Countless bands have tried to follow in the footsteps of Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon by continuing Queen’s legacy of theatrical, powerful, and emotional rock ‘n’ roll. Nearly just as many have come up short with their efforts.

Decades later, that may no longer be the case.

From a Fan to a Collaborator in a Matter of Years

Few singers can rival the versatility, power, range, and emotiveness of the late Queen vocalist Freddie Mercury, which is why we still regard him as one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll singers of all time. He was a once-in-a-generation talent, but guitarist Brian May might have found a band that is truly following in Queen’s footsteps decades later: The Struts. As if a stamp of approval from Brian May wasn’t a big enough feather to put in the English glam-rock band’s cap, the iconic guitarist agreed to play on a re-recorded version of his favorite Struts song over a decade after the band first released it in 2013.

Two years after The Struts released “Could Have Been Me”, the rousing song about living life to the fullest started picking up steam in the States, reaching the top ten of the U.S. Billboard Alternative Songs chart. Queen guitarist Brian May didn’t discover the song until years later, but he’d likely argue that it’s better to discover it late than never discover the song at all. “It’s one of the best rock songs ever,” May told Classic Rock in 2025. “It was actually bigger in America than it was in Britain; it passed people by over here, and it shouldn’t have.”

May gladly accepted The Struts’ offer to re-record “Could Have Been Me” with him playing guitar, which they released in early September 2025. For May, the re-recording wasn’t just a chance to dive into a song he admitted he wished he had heard when he was a kid. It was also a rare opportunity to work with someone who reminded him of his former colleague and long-time friend, Freddie Mercury.

Brian May Thinks This Band Is Carrying on Queen’s Legacy

Speaking to Classic Rock around the time of The Struts’ re-release of “Could Have Been Me”, Queen guitarist Brian May said that working with The Struts’ lead singer, Luke Spiller, was a lot like working with his former bandmate. “Working with Luke, I’m often thinking of Freddie [Mercury]. There are a lot of similarities. They both have this unstoppable belief. They have incredible voices, they’re great songwriters, but they have that extra ingredient. “I’m going to do this. I’m going to let the world come to me.’ That’s what Freddie had, and that’s what I see in Luke.”

But of course, May doesn’t consider “Could Have Been Me” to be one of the best rock songs ever simply because of Spiller’s vocal talent (although that’s certainly a driving factor). The guitarist connected deeply to the song’s message, calling it “very inspirational.” “I don’t want to look back and think I didn’t live my life and take all the opportunities that were in front of me,” May summarized. “I love that sentiment. You can say it in words. But you really feel it in the song. Could it be me? It says everything that a kid needs to know when they’re growing up.”

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