Queen will rock Glasgow this week with a little help from former American Idol star Adam Lambert.

Forming in 1971, the band, who have sold over 200 million records worldwide, began touring again in 2005, 14 years after the death of their legendary frontman Freddie Mercury in 1991.

The group, minus bassist John Deacon, are now hitting the road with Lambert and will play the city's SSE Hydro on Wednesday, January 14 as part of their UK tour.

Known for their back-catalogue of classic tracks and spectacular stage shows, Lambert says the show is about reminding people how wonderful Queen's songs are.

To put you in the mood for the gig, here are 20 Queen facts to impress your mates with at the Hydro.

1 Queen's video for their 1975 single Bohemian Rhapsody, directed by Bruce Gowers, is credited as being the first music video ever produced. The band had been advised not to release the 5 minute 55 second track as a single because it was too long. However, after DJ Kenny Everett played the song 14 times on his Capital Radio show in two days, demand for the track intensified and it was eventually released as a single.

2 Queen are the only band in rock history to have at least one number one single written by each member of the group.

3 Under Pressure, Queen's duet with David Bowie, was not planned. Bowie happened to be in the same studio as the group and suggested they should write a song together.

4 Freddie Mercury designed Queen's band logo, which incorporates the zodiac signs of each band member: two lions for Leos Roger Taylor and John Deacon, a crab for cancerian Brian May and two fairies for virgo Freddie Mercury.

5 Brian May made his guitar, called the Red Special, with his dad from a 200-year-old mantelpiece and a bike kick stand.

6 Queen first toured the US as the opening act for Mott the Hoople in 1974.

7 Brian May has a PhD in astrophysics from Imperial College London and was appointed Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University in 2007.

8 Freddie Mercury was an avid stamp collector. His stamp collection was bought by the British Postal Service for almost $5,000 following his death and is currently on display in the National Postage Museum.

9 The videos for We Will Rock You and Spread Your Wings were both recorded in Roger Taylor's back garden.

10 Freddie Mercury wrote the band's hit single Crazy Little Thing Called Love while in the bath.

11 In 1999 a stamp featuring Freddie Mercury caused controversy. The stamp included Roger Taylor in the background, however, the only living people meant to appear on stamps in the UK are members of the Royal Family.

12 According to the Guinness Book of Records, the Official International Queen Fan Club, which began in 1973, is the world's longest running fan club for a rock group.

13 Queen decided to release Another One Bites the Dust as a single after Michael Jackson told them it was the stand out track from their 1980 album The Game.

14 Queen were given the 2,207th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2002.

15 Bassist John Deacon is a trained electronics engineer and built some of the band's equipment, including Brian May's Deacy Amp.

16 Brian May uses a sixpence instead of a plectrum to play his guitar.

17 The band's video for the 1982 single Body Language is the first ever to be banned by MTV.

18 John Deacon's name appeared as Deacon John on the band's first album as Freddie Mercury and Roger Taylor thought it sounded more interesting. Since he was new to the band he didn't question it, however, he was credited correctly on the second record.

19 Who Wants to Live Forever, a track that appeared on the soundtrack to the 1986 film Highlander, was written in the car by the band on their way home from seeing a preview of some of the film.

20 Queen made UK chart history this year by becoming the first act to sell six million copies of an individual album, their Greatest Hits Collection.