Queen formed 50 years ago - these 50 incredible photos show the band through the years

The story goes that while studying at Ealing College of Art, Freddie Mercury was singing for a band named Wreckage. One day, a mutual friend introduced him to Brian May and Roger Taylor of the band Smile, which quickly morphed into Queen with the addition of Mercury, according to the band's website.

Bassist John Deacon was the final piece of the puzzle. In October 1970, he saw Queen play and was unimpressed. But after being introduced to May and Taylor in early 1971, he was asked to audition for the band, which needed a bassist.

On March 1, 1971, he officially joined the band and the rest is history.

Keep reading to see photos of Queen through the years to celebrate the band's 50-year anniversary.

The band signed its first record deal with EMI in 1973. Later that year, on July 13, Queen released its eponymous debut album, which contained the single "Keep Yourself Alive."

The band was pictured at Heathrow Airport after returning to the UK.

The album released on March 8 of that year. It contains the hit song "Seven Seas of Rhye," and more fanciful songs like "Ogre Battle" and "The Fairy-Feller's Master Stroke."

The band posed for a picture in Freddie Mercury's flat while enjoying tea, snacks, and a magazine.

Queen's second effort received mixed critical reviews, but there was no doubting that "Sheer Heart Attack" was a winner. Singles like "Brighton Rock," "Stone Cold Crazy," and "Killer Queen" remain some of the band's biggest hits.

"Sheer Heart Attack" eventually went platinum in the UK.

Japan was home to one of Queen's biggest and craziest fanbases. In a piece for Nippon.com, Tōgō Kaoruko, former editor-in-chief of Music Life magazine, remembers the band's first visit in 1975 when they played the Budōkan.

"Back home, they were still being dismissed as the 'dregs of glam rock' and were totally unknown in America," she wrote. "And yet on their first visit to Japan they suddenly found themselves playing the Budōkan, with hysterical fans in tears at the foot of the stage."

The anthemic rock ballad "Bohemian Rhapsody" was an instant success and quickly became a concert highlight for fans.

"A Night At The Opera" cost $500,000 in today's money to create, making it the most expensive album ever recorded at the time, according to the Recording Academy. It was so expensive partly because it took 180 vocal overdubs to record the chorus to the band's magnum opus "Bohemian Rhapsody."

Despite pushback from EMI, the band pushed ahead with the album and it paid off: "A Night At The Opera" initially went gold in 1976 and has since gone platinum three times.

The band hit Kempton Park Racecourse in Surrey, England, to promote their latest album "A Day At The Races."

Roger Taylor swapped the drum kit for a tambourine on the song "'39" when performing live.

Mercury was responsible for the theatrical and operatic influence on Queen's music and live performances.

This photo was snapped during a concert in the Netherlands.

Queen's vocal harmonies were one of the many factors that made the band so special.

Roger Taylor has had some pretty impressive drum solos throughout Queen's touring career.

Freddie Mercury was known for his stage costumes but the whole group looked pretty rad.

"News of the World" helped catapult Queen to the arena rock-level by the '80s.

By February of 1980, the song peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was the band's first No. 1 hit in the US.

Mercury is widely considered to be one of the greatest singers in rock history.

In addition to being one of the best guitarists in rock-and-roll history, May also has a PhD in astrophysics.

The Queen singer and bassist rocked out together on drummer Roger Taylor's platform stage.

The multi-instrumentalist played piano on songs like "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "Seven Seas of Rhye."

"Flash Gordon" was Queen's ninth studio album and yielded the hit single "Flash." It was the bands first film score; it later produced the soundtrack for the 1986 film "Highlander."

The album went gold in both the UK and US.

Queen's previous nine albums were rooted in rock, but on "Hot Space," the band explored more pop and funk sounds.

The song was featured on their 1984 album, "The Works." The music video is set in a sort of fantastical palace filled with all sorts of pomp and circumstance.

In addition to having an impressive four-octave vocal range, Mercury also had some impressive guitar skills.

Brian may is widely considered to have some of the best guitar solos in rock history.

Mercury's passion for music could be seen and felt through his stage antics.

Mercury's showmanship added to the spectacle of seeing Queen live.

The photos were taken for Japanese music magazine "Music Life."

Queen's 21-minute performance during the concert was voted as the best live performance in rock history in a 2005 industry poll.

Freddie Mercury donned some memorable outfits during his two-plus decades fronting Queen. But no look is arguably as synonymous with the band's image and the '80s than his mustache and slicked back hair.

The Magic tour was Queen's final tour with Freddie Mercury at the helm. It spanned 26 concert dates across Europe during the summer of '86.

According to The Irish News, the concert ended up being pretty crazy. Around 70 people were arrested after fans broke through barriers in an attempt to sneak backstage.

Queen hit big name festivals across Europe that year.

The show would be the last with Mercury and bassist John Deacon.

Mercury died on November 24, 1991, from complications with AIDS. He was diagnosed as HIV positive in 1987, according to The Conversation.

A tribute concert was held for the singer on April 20, 1992, featuring musicians including David Bowie, Elton John, and Roger Daltrey. The benefit raised money for AIDS research and awareness.

Deacon was distraught after the death of his bandmate and friend. He quit the band after the tribute concert and retired from the music industry altogether in 1997.

Brian May and Roger Taylor tapped former Free and Bad Company singer Paul Rodgers to accompany them on a tour across the UK and Europe.

As part of the tour, Queen and Paul Rodgers played the 46664 Concert in celebration of Nelson Mandela's life. The concert celebrated Mandela's 90th birthday, raised awareness of HIV/AIDS, and paid tribute to Britain for its support during the South African apartheid.

Queen appeared on "American Idol" in 2009 to perform "We Are The Champions" with finalist Adam Lambert and eventual winner Kris Allen. Even though Lambert didn't win, the performance with Queen left a lasting impression that led to more collaboration down the road.

At the end of the show, Queen was honored with the Global Icon Award and they brought out Adam Lambert to perform a special tribute to the late Freddie Mercury. Together they performed a medley of "The Show Must Go On," "We Will Rock You," and "We Are the Champions."

Since 2012, the group has officially been recognized as Queen + Adam Lambert.

The show was part of Queen's first tour of Australia since 1985, it looked like the band was happy to be back.

The biographical drama tells the story of Freddie Mercury (played by Remi Malek) from the formation of Queen until his tragic death.

That year, "Bohemian Rhapsody" took home four Oscars, including Best Actor for Remi Malek's portrayal of Freddie Mercury.

"Live Around the World" is the group's second live album. It's a compilation of performances between June 2014 and February 2020.

According to Queen Concerts, the group played its most recent show on February 29, 2020. Any remaining tour dates were postponed due to the pandemic.