queen is the first rock act allowed into iran

although western music has been subject to strict censorship in the islamic republic, a compilation album of greatest hits from the iconic band QUEEN was officially sanctioned for release.

frontman, gay icon "Freddie Mercury, who died in 1991, was proud of his Iranian ancestry, and illegal bootleg albums and singles made Queen one of the most popular bands in Iran.

liner notes accompanying the cassettes explain the meaning of various songs to fans. for example,

"Bohemian Rhapsody is [said to be] about a young man who has accidentally killed someone and, like Faust, sold his soul to the devil. On the night before his execution he calls God in Arabic, "Bismillah", and so regains his soul from Satan..."

ah...suddenly all becomes clear.

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