlatinum, LZ II - 4XPlatinum, LZ III - Platinum, ZOSO - 6XPlatinum, Houses of the Holy - Platinum, Physical Graffiti - 2XPlatinum; Queen I - Gold, Queen II - Gold, Sheer Heart Attack - Platinum, A Night at the Opera - Platinum, A Day at the Races - Gold, News of the World - Gold, Jazz - Gold

[Peter Mc]

That may be true but those albums have not stood the test of time in that nobody knows any of the songs off them. People know Queen songs whether or not they are a fan or own an album. My Mum owns zero Queen albums but knows and could sing along to a bunch of their songs, I guarantee she does not know one Led Zeppelin song.

[SeRoX]

I still don't understand how The Beatles are so popular. Not a single song has ever caught my ear. The Monkees have better songs. Queen have more enjoyable songs and I really don't like them that much either.

This is a world mystery for me. Because I even think their music sucks and can't figure it out how they influence the music industry. I guess I have no taste at all.

As for the title question and if we speak about the popularity assuming number is the Beatles... I think saying Queen is the 2nd safe bet, maybe because of the losing tradegy of Freddie Mercury so early but I can say Metallica is quite up to second or even.

[KevShmev]

That may be true but those albums have not stood the test of time in that nobody knows any of the songs off them. People know Queen songs whether or not they are a fan or own an album. My Mum owns zero Queen albums but knows and could sing along to a bunch of their songs, I guarantee she does not know one Led Zeppelin song.

Exactly. Where albums charted decades ago is meaningless in the context of the discussion we are having.  What's next, someone argues that Don't Stop Believin' can't be considered an 80's classic because it only went to number 8 on Casey Kasem's top 40?

[KevShmev]

As for the title question and if we speak about the popularity assuming number is the Beatles... I think saying Queen is the 2nd safe bet, maybe because of the losing tradegy of Freddie Mercury so early but I can say Metallica is quite up to second or even.

Hmmmm, that is interesting to think about. Metallica probably is up there now, which is amazing considering how metal they are.  They are like U2 and The Rolling Stones in that they could announce a stadium tour tomorrow with no new album coming and still pack all or most of them.