Innuendo - A Kind of Magic

Blasting open Queen's 1986 powerhouse album of the same name, "A Kind of Magic" is a shimmering rock elixir concocted by drummer Roger Taylor, blending the band's operatic grandeur with a dash of fantasy flair inspired by the Highlander film soundtrack. The phrase "a kind of magic"—uttered by Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert) to describe his immortality in the movie—sparked Taylor's creativity, evolving into lyrics laced with references like "One prize, one goal" and "No mortal man," evoking epic battles and timeless rage. Freddie Mercury, ever the alchemist, reportedly reworked much of Taylor's original melody and chords, infusing it with his wizardly vocals over Brian May's crystalline guitar waves and John Deacon's pulsing bass, creating an auditory spell that conjures visions of golden glances and secret harmonies. Released amid the synth-pop '80s and serving as the album's title track (a first for Queen), this stadium-sized incantation became a live staple during The Magic Tour—Freddie's final run of shows—capturing the band's unyielding spirit even as shadows loomed. At its heart, it's a hymn to the inexplicable forces that propel us through eternity toward sanity's dawn, a nod to the "magic" of human resilience and shared dreams. With its repetitive, incantatory chorus and triumphant outro chants, the song captures Queen's innate ability to make the impossible feel inevitable, proving that in their world, every flame of passion is just a kind of magic waiting to ignite.