Studio Album · No. 13
Innuendo Songwriting Credits by Queen
Produced by Queen, David Richards · Engineered by David Richards, Justin Shirley-Smith
Queen wrote 12 of 12 documented tracks
Authorship Breakdown 12 / 12 documented
Scored across the 12 tracks with documented writers, by whether Queen carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 12 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
Innuendo is the last Queen album released in Freddie Mercury's lifetime, recorded as AIDS quietly weakened him, and the songs are credited collectively to Queen. The six-minute title track recalls the prog ambition of "Bohemian Rhapsody," while "The Show Must Go On," largely Brian May's work, became a defiant farewell that Mercury sang despite barely being able to stand. The collective credit masks individual authorship, but the emotional weight of the record is unmistakably shared.
Queen's fourteenth studio album, released February 5, 1991, produced by Queen and David Richards. Innuendo was recorded with Freddie Mercury already severely ill from AIDS, a fact not publicly acknowledged until the day before his death. Brian May dominates the writing with five tracks including 'The Show Must Go On,' widely interpreted as Mercury singing directly about his terminal condition, a performance Brian May doubted Mercury could physically achieve, which he did in one take. Roger Taylor contributes four tracks including the title song co-written with Mercury and the fan favourite 'These Are the Days of Our Lives.' Mercury contributed several tracks including 'I'm Going Slightly Mad' (co-written with longtime friend Peter Straker), 'Don't Try So Hard,' and 'Delilah.' Outside collaborators appear for the first time in the album's writing credits: 'I'm Going Slightly Mad' features Peter Straker, and 'All God's People' features Mike Moran, Mercury's pianistic collaborator. Innuendo reached number one in the UK and is widely considered one of the band's finest achievements given its circumstances.