Queen’s A Kind Of Magic reaches its 40th anniversary on 2 June, marking four decades since the band’s Highlander-inspired album became a global success and unknowingly set the stage for the end of Queen’s touring years with Freddie Mercury.
by Paul Cashmere
Forty years after its release on 2 June 1986, Queen’s A Kind Of Magic remains one of the most significant records in the band’s catalogue. Released in the wake of Queen’s acclaimed Live Aid performance, the album became an immediate commercial success, debuting at No. 1 in the UK and spending more than a year in the charts. It also produced some of the band’s most enduring songs while serving as an unofficial companion piece to Russell Mulcahy’s cult fantasy film Highlander.
The anniversary arrives at a moment when Queen’s catalogue continues to attract new generations of listeners through streaming platforms and film soundtracks.
While albums such as A Night At The Opera and News Of The World are often cited among the group’s creative peaks, A Kind Of Magic occupies a unique place in the Queen story. It bridged the band’s triumphant return to public favour after Live Aid and what would become the final major tour undertaken with Freddie Mercury.
The album emerged from Queen’s involvement with Highlander, the fantasy action film directed by Australian filmmaker Russell Mulcahy. Unlike a conventional soundtrack album, A Kind Of Magic combined songs written for the film with material developed independently by the band. Six of the album’s nine tracks appeared in Highlander in various forms, including the title track, Who Wants To Live Forever, Gimme The Prize (Kurgan’s Theme), Don’t Lose Your Head, One Year Of Love and Princes Of The Universe.
Among the key songs was One Vision, the first recording Queen completed after their celebrated appearance at Live Aid in July 1985. Although credited to all four members, Roger Taylor later said the song originated from his ideas before evolving during collaborative studio sessions. The title track, A Kind Of Magic, also began with Taylor before being reshaped by Mercury into the version that became an international hit single.
John Deacon contributed One Year Of Love, notable for replacing Brian May’s guitar with a prominent saxophone performance by Steve Gregory. Mercury and Deacon teamed up for Friends Will Be Friends, a stadium-ready anthem that became a fixture of the 1986 Magic Tour. Meanwhile, Brian May’s Who Wants To Live Forever emerged as one of the band’s most emotionally resonant recordings, featuring orchestral arrangements conducted by film composer Michael Kamen.
The album concluded with Princes Of The Universe, a hard rock statement written solely by Mercury. Used as Highlander’s opening theme, the song later gained a second life as the theme for the Highlander television series and has since become a cult favourite among fans.
Commercially, A Kind Of Magic performed strongly around the world. It reached No. 1 in the UK, charted across Europe and achieved Gold or Platinum certification in multiple territories. In Britain alone, the album sold more than 600,000 copies and remained on the charts for 63 weeks. Four major singles emerged from the release: One Vision, A Kind Of Magic, Friends Will Be Friends and Who Wants To Live Forever.
The record also occupies an important position in Queen’s timeline. Although the band would release two more studio albums during Mercury’s lifetime, A Kind Of Magic became the last Queen album to receive full-scale tour promotion. The subsequent Magic Tour of 1986 drew massive crowds across Europe and culminated with two landmark performances at Wembley Stadium. Unknown to the public at the time, it would be the final tour Mercury ever undertook with the band.
Critical reaction in 1986 was mixed. Some reviewers questioned the album’s blend of soundtrack material and standalone songs, while others praised its ambition and commercial appeal. Publications including Rolling Stone and The Times expressed reservations about its artistic direction, particularly its polished production and cinematic associations. Retrospective assessments have generally been kinder, with many critics identifying Who Wants To Live Forever and A Kind Of Magic among Queen’s strongest songs of the decade.
The debate surrounding the album has continued over the years. Some fans view it primarily as a Highlander companion piece, while others see it as a fully realised Queen studio album that captured the band experimenting with soundtrack-driven storytelling. Its varied songwriting credits, ranging across all four members, also reflect the increasingly democratic creative process that defined Queen’s later years.
Four decades on, A Kind Of Magic stands as both a commercial triumph and a historical marker. It captured Queen at a moment of renewed momentum following Live Aid, produced several enduring classics and unknowingly documented the final chapter of the band’s touring life with Freddie Mercury. As the album reaches its 40th anniversary, its place in Queen’s history remains secure, not only for its chart success but also for the way it connected the worlds of rock music and cinema at a pivotal point in the band’s career.
Track Listing
One Vision
A Kind Of Magic
One Year Of Love
Pain Is So Close To Pleasure
Friends Will Be Friends
Who Wants To Live Forever
Gimme The Prize (Kurgan’s Theme)
Don’t Lose Your Head
Princes Of The Universe
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