The unsuccessful collaboration between Mercury and Jackson

Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson are among the biggest names in music history, and there has long been an idea that their collaboration could become one of the most significant joint projects of the pop and rock scene. Their paths did indeed cross in the early 1980s, but the result was nowhere near what the public expected.

Jackson was a huge fan of Queen, especially Mercury's vocals and stage presence. He began attending their concerts in Los Angeles, which eventually led to their acquaintance and friendship.

"He would come to watch our concerts, and then we started talking. He was still going out occasionally back then, I remember we went to dinner together," Mercury told us back in 1983.

As public interest grew, rumors of a possible collaboration surfaced, and it came to fruition in 1983 at Jackson's home studio. Demos of the songs "There Must Be More To Life Than This," "State Of Shock," and "Victory" were recorded. However, the songs were never finalized or released in that form.

"They were great songs, but the problem was the timing, we were both very busy at the time," Mercury later said, explaining why the collaboration did not continue.

Differences in character and working style soon became obstacles. Mercury was spontaneous, inclined to nightlife and the energy of performances, while Jackson worked increasingly in isolation and in strictly controlled conditions.

Mercury later described this difference through an anecdote from the studio. Queen's manager, Jim Beach, recounted that one day Mercury called him and said he wanted to leave the studio.

"You have to get me out of here, because I'm recording with a llama. Michael brings his llama to the studio every day and I can't stand it anymore," Mercury told his manager at the time.

Jackson was known for his love of animals, and at the time he had a chimpanzee named Bubbles, as well as other exotic pets who were often with him.

Although they recorded several demos, the collaboration eventually faded. The song "State Of Shock" was later re-recorded with the Rolling Stones and released in 1984, while the version with Mercury was not released until 2014 on the album Queen Forever.

After that, their paths diverged. Mercury went on to work with big names like David Bowie, while Jackson built one of the most successful solo careers in pop history.