Ranker Spotlight: Freddie Mercury

Timed to the 30-year anniversary of his death and the spectacular tribute concert that followed, Freddie Mercury: The Final Act, airing April 20 on The CW, is an extraordinary look into the last days of the famed Queen frontman who lost his battle with AIDS on November 24, 1991 — just 24 hours after announcing his diagnosis to the world. 

This all-new documentary also examines the outpouring of grief from around the world and what ultimately followed on April 20, 1992: To pay tribute to their fallen bandmate, the remaining members of Queen put together one of the most star-studded memorial concerts in music history. The musicians brought together some of the biggest acts around at the time, including David Bowie, Elton John, U2, Liza Minnelli, George Michael, Guns N’ Roses and more — all of whom were there not only to pay their respects to Mercury, but also to raise awareness and challenge the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS. 

As we eagerly await this eye-opening look into the heartbreaking final days of one of the most celebrated male vocalists of all time, we decided to take a look at how well Mercury ranks on some of our biggest music polls — and it comes as no surprise that the beloved rock star takes the #1 spot on some very notable lists.

How Freddie Mercury Ranks on Ranker

With an impressive four-octave vocal range that allowed him to belt out tunes like the quasi-operatic “Bohemian Rhapsody,” there’s no denying the sheer power and uniqueness of Mercury’s voice. The Queen frontman currently holds the coveted #1 spot on our list of The Best Singers Of All Time (2.4 million votes), beating out such iconic artists as Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, and even esteemed operatic tenors like Luciano Pavarotti and Enrico Caruso. Mercury also took the top spot on three more major music lists, including The Best Rock Vocalists (1.1 million votes), where he was ahead of runner-up Robert Plant by over 15,000 votes. On our Best Frontmen In Rock list (786K votes), he stood ahead of Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, and on our Greatest Male Pop Singers Of All Time list (591K votes), Mercury even bested the King of Rock ’n’ Roll himself, Elvis Presley.

While Mercury may be best remembered for his ear-piercing set of lungs and exuberant onstage antics, he’s also considered by many to be a genius lyricist. On our Greatest Rock Songwriters Of All Time list (358K votes), he holds a respectable #16 spot, trailing not too far behind the poetic Jim Morrison. 

Likely due to the immense popularity of 2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody, the Academy Award-winning film about Mercury and the formation of Queen, Mercury is #3 on our People We Wish Were Still Alive list (2.2 million votes), coming in right behind the late actor Robin Williams and High Renaissance painter Leonardo da Vinci.

What Do Mercury’s Fans Love?

Hundreds of thousands of votes have been cast for Freddie Mercury on some of Ranker’s most popular lists. What and who else do those fans vote for? Ranker Insights can tell us more about the likes and dislikes of Freddie’s biggest fans.

Music

It’s a no-brainer that Freddie Mercury’s fans love music, in particular Queen, the band that shot him to superstardom. Fellow bandmates John Deacon, Brian May, and Roger Taylor all rank pretty high, and Ranker Insights also gives you a sense of which albums from Queen’s illustrious discography resonate most with Mercury’s fans. Queen’s fourth album, A Night at the Opera (the one that spawned “Bohemian Rhapsody”), ranks the highest, followed closely by their sophomore effort Queen II, and their fifth album, A Day at the Races, coming in at third.

Other Celebrities and Pop Culture Icons

When it comes to the celebrities Freddie Mercury fans are drawn to, it’s an eclectic mix of actors and historical personalities and not the band-leading rock stars one might assume. The most notable figures ranking high are Robin Williams, Heath Ledger, Martin Luther King Jr. and Alan Rickman — all people Mercury fans are 5X more likely to also love, and all “gone too soon” like Mercury, who passed away at the age of 45. Funnily enough, Mercury’s fans are even more likely (6X) to love 17th century physicist Galileo Galilei (Galileo! Galileo!).

Movies

To no one’s surprise, 2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody is the top-ranked movie among Freddie Mercury fans, who are 6X more likely to love the film. After all, its leading actor, Rami Malek, went on to win the Oscar for best actor for his electrifying portrayal of the unforgettable Queen frontman. Beyond that, Mercury’s fans are 5X more likely to favor the kind of feel-good fare on offer from Disney and Pixar, including Moana, Coco, and Up. But don’t let yourself think they’re too soft: They’re equally likely to love movies from the gleefully violent John Wick franchise. 

These stories are crafted using Ranker Insights, which takes over one billion votes cast on Ranker.com and converts them into actionable psychographics about pop culture fans across the world. To learn more about how our Ranker Insights can be customized to serve your business needs, visit insights.ranker.com, or email us at insights@ranker.com.

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