Editing Freddie Mercury (section)

===Solo career===
As well as his work with Queen, Mercury put out two solo albums and several singles. Although his solo work was not as commercially successful as most Queen albums, the two off-Queen albums and several of the singles debuted in the top 10 of the [[UK Music Charts]]. His first solo effort goes back to 1972 under the pseudonym '''Larry Lurex''', when [[Trident Studios]]' house engineer Robin Geoffrey Cable was working in a musical project, at the time when Queen were recording their debut album; Cable enlisted Mercury to perform lead vocals on the songs "[[I Can Hear Music]]" and "[[Goin' Back]]", both were released together as a single in 1973.<ref name="lurex" /> Eleven years later, Mercury contributed to the soundtrack for the restoration of the 1927 [[Fritz Lang]] film ''[[Metropolis (1927 film)|Metropolis]]''. The song [[Love Kills (Freddie Mercury song)|"Love Kills"]] was written for the film by [[Giorgio Moroder]] in collaboration with Mercury, and produced by Moroder and [[Reinhold Mack|Mack]]; in 1984 it debuted at the number 10 position in the [[UK Singles Chart]].<ref name = "ReesCrampton_1999_809"/>

{{Quote box|width=25%|quote=I won't be touring on my own or splitting up with Queen. Without the others I would be nothing. The press always makes out that I'm the wild one and they're all quiet, but it's not true. I've got some wild stories about Brian May you wouldn't believe.|source=—Mercury on his solo career, January 1985.<ref>{{cite news |title=Freddie Mercury: The Man, The Star ...<!-- ellipsis in the original --> In His Own Words |url=http://ultimateclassicrock.com/freddie-mercury-queen-quotes/ |access-date=27 February 2018 |website=Ultimate Classic Rock |archive-date=26 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181026215034/http://ultimateclassicrock.com/freddie-mercury-queen-quotes/ |url-status=live }}</ref>}}

Mercury's two full albums outside the band were ''[[Mr. Bad Guy]]'' (1985) and ''[[Barcelona (Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé album)|Barcelona]]'' (1988).<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica2"/> His first album, ''Mr. Bad Guy'', debuted in the top ten of the [[UK Album Charts]].<ref name = "ReesCrampton_1999_809"/> In 1993, a remix of "[[Living on My Own]]", a single from the album, [[List of posthumous number ones on the UK Singles Chart|posthumously reached number one]] on the [[UK Singles Charts]]. The song also garnered Mercury a posthumous [[Ivor Novello Award]] from the [[British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors]].<ref name="ReesCrampton_1999_811">{{harvnb|Rees|Crampton|1999|p=811}}.</ref> AllMusic critic Eduardo Rivadavia describes ''Mr. Bad Guy'' as "outstanding from start to finish" and expressed his view that Mercury "did a commendable job of stretching into uncharted territory".<ref name="Rivadavia_notdated"/>

His second album, ''Barcelona'', recorded with Spanish [[soprano]] vocalist [[Montserrat Caballé]], combines elements of popular music and opera. Many critics were uncertain what to make of the album; one referred to it as "the most bizarre CD of the year".<ref name="Bradley_1992"/> The album was a commercial success,<ref>Larkin, Colin (1998) ''The encyclopedia of popular music: Louvin, Charlie – Paul, Clarence, Volume 5''. Macmillan. p. 3633. {{ISBN|9780333741344}}</ref> and the [[Barcelona (Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé song)|album's title track]] debuted at No.&nbsp;8 in the UK and was also a hit in Spain.<ref name="ReesCrampton_1999_810">{{harvnb|Rees|Crampton|1999|p=810}}.</ref> The title track received massive airplay as the official anthem of the [[1992 Summer Olympics]] (held in [[Barcelona]] one year after Mercury's death). Caballé sang it live at the opening of the Olympics with Mercury's part played on a screen, and again before the start of the [[1999 UEFA Champions League Final]] between [[Manchester United]] and [[Bayern Munich]] in Barcelona.<ref>{{cite news |title=World-renowned Spanish opera singer Montserrat Caballé who performed 'Barcelona' with Freddie Mercury, dies aged 85 |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/spanish-opera-singer-montserrat-caball-who-performed-barcelona-with-freddy-mercury-dies-aged-85-a3955101.html |access-date=22 December 2018 |newspaper=Evening Standard |archive-date=6 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190406092807/https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/spanish-opera-singer-montserrat-caball-who-performed-barcelona-with-freddy-mercury-dies-aged-85-a3955101.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In addition to the two solo albums, Mercury released several singles, including his own version of the hit "[[The Great Pretender#Freddie Mercury's version|The Great Pretender]]" by [[the Platters]], which debuted at No.&nbsp;5 in the UK in 1987.<ref name="ReesCrampton_1999_809">{{harvnb|Rees|Crampton|1999|p=809}}.</ref> In September 2006 a compilation album featuring Mercury's solo work was released in the UK in honour of what would have been his 60th birthday. The album debuted in the UK top 10.<ref>Roberts, David (2006). [[British Hit Singles & Albums]]. London: Guinness World Records Limited</ref> In 2012, ''[[Freddie Mercury: The Great Pretender]]'', a documentary film directed by [[Rhys Thomas (comedian)|Rhys Thomas]] on Mercury's attempts to forge a solo career, premiered on [[BBC One]].<ref>{{cite news |title='The Great Pretender' Was Also the Real Deal |url=https://www.popmatters.com/164055-freddie-mercury-the-great-pretender-2495808795.amp.html |access-date=26 November 2019 |work=PopMatters}}</ref>

In 1986, Mercury recorded two songs for [[Dave Clark (musician)|Dave Clark]]'s [[West End theatre|West End]] sci-fi musical ''[[Time (musical)|Time]]''. Mercury performed [[Time (Freddie Mercury song)|the title song]] and Clark played it to [[Laurence Olivier]] who starred as the hologram Akash in a pre-filmed segment for the musical in what was one of his last roles, with Clark recalling: "Laurence Olivier was a huge god of an actor. He narrated the album [Time], and, when Freddie came on, singing "Time", Olivier said, 'Now, my dear boy, ''there's'' an actor.'" Clark relayed the reaction of Olivier to Mercury: "I told Freddie and he was over the moon. I arranged for a dinner party at my place, Olivier came along and they got on like a house on fire."<ref>{{cite news |title=Does Rock 'N' Roll Kill Braincells?! – Dave Clark, The Dave Clark Five |url=https://www.nme.com/features/music-interviews/does-rock-n-roll-kill-braincells-dave-clark-the-dave-clark-five-2598535 |access-date=13 March 2023 |work=NME |archive-date=10 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240910064147/https://www.nme.com/features/music-interviews/does-rock-n-roll-kill-braincells-dave-clark-the-dave-clark-five-2598535 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Between 1981 and 1983 Mercury recorded several tracks with [[Michael Jackson]], including a demo of "[[State of Shock (song)|State of Shock]]", "Victory", and "There Must Be More to Life Than This".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ultimatequeen.co.uk/songs/collabfreddie.htm|title=Freddie Mercury – Collaborations: Michael Jackson|publisher=Ultimatequeen.co.uk|access-date=27 September 2014|archive-date=23 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150323061230/http://www.ultimatequeen.co.uk/freddie-mercury/songs/collaborations.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/freddie-mercury-10-things-you-didnt-know-queen-singer-did-w451918|title=Freddie Mercury: 10 Things You Didn't Know Queen Singer Did|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=27 February 2018|archive-date=12 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612145620/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/freddie-mercury-10-things-you-didnt-know-queen-singer-did-w451918|url-status=dead}}</ref> None of these collaborations were officially released at the time, although [[bootleg recording|bootleg]] recordings exist. Jackson went on to record the single "State of Shock" with [[Mick Jagger]] for [[the Jacksons]]' album ''[[Victory (The Jacksons album)|Victory]]''.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BVC9zltjf-EC&pg=PA90|page=90|title=Michael Jackson: the king of pop|access-date=27 September 2014|isbn=9780828319577|last1=Campbell|first1=Lisa D.|date=January 1993|publisher=Branden Books|archive-date=10 September 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240910064148/https://books.google.com/books?id=BVC9zltjf-EC&pg=PA90|url-status=live}}</ref> Mercury included the solo version of "There Must Be More to Life Than This" on his ''[[Mr. Bad Guy]]'' album.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ultimatequeen.co.uk/songs/mrbadguy.htm#there|title=There Must Be More To Life Than This|publisher=Ultimatequeen.co.uk|access-date=27 September 2014|archive-date=23 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150323064348/http://www.ultimatequeen.co.uk/freddie-mercury/songs/mr-bad-guy.htm#there|url-status=live}}</ref> "There Must Be More to Life Than This" was eventually reworked by Queen and released on their compilation album ''[[Queen Forever]]'' in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/queen-forever-mw0002766073|title=Queen Forever – Queen {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits {{!}} AllMusic|website=AllMusic|access-date=27 February 2018|archive-date=12 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160512233700/http://www.allmusic.com/album/queen-forever-mw0002766073|url-status=live}}</ref> Mercury and [[Roger Taylor (Queen drummer)|Roger Taylor]] sang on the title track for [[Billy Squier]]'s 1982 studio release, ''[[Emotions in Motion]]'' and later contributed to two tracks on Squier's 1986 release, ''[[Enough Is Enough (Billy Squier album)|Enough Is Enough]]'', providing vocals on "Love is the Hero" and musical arrangements on "Lady With a Tenor Sax".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.queenvault.com/freddieplus.html|title=QueenVault.com – Freddie +|author=Unger, Adam|publisher=Queenvaultom|access-date=27 September 2014|archive-date=24 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924083723/http://www.queenvault.com/freddieplus.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2020, Mercury's music video for "[[Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow]]" was nominated for Best Animation at the [[Berlin Music Video Awards]]. Woodlock studio is behind the animation.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Berlin Music Video Awards|date=7 May 2021|title=Nominees 2020|url=https://www.berlinmva.com/bmva-nominees-2020/|website=berlinmva.com|access-date=7 May 2021|archive-date=20 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020120053/https://www.berlinmva.com/bmva-nominees-2020/|url-status=live}}</ref>