Rolling Stone Top Ten Albums of the Eighties Quiz

Answer: Tracy Chapman

Brian Koppelman was a fellow student of Tracy Chapman's at Tufts who attended her concerts regularly. He learned that her songs were being played by the university station and managed to smuggle a copy of one of her songs to his father, a co-owner of SBK Publishing.

The song was "Talkin' 'Bout a Revolution". The demo landed Chapman a record contract with Elektra records. David Kershenbaum produced her first album, "Tracy Chapman", over an eight-week span at Powertrax Studio in Hollywood. The LP also contains the hit "Fast Car". Vega's debut album, "Suzanne Vega", was released in 1985. Rolling Stone rates her A&M album number 80. Tom Waits' 1893 "Rain Dogs" album is listed at number 21. "Guitar Town" by Steve Earle is ranked number 79.

Answer: Richard and Linda Thompson

"Shoot Out the Lights" is considered the ninth best album and is the husband and wife team's last album. Gerry Rafferty was originally tabbed to produce the album for Hannibal Records but after a difference in styles became obvious, Joe Boyd took the helm. Richard and Joe had worked together years before when Richard was the guitarist for Fairport Convention.

The songs on the album primarily are prophetic tunes about dissolving relationships. Their ten-year marriage ended soon after the album was released.

The album contains such songs as "Walking on A Wire" and "Back Street Slide". Elvis Costello's entry on the list is "Imperial Bedroom", which lists at number 38. The number 49 spot is held by The Feelies with "Crazy Rhythms". "The Specials" by The Specials is number 68.

Answer: "Murmur"/REM

"Murmur" is the debut album by R.E.M. and was released in 1983 on I.R.S. Records. The band added many unusual touches in the final production such as layering ten acoustic guitars, unusual percussion instruments and tearing shirt sounds. "Murmur" was performed in its entirety on the final night of R.E.M's 11-month tour in support of their "Green" album.

The show was done at Atlanta's Fox Theatre on November 13, 1989. It was the final time that many songs from "Murmur" were included in the band's set. Songs from the album include "Radio Free Europe" and "Talk About Passion". "In My Tribe" by the New York based 10,000 Maniacs made number 65. "Cosmic Thing" is the fifth studio album The B-52's and was released in 1989.

It contains "Love Shack" and "Roam". Talking heads are also from New York.

Answer: Thriller

"Thriller" is the sixth studio album by Michael Jackson. It was released on November 30, 1982, by Epic Records. It soon became the best selling album of all time, selling between 45 and 100 million copies. Seven of the nine songs from the album such as "The Girl is Mine", "Wanna be Startin' Somethin'", "Beat It" and "Billie Jean" went on to be in the top 10. Michael was 23 years old when recording began. Producer Quincy Jones intended to at least match the success of "Off the Wall".

The album was started at Michaels' home sixteen-track studio and when the songs were ready for final production they were recorded at Westlake Audio in Hollywood. "Bad" was released five years after Thriller and remains Jackson's second biggest-selling album. "Off The Wall" is a 1979 release and did not qualify for the list. "Dangerous" did not come along until 1991.

Answer: Born in the U.S.A.

"Born in the U.S.A." became the first compact disc manufactured in the United States when CBS Records opened its manufacturing plant in Terre Haute, Indiana in 1984. Previous CDs had been imported from Japan. According to "Rolling Stone" Bruce knew that he was at a crossroads where "Born in the U.S.A." would have to be his biggest album to date. Bruce went to LA to write much of the material before joining up with the E Street Band and finalizing the arrangements. "Dancing in the Dark" was done after the album was essentially wrapped and went on to become a number two single.

The production is a collaborative effort between Springsteen, Jon Landau, Chuck Plotkin and Steve Van Zandt. "Nebraska", "Tunnel of Love" and "The River" were other Springsteen releases from the eighties. "Tunnel of Love" is ranked at number 25 and "Nebraska hit 43.

Answer: "Graceland"/Paul Simon

The 1986 release, "Gracelend", hit number five on the list. The album has its nucleus with a cassette that Paul Simon came across by Boyoyo Boys called "Gumboots: Accordian Jive Hits Volume II". Paul was impressed by the lively sound which was reminiscent of the fifties although is was from South Africa.

After listening to several albums by South African artists, Simon ventured to Johannesburg and began recording the album. Soaking in the local rhythms resulted in an exciting and novel album. Proceeds from several "Graceland" tour concerts went to black charities in the US and South Africa.

The album reached the number three spot on the album charts. "Uh-Huh" by John Cougar Mellencamp came in at number 32. Marvin Gaye's "Midnight Love" hit number 37 and "Oh Mercy" from Bob Dylan made the 44th spot.

Answer: Talking Heads

Although "Remain in Light" was critically acclaimed, it is not one of the band's best sellers. The album was recorded in the Bahamas at Compass Point Studios and was produced by Brian Eno. Within a week British engineer Rhett Davis had quit the project.

He was replaced by David Jerden who had worked with Eno and Byrne on "My Life in the Bush of Goats". While recording "My Life in the Bush of Goats" they explored African and Voodoo rhythms and "Remain in Light" carries on the influence with African-American, African and American styles.

The Talking Heads also took the 54 spot with "Speaking in Tongues". The Replacements reached the number 15 spot with "Let it Be". "Pretenders" by The Pretenders garnered the number 20 spot and Dire Straits "Making Movies" checked in at number 52.

Answer: Ireland

U2 began when the the boys were all teenagers in Dublin in the seventies. "With or Without You" is the first single from "Joshua Tree" and one of the band's most well-known songs. "The Joshua Tree" is the fifth studio album by U2 and was released on March 9, 1987, on Island Records.

It was produced and engineered by Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. The album won Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards in 1988. U2 became the fourth rock band following The Beatles, The Band and The Who to be featured on the cover of "Time" magazine.

The original tree on the cover photos taken by Anton Corbijn died around 2000. According to bassist Adam Clayton the band did not have the concept of a commercial recording in mind when they approached "The Joshua Tree".

He related in a "Rolling Stone" interview the band wanted to record radio-challenging music.

Answer: The Revolution

Prince Rogers Nelson is named after the Prince Rogers Trio, his father's jazz band. In 1993 Time magazine ranked "Purple Rain" the 15th greatest album of all time. It is 18th on VH1's list of The Greatest Rock´n Roll Albums of All Time. "Purple Rain" was released by Warner on June 25, 1984, and is Prince's sixth album.

He wrote all of the songs on the album. Some of the tracks had portions recorded live when Prince performed on August 3, 1983, at the First Avenue club in Minneapolis. It was also the first appearance by guitarist Wendy Melvoin in Prince's band "The Revolution".

She was in the "Purple Rain" film and remained in the band for a few years afterwards. Some of the cuts from the album are "Baby, I'm A Star", "Father's Song" and "When Doves Cry".

Answer: London Calling

"London Calling" barely made it into the eighties. The third album by The Clash was released in January, 1980, on Epic Records in the US. The album signaled a change in the band's musical style, featuring elements of ska, pop, soul and reggae music. The album's cover features a photograph of Simonon smashing his bass guitar against the stage at The Palladium in New York City on September 21, 1979, during the Clash "Take the Fifth" tour. Pennie Smith photographed the band for the album and originally didn't want the cover photograph to be used.

In 2002 the photograph was named the best rock and roll photograph of all time by "Q" magazine. Some of the other cuts from the album are "Lover's Rock", "Four Horsemen" and "I'm Not Down". "Centerfield" by American John Fogerty came in at number 55, Def Leppard's "Pyromania" ranked 62nd and "Building the Perfect Beast" by Don Henley came in at number 73.