The release date of the second batch of QUEEN remasters, Deep Cuts Volume 2 and the reissue of The Platinum Collection has been pushed back from June 23rd until June 27th (UK and rest of the world, except North America where a release date is to be announced).

Between 1977 and 1982, Queen officially became the most successful band in the world, releasing some of the biggest and best songs of all time including ‘Tie Your Mother Down’, ‘Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy’, ‘We Are The Champions’, ‘We Will Rock You’, ‘Fat Bottomed Girls’, ‘Bicycle Race’, ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’, ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’, ‘Save Me’, ‘Play The Game’, ‘Another One Bites The Dust’, ‘Flash’ and ‘Under Pressure’ featuring DAVID BOWIE.

Now Island Records reissue the five Queen albums from this period as part of the band’s 40th Anniversary celebrations – News Of The World, Jazz, The Game, Flash Gordon and Hot Space. The reissues will be accompanied by the second in the Queen: Deep Cuts series, which looks at some of the lesser known tracks from these albums.

Check out a new trailer below.

These five albums were recorded as Queen’s UK stadium success spread to the USA, South America, Europe and Asia and are the sound of a band breaking through the crash barriers of their own limitless ambition. The early 80's saw the band conquer South America for the first time, creating rock history when they played at the Morumbi Stadium in Brazil to 131,000 people - then the largest paying audience for a single band anywhere in the world.

If the early '70’s and the first five albums Queens released represented the band’s hard-rocking years, then the late 70’s and early 80’s represented their hard partying era. As Brian, Roger, Freddie and John toured the world their reputation for off-stage rock’n’roll extravagance grew with stories of legendary party excess from Kensington to Copacabana informing the Queen mythology.

The Queen image changed too in the second half of the 70s. Infamously Sid Vicious bumped into Freddie Mercury at Wessex Studios where both SEX PISTOLS and Queen are recording - 'Ullo Fred - I see you've bought ballet to the masses then!' Says Sid, eyeing up Freddie's legendary ballet pumps. 'Ah Mr Ferocious. Yes, doing my best dear' retorted Freddie.

It was also during this period that one of the most iconic images in contemporary music was developed, when in 1980 Freddie Mercury grew perhaps the most famous moustache of modern times! Inspired by his adventures in the Lower East Side New York nightlife of the late 70’s, the moustache and attendant leathers completely reinvented the band’s look. Famously the moustache caused outrage among many fans who mailed him disposable razors.

Queen's 40th Anniversary year has kicked off in spectacular style so far with their first ever major exhibition, Stormtroopers In Stilettos, in London’s East End which drew an incredible crowd of over 20,000 visitors in two weeks, and kicked off with a star studded launch party attended by the likes of FOO FIGHTERS and JESSIE J. The Sun advised 'Get down there, it's an impressive collection'. Meanwhile the band's first five albums have been reissued to considerable acclaim. The Telegraph said of their early work, 'Queen's greatest music was extravagantly innovative, technically brilliant and created with a jeweller's care.’

These five albums highlight the diverse talent, musical ambition and already global success of a band made up of some of the best songwriters, musicians and performers of all time.

In other news, Queen have released the artwork for the second in the Queen: Deep Cuts series, which looks at some of the lesser known tracks from these albums. The tracklisting for Deep Cuts Vol. 2 (1977-1982) and further details will be revealed soon. Check out the artwork below: