How Queen Almost Bankrupted Themselves to Record the Perfect Album – A Night at the Opera at 50

Imagine Freddie Mercury in 1975, drenched in sweat in a dimly lit London studio, screaming at a reel of magnetic tape that’s starting to wear thin after 180 overdubs. The air is thick with cigarette smoke, coffee, and desperation. Queen aren’t just recording an album—they’re gambling everything: their careers, their gear (pawned for cash), and their sanity. The bill is climbing to £40,000 (half a million today), the most expensive rock record ever made. EMI executives are panicking; the single is almost six minutes long. But Freddie insists: “All or nothing.” To read the full article: https://slavetomusic.com/how-queen-almost-bankrupted-themselves-to-record-the-perfect-album-a-night-at-the-opera-at-50/