And the Brits think AMERICANS are stupid??
I've been a Queen freak since I was a kid, Musically there is not even any comparison with the Clash, who while being spirited and entertaining, are basically 3 chord hackers. Name a music genre and Queen probably covered it, and at one time were the most popular band in the world and set a record for biggest live crowd (in Brazil). Their live show was amazing. Freddie Mercury is probably one of the top 3 rock vocalists ever, considering range, timbre, inflection, emotion. All 4 members were fantastic composers, and every one of them wrote a #1 hit song during Queen's heyday. Another tribute to the band is that from '71 or so until Mercury's death Queen maintained the same line-up, proving that they were able to sublimate their egos and work well with each other, and all of them were strong composers and had a strong vision of what they wanted to do, yet they were able to comprimise. The depth of virtuosity in their music is at a level of pro classically trained musicicians, while Clash, good as they are, were about at the level of Chuck Berry rockers. Great music, but not virtuosos. They also had very limited commercial success, while not the be all and end all, is a way to measure how many people a band is able to entertain and their influence on music. I think Queen had an enormous impact and influence on other bands.
I've been a professional musician, producer, recording studio owner, record reviewer, guitar & bass teacher and pro soundman for 20+ years, so I have some backup to my opinion, anyway. I know people say "well everyone is entitled to their opinion" which is true, but everyone's opinion doesn't carry the same weight. I could give my opinion on rocket science or brain surgery but I'd defer to an expert or someone who had spent years studying the subject. My personal and professional opinion is Clash isn't in the same league as Queen. They aren't even in the same sport. Queen could even play angry punkish rock better than Clash (Sheer Heart Attack from News of the World is a good example.)
Queen was voted for the 1970s honor above.....The Clash....and Pink Floyd
And the Brits think AMERICANS are stupid??