How could I not know, given that I got arrested on the way to the one Queen concert I ever had a ticket for?
Those responses sound like they were putting you on. Maybe the first person legitimately didn’t know, but the others were just having fun. Have you asked them in person?
By “modern person” I’m not discriminating by age necessarily, a lot of people forget things that weren’t a big part of their lives. My mom graduated college in '79, and she says she doesn’t know who he is, despite noting that she probably did at one time. I don’t expect it to be something that the average person, age irrelevant, remembers off the top of their head.
That said, I did phrase that poorly, I meant something closer to “I wouldn’t expect anybody to really know in the present day, granted that I was two when he died I especially wouldn’t expect a modern teen or lower twenty-something to know.”
I had never heard of him; he hadn’t existed until the day he died and his obit was everywhere. For that matter, Queen had hardly scratched my consciousness.
He was my High School gym teacher. . . for a while, then he left to form some band. . . never heard of him again.
But, I once had a girlfriend that didn’t know who Sammy Davis Jr was!?
I think the closest I have ever come to an internet-induced stroke was watching a Queen video on youtube, and then reading the clueless comments left by young people who will be running the world while we are connected to tubes in nursing homes.
Never mind. Their turn is as inevitable as all previous generations’.
Now here’s a twist I didn’t expect. I just did a quick, unscientific poll here at work. I asked 16 people ranging from late-20’s to mid-40’s. The breakdown is half male, half female, half black, half white, in even numbers for each category (so, four white males, four black females, etc).
Eight knew exactly who he was, eight did not, and it was split right down the racial divide. Whites knew who he was, blacks did not. Huh.
I doubt most hipsters want to sound like Freddie Mercury
It’s not cool to sound like a cheesy arena-rock singer for that kind of music
Freddie used to call me at my office. As did Mark Knopfler, Rick Ocasek, Adrian Belew, Steven Tyler, Roger Daltry and Brad Majors.
I worked in a large bullpen office and my clueless secretary would shout out the name of the caller to me. Everybody in the office heard her. She had no clue, no one else had a clue.
I would pick up the line and it would always be my friend, Bob, who would chastise me for working with some very uncool people.
It’s okay to sound like arena rock if you’re doing it ironically.
I was born in 1986 and have never been a huge music fan. Even I know who Freddie Mercury is.
Any chance your friends were joking?
That’s exactly what I thought. People are even responding like that in here and we’re all smirking away 'cause we know they’re joking. They are joking, right? 
BTW: A Night at the Opera was the first LP I ever purchased.
Srsly?
OK, I’m ancient… (born 1963) so of course I know who he is… But so does my completely-not-into-rock wife, as do my kids (all in their teens). Granted, it could be because I made sure they know 
Another vote for “they’re pulling your leg – at least some of them.”
I’ve heard the name, and knew that it was associated with music. I wouldn’t have connected him with “Queen”, and probably couldn’t name more than one “Queen” song anyway. Born in 1981; I have never really been into music.
That’s just stupid, the guy was the lead singer for Van Halen for like 10 years.
I believe my wife somehow went into a time vortex in 1979 and exited in 1991, no references to things happening in the 80’s seem to elicit any kind of understanding. Except for Flock of Seagulls, she knows who they are…
Pretty sure that was Sammy Gravano.
Flock of Seagulls – that would be a group of odd-looking birds who squacked loudly and un-melodiouly and left a bunch of crap after them…? :dubious: 
She sounds like a wise woman, actually.
I could only poll house members. Of course I know who he was, being a HUGE fan. And my oldest is also a fan, as is my 25 year old roommate. My seven year old didn’t know who he was but she can sing every word of I Want To Break Free.
I swear I’ve never heard of this term “arena rock”. Is Rush considered arena rock too?