Freddie Mercury’s isolated vocals from ‘We Are The Champions’ prove he was one of the finest tenors in history

5 September 2022, 10:44

Freddie Mercury’s voice, isolated from the rest of the Queen sound, is three minutes of pure power.

Queen’s ‘We Are The Champions’ is a bombastic monument of an anthem, and one of the most iconic songs in rock history. Its soaring, triumphant melody is known at sporting events and award ceremonies the world over.

But chances are you haven’t heard it as majestic as this.

With some editing, syncing and audio magic, we have a chance to hear the isolated vocals of the band’s star frontman, Freddie Mercury, born on 5 September 1946.

With guitars and other instruments stripped away, the song is carried just by the natural magic of his voice.

Read more: We looked at the vocal ranges of these iconic singers — and they’re really impressive

We’re left with a crystal-clear bravura tenor that rivals any operatic performance for sheer intensity and range. On display is Mercury’s gorgeous tone – natural, arresting, full of character, and irresistibly rough around the edges. Take a listen:

Queen - "We Are the Champions" Acapella (Vocals Only) Concert Mash-Up

The high Cs and the drive of the ascending scale into the chorus, would make any operatic tenor proud.

The Who lead singer Roger Daltrey once described Mercury as “the best virtuoso rock ‘n’ roll singer of all time.” Few would disagree with such praise.

Virtuosic Piano Cover of Queen's Greatest Hits

Mercury’s documented vocal range extended from bass low F to soprano high F, with many of Queen’s songs showing off his coloratura and vocal strength high in his register. And always those notes came with pure emotion, passion, and musical charisma. What an immense talent.