Reeling in the Years Trivia Quiz

Answer: Running on Empty

'Running on Empty' has been one Jackson Browne's best selling songs with only 'Somebody's Baby' and 'Doctor My Eyes' having outsold it. The song got as high as number 11 on Billboard's Hot 100 and has become one of Browne's live staples. On the occasions that Bruce Springsteen has appeared at his shows this is the generally the song they would choose to duet. Paul Nelson of Rolling Stone magazine, in his review, characterized the song as containing a win/lose quality about it.

This is highlighted by the line 'Running into the sun but I'm running behind'.

Answer: December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)

"December, 1963" was a big hit for the Four Seasons reaching number one on the US and UK charts in 1976. Lyricist, Judy Parker and singer, Frankie Valli, were not happy with the original version of the song (titled "December 5th, 1933") that they pushed hard for it to be altered. Hindsight says it was a stroke of genius.

Answer: (Richard) Nixon

The song is essentially an echo of Billie Joe's early life and musical influences. The line 'last one born but first to run' references Bruce Springsteen while 'My generation is zero, I never made it as a working class hero' has leanings to John Lennon. Lennon's "Working Class Hero" is a song that Green Day covered for the "Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur" compilation album (2007).

By the way, Billie Joe was born February 17, 1972.

Answer: All of them

"MCMLXXXIV" (1984), released in January, 1984, is Van Halen's sixth album and it reached number two on Billboard's album charts. Even though the album produced a series of great singles such "Jump", "Panama", "Hot For Teacher" and "I'll Wait", it just could not outsell a little record called "Thriller" by Michael Jackson to get to the top of the charts. Frontman David Lee Roth left band after this album to pursue a solo career.
"1984 (For the Love of Big Brother)" is the title of an album by The Eurythmics, which was used as a soundtrack for Michael Radford's film version of George Orwell's novel, "1984". Appropriately, both the film and the album were released in 1984. Two singles were released from the album, "Julia" and "Sexcrime 1984".
Orwell's story was also the inspiration behind David Bowie's song "1984", which appeared on his 1976 album "Diamond Dogs".

Answer: Styx

"Paradise Theatre" was a huge hit album for Styx with sales classifying the record triple platinum. "A.D. 1928" was composed by Dennis DeYoung and is a short piano melody that works as an introduction to "Rockin' the Paradise". The combination worked so well that it was used to open their concert tour to promote the disc.

Answer: Alice Cooper

The single did not do as well in the US, number 48 on the Billboard charts, as it did in the UK where it got as high as number 12.
The original album cover, which featured the band dressed in pink and white outside of a building marked as the Institute of Nude Wrestling, had to be replaced because the South African Customs and Vice deemed it obscene. This was then replaced by corrugated cardboard sleeve that was emblazoned with the words 'This carton contains one (1) Alice Cooper Muscle of Love' - somehow, that was deemed appropriate.

Answer: Bee Gees

The song, released in 1967, peaked at number 14 in the USA and number 12 in the UK. Rest assured, there was no such disaster in New York in 1941. The song, however, was inspired by a tragedy that occurred in October, 1966 at a mine in Aberfan, Wales where 144 people were killed, 116 of whom were children.

The Bee Gees changed the location of the story, being sensitive to the memories that would still be fresh in people's minds

Answer: 1983 ... (A Merman I Should Turn to Be)

Jimi Hendrix gets philosophical with this anti-war song. He questions the world that we are building, wailing that we're 'burning down our own neighbourhoods'. He describes being disillusioned by it all and looks to escape to the sea. He then talks of a machine (which may or may not be a reference to drugs) that will turn him into a merman to help him in his mission.

Answer: 1979

This is the second single from the band's third album, "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" (1995) and it was nominated for 'Record of the Year' at the 1996 Grammy Awards. The song would go on to be their highest charting single peaking at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Their producer, Flood (aka Mark Ellis), was not happy with what was initially presented and wanted to throw it out. Billy (Corgan) felt that this track was extremely important to the album, sought a reprieve and four hours later presented a new and complete version to Flood.

Answer: '88

The original song featured a long-haired, hippy type person travelling cross country, developing a flat tyre and stopping at a 'red-neck' bar in Jackson, Mississippi where he is discriminated against. The sequel, released in 1988, tells of two men travelling cross country who step into a gay bar in Houston, Texas. An altercation ensues when one of the men reacts violently when propositioned by a transvestite.