Entertainment
Freddie Mercury’s favourite songs include an Elvis Presley classic fro | Music | Entertainment

Freddie Mercury, the legendary frontman of Queen, was a man of eclectic tastes, and his musical influences spanned far and wide. Known for his unmatched vocal range and electrifying stage presence, Mercury drew inspiration from pop, soul, opera, and even the vibrant sounds of classic 1950s rock ‘n’ roll.
In a playlist compiled by his Queen bandmates, which sheds light on Mercury’s favourite songs, one classic stands out: the iconic Elvis Presley hit ‘Jailhouse Rock’.
The track, which Elvis Presley recorded in 1957, quickly became a defining anthem of early rock ‘n’ roll. Its infectious rhythm, catchy lyrics, and undeniable energy made it a classic that captured the essence of Presley’s musical style – a blend of rebellion, charisma, and raw power.
Mercury was known for his larger-than-life performances, and his admiration for Presley was no secret. In 1979, the Queen frontman wrote ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’, a song which bandmate Brian May later confirmed is “Freddie’s tribute to Elvis in a way”. He added: “Freddie was very fond of Elvis.”
While Jailhouse Rock holds a special place in Freddie Mercury’s heart, it wasn’t the only song that shaped his musical identity. From ‘Kashmir’ by Led Zeppelin to ‘Respect’ by Aretha Franklin, Freddie’s tastes were anything but predictable.
Songs like ‘I Get Around’ by The Beach Boys and ‘Woman in Love’ by Barbra Streisand highlight his love for both upbeat pop anthems and more emotive ballads, while ‘Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting’ by Elton John reflects his affinity for high-energy rock and roll.
Another Elvis classic, ‘Love Me Tender’, also earned a spot on Freddie’s list of favourites. Released in 1956, the ballad is an adaptation of the Civil War-era song ‘Aura Lea’ and has since been featured in at least 20 films.
Here are the top 25 of the 60 songs on the playlist of Freddie Mercury’s favourite songs, as selected by his Queen bandmates, his former PA Peter Freestone, and author and band friend Jim Jenkins:
• ‘Africa’ – Toto
• ‘Kashmir’ – Led Zeppelin
• ‘I Get Around’ – The Beach Boys
• ‘Careless Whisper’ – Wham!
• ‘Jailhouse Rock’ – Elvis Presley
• ‘Woman in Love’ – Barbra Streisand
• ‘Relax’ – Frankie Goes to Hollywood
• ‘Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting’ – Elton John
• ‘I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself’ – Dusty Springfield
• ‘Respect’ – Aretha Franklin
• ‘Rock With You’ – Michael Jackson
• ‘Unchained Melody’ – The Righteous Brothers
• ‘Make It Easy on Yourself’ – The Walker Brothers
• ‘Carnival is Over’ – The Seekers
• ‘Please Don’t Tease’ – Cliff Richard
• ‘Love Me Tender’ – Elvis Presley
• ‘Imagine’ – John Lennon
• ‘Billie Jean’ – Michael Jackson
• ‘Take My Hand, Precious Lord’ – Mahalia Jackson
• ‘(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman’ – Aretha Franklin
• ‘Goin’ Back’ – Dusty Springfield
• ‘Vesti La Giubba’ – Carreras, Domingo, Pavarotti, and Mehta
• ‘Little Red Corvette’ – Prince
• ‘Pull Up to the Bumper’ – Grace Jones
• ‘D’amore Sull’ali Rosee’ – Giuseppe Verdi.
Entertainment
Mick Jagger’s harsh verdict on The Beatles’ live performances | Music | Entertainment

The Beatles and The Rolling Stones have long been linked as two of the defining bands of the 1960s. But while their legacies often intersect, their mutual admiration didn’t always extend to every aspect of each other’s work.
Mick Jagger, frontman of The Rolling Stones, had high praise for The Beatles’ influence on music, but didn’t think much of their live performance abilities.
In a 1995 interview with Rolling Stone, Jagger was asked whether The Beatles deserved their reputation as the greatest band of all time, and said: “They certainly were not a great live band. Maybe they were in the days of The Cavern, when they were coming up as a club band.”
“I’m sure they were hilariously funny and all that”, he added. “And they did have this really good onstage persona. But as far as the modern-day world, they were not a great performing band.”
Still, Jagger recognised the enormous impact The Beatles had on the music industry and popular culture. “Do they deserve the fantastic reputation?” he asked rhetorically. “They were The Beatles. They were this forerunning, breakthrough item, and that’s hard to overestimate.”
He went on to describe how their emergence changed the game for every British group that followed – including his own.
The Beatles’ 1962 debut single ‘Love Me Do’ had, Jagger said, a bluesy sound that felt uncomfortably close to the Stones’ own style.
“It upset me a bit,” he later admitted in a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame speech, “because we were supposed to be the R&B group.”
Despite any competitive tension, Jagger credited Lennon and McCartney with helping The Rolling Stones early in their career. The Beatles famously gave the Stones one of their early hits – ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’.
At the Beatles’ 1988 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Jagger reflected on the pre-Beatles era of British pop music, calling it “embarrassing”: “They wrote great songs, and they changed everything. They were the first to do so many things that people now take for granted.”
Jagger’s most personal comments, however, were reserved for John Lennon, whose passing he spoke with great emotion about: “I just felt very sad for the loss of someone that I loved very much”.
Entertainment
The correct order to read the Narnia books, according to CS Lewis | Books | Entertainment

Starting the Chronicles of Narnia can be somewhat confusing, with fans of the series arguing about the correct order to read them. This is because the published order of the books and the chronological order of events are not quite the same. While the first published Narnia book was the ever-popular The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, if following Narnian chronology, you should actually start with The Magician’s Nephew, which was published five years later.
Recent editions of the books have been published in chronological order, with HarperCollins’s numbered editions placing The Magician’s Nephew as number one and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe as number two in the series. However, there are still those who prefer to read in the published order.
However, in 1957, a fan wrote to C.S. Lewis after an argument with his mother about the correct reading order. He wanted to re-read the books chronologically, while his mum argued that they should stick to the publication order.
In reply to this, Lewis wrote: “I think I agree with your order for reading the books more than with your mother’s. The series was not planned beforehand as she thinks. When I wrote The Lion I did not know I was going to write any more.
“Then I wrote P. Caspian as a sequel and still didn’t think there would be any more, and when I had done The Voyage I felt quite sure it would be the last. But I found as I was wrong. So perhaps it does not matter very much in which order anyone read them.”
Similarly, Lewis’s stepson Douglas Gresham, who referred to his step-father as ‘Jack’, has told fans: “HarperCollins asked, ‘What order do you think we ought to do them in?’
“And I said, ‘Well … I actually asked Jack himself what order he preferred and thought they should be read in. And he said he thought they should be read in the order of Narnian chronology.’ So I said, ‘Why don’t you go with what Jack himself wanted?’ So, it’s my fault basically—the order of Narnian chronology. And I’m not the least bit ashamed of it.”
Despite both Lewis’s and Gresham’s interventions, NarniaWeb notes that this hasn’t stopped the disagreements between fans of the books. And on the C. S. Lewis website, Dr. Charlie W. Starr wrote: “Lewis scholars almost universally agree that we should disagree with what Lewis said about the order of publication.”
Dr Starr further added: “The Magician’s Nephew doesn’t captivate new readers as well as The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe does. I’ve heard stories of people reading Nephew and quitting the rest of the series! Wardrobe grabs readers more powerfully on a first reading.”
Publication order:
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950)
- Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia (1951)
- The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952)
- The Silver Chair (1953)
- The Horse and His Boy (1954)
- The Magician’s Nephew (1955)
- The Last Battle (1956)
Chronological order:
- The Magician’s Nephew
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
- The Horse and His Boy
- Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia
- The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
- The Silver Chair
- The Last Battle
Entertainment
Fortnite Season 3 skins include Darth Jar Jar, Emperor Palpatine, Mace Windu and more | Gaming | Entertainment

Fortnite fans have been treated to a boatload of new information about Chapter 6, Season 3.
As part of this weekend’s Star Wars Celebration LIVE event, Epic Games revealed a brand new trailer for the upcoming season. The trailer confirmed that the new season will have a Star Wars theme and a May 2 release date.
You can check out the Fortnite Chapter 6, Season 3 trailer below.
In addition to the Season 3 release date, the new trailer showcases some of the new skins launching as part of the Star Wars crossover.
The Battle Pass and Item Shop will welcome the likes of Darth Jar Jar Binks, Emperor Palpatine, Mace Windu and Poe Dameron.
That’s on top of Sith and Jedi variants of Evie, Wookie Team Leader, Captain Phasma and a customisable Mandalorian skin.
An email sent to Daily Express suggests that Wookiee Cuddle Team Leader and Emperor Palpatine will be included in the Battle Pass, while Mace Windu will be available from the Item Shop.
The upcoming season will also introduce new gameplay features, including the ability to pilot and co-pilot X-wings and TIE fighters.
Expect lightsabers to also make a return, alongside new Force Powers such as Lightning, and blasters from the various movies.
Needless to say, various Star Wars locations and landmarks will feature in the Season 3 map.
However, one of the more exciting new features is the addition of regular events taking place throughout May and early June.
According to Epic Games, it all begins with the ‘Imperial Takeover’ theme from May 2. This will be followed by ‘The Pull of the Force’ from May 8, ‘Mandalorian Rising’ from May 22 and ‘Star Destroyer Bombardment’ from May 29.
The events continue into the following month with ‘Death Star Sabotage’ from June 7. Expect more details to be announced and leaked in the coming weeks.
According to Epic Games, it’s all part of an ongoing narrative event within the world of Fortnite.
“The five-part saga will lead up to an in-game narrative live event that will surely have players feeling like they’ve got the fate of the whole galaxy in their hands,” Epic explains.
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