Queen Nearly Skipped Iconic Live Aid Show Over Initial Doubts

When first asked to perform at Live Aid in 1985, Queen said no. They weren't comfortable with the idea of performing alongside 50 other bands.

"A disaster," Brian May told Radio Times, describing their initial reaction to the mega-concert. Freddie Mercury was especially doubtful.

The event on July 13, 1985, became legendary. Two billion people across 150 countries watched the simultaneous broadcast from London's Wembley and Philadelphia's JFK Stadium.

As tickets flew off the shelves, Bob Geldof refused to accept their rejection. After thinking about the huge audience and Ethiopia's crisis, May talked Mercury into joining the show.

Before going on stage, they hung out with royalty and fellow rock stars. Prince Charles, Princess Diana, Elton John, and David Bowie joined them in Wembley's Royal Box. Many acts that day struggled with sound issues.

They pushed their time slot from 17 to 21 minutes. Opening with "Bohemian Rhapsody," they wrapped up with the back-to-back hits "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions."

They spent countless hours trimming songs and rehearsing their brief set to make it perfect. Despite a rough patch during "Hammer to Fall," they powered through.

Mercury's stage presence helped cover up technical problems. "The chemistry between band members shone through," Roger Taylor later said.

The show gave Queen a much-needed boost when things were tough. They'd stopped touring, and their records weren't selling well. British music fans later voted this performance one of the country's greatest shows ever.