Rockfield Studios — Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody', Monmouth, Wales

Rockfield Studios near Monmouth in Monmouthshire, Wales, is the world's first residential recording studio — a converted farmhouse where artists live on-site while recording. Founded by brothers Kingsley and Charles Ward in 1965, Rockfield is where Queen recorded 'Bohemian Rhapsody' (1975), the six-minute operatic rock epic that is consistently voted the greatest single in British music history. Freddie Mercury reportedly worked obsessively on the song's multi-layered vocal harmonies in Rockfield's Coach House studio, with the band recording take after take until the tape was almost transparent from overdubs.

Rockfield's rural isolation — deep in the Welsh countryside, surrounded by farmland — has made it a favourite for bands seeking creative focus away from the distractions of London or LA. Oasis recorded (What's the Story) Morning Glory? (1995) at Rockfield, and the Gallagher brothers' famously volatile relationship reached new peaks of tension during the sessions. The Stone Roses, Manic Street Preachers, Black Sabbath, Robert Plant, Iggy Pop, and Coldplay have all recorded there. The documentary Rockfield: The Studio on the Farm (2020) brought renewed attention to the studio's remarkable history.

Rockfield Studios continues to operate as a residential recording facility. The farmhouse setting, with its converted barns and outbuildings serving as studios and accommodation, gives it a character entirely different from urban recording facilities. The studio is in the Monnow Valley near the border with England, and the surrounding countryside is as much a part of the Rockfield experience as the equipment.