When Queen released Jazz in November 1978, they were already one of the biggest—and boldest—bands in the world. After the symphonic heights of A Night at the Opera and the muscular rock of News of the World, fans and critics alike wondered what Queen would do next. The answer? Everything.

Jazz isn’t a jazz album, and that’s exactly the point. It’s a kaleidoscopic journey through musical styles—arena rock, cabaret, disco, swing, and even bicycle bells—all filtered through the band’s theatrical imagination. It’s messy, magnificent, and unmistakably Queen.

Some call it overindulgent; others call it visionary. The truth lies somewhere in between. Jazz is Queen at their most fearless—an audacious experiment that proves art doesn’t need to play by the rules.