Queens of the Stone Age is, without a doubt, one of the most iconic rock bands of their time. In an era dominated by grunge rock and hip-hop crossovers, Queen of the Stone Age transcended the ’90s with a style of their very own.
But how much band information do you know about this group? This article will walk you through four important pieces of information about this act, so you can better appreciate their contributions to music.
1. Rated R is Their Most Critically Acclaimed Album
While Queens of the Stone Age have many outstanding albums, none resonated with critics quite as much as “Rated R.” This album holds an 8.6 out of 10 from the notably picky Pitchfork and was named by Rhapsody as the best rock album of the ’90s.
2. They’ve Featured Many Impressive Musicians
While Queens of the Stone Age is a band with a steady lineup for most of its existence (centered around leading figure Josh Homme), many people have come through to rock with them. Elton John guest-starred on a song, Billy Gibbons and Dean Ween contributed guitar to certain tracks, Trent Reznor co-wrote a few songs, and Eddie Vedder provided backing vocals.
While not quite a “musical collective,” Queens of the Stone Age have featured many great musicians.
3. They Consider Electronic Music Just As Influential As Rock
Anybody who has spent time listening to Queens of the Stone Age knows that there’s something distinct about their sound. They are certainly a rock band, but their song structures and aesthetics don’t quite fit in with their late-’90s counterparts.
This is because they consider themselves just as influenced by dance music as by rock. In an attempt to create a sound that’s sometimes been referred to as “trance robot music,” Queens of the Stone Age incorporates repetitive figures and hypnotic melodies, similar to EDM pioneers like Frankie Knuckles, Cashmere and Kraftwerk.
4. The Lead Singer is Still Going Strong
Lead singer/guitarist Josh Homme — known for his distinct (if slightly mumbled) vocal delivery buried beneath his crushing guitar tone, is still going to this day. While the Queens of the Stone Age are technically still around, they haven’t released an album for close to five years (2017’s Villains).
While successful for a band nearing the end of their third decade performing, it’s safe to say that Queens of the Stone Age are past their peak.
However, Homme’s interdisciplinary side project musical collective Desert Sessions is still going strong. The band has featured contributions from people as different from each other as PJ Harvey, Jack White, and Les Claypool.
Josh Homme recently released two new shocking Desert Sessions videos that any Queens of the Stone Age fan would do well to check out.
Queens of the Stone Age Impacted Music Greatly
As you can see from the above music facts, the Queens of the Stone Age wasn’t just some ’90s fad. They’ve stuck around, gaining critical acclaim and collaborating with many artists.
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