LONDON — Brian May has spent 55 years proving he’s one of rock’s greatest guitarists. At 78, he didn’t expect to have to prove it again.
But when Guitar World magazine published a recent critique suggesting May’s fingers are “no longer fast” and describing his “Bohemian Rhapsody” solo as a “slow burn,” the Queen guitarist found himself defended by the one person who’s been beside him since 1970.
Roger Taylor was having none of it.
The Critique That Crossed a Line
The offending piece, published earlier this month, acknowledged May’s legendary status but suggested age had diminished his technical abilities. The review of a recent performance claimed his signature solo lacked its former fire, attributing the shift to “fingers that no longer move the way they once did.”
May, typically gracious, hadn’t responded.
Taylor, however, is not typically gracious when his bandmate is disrespected.
Taylor’s Fiery Response
“I just jammed with him last week,” Taylor told reporters. “He hasn’t slowed down. He’s deepened.”
The drummer, 76, didn’t stop there.
“Age is just a number, but the fire is still burning. People who write this stuff don’t understand that music isn’t an Olympic sport. It’s not about who plays fastest. It’s about who plays truest.”
Taylor pointed to May’s recent work on the Queen I reissue and his emotional performances with young musicians at charity events as evidence that May’s artistry hasn’t diminished—it has evolved.
What May’s Playing Has Become
Those who’ve followed May’s recent work note something Taylor’s defense implies: May isn’t slower because he can’t play faster. He’s selective because he chooses to be.
The “Bohemian Rhapsody” solo—one of rock’s most recognizable guitar moments—was never about speed. It was about melody, tone, and emotional arc. May at 78 plays it with the same architecture but different breath. Less sprint. More conversation.
“Brian plays what the song needs,” Taylor said. “He always has. That’s never been about finger speed. That’s about heart speed.”
The Backlash and Support
Fans flooded social media to support May, with many noting that Guitar World built its reputation celebrating guitarists like May—and now seemed to be measuring him by standards he helped transcend.
May himself eventually responded with characteristic grace: “I don’t mind honest critique. But I’ll keep playing as long as there’s someone listening. And if my fingers have slowed, my heart hasn’t. That’s what matters.”
The Bigger Conversation
The incident has reopened questions about how the music industry discusses aging artists. Rock music, uniquely among genres, often demands perpetual youth from its performers—a standard applied nowhere else in art.
Taylor’s defense cut through that.
“Roger plays with fire and passion,” he said of May, accidentally using the third person. “He always will. You can’t measure that with a stopwatch.”
Some measure greatness in speed. Others measure it in longevity. Roger Taylor measures it in the man he’s shared a stage with for 55 years—and he’s not done sharing it yet.
