Music In The City Trivia Quiz

Answer: David Bowie

David Bowie was born in London in 1947 as David Robert Jones. He released his fifth studio album "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars" in 1972, with "Suffragette City" being one of the songs on this album. The song provided the B-side to the single "Starman". and was later re-released as an A-side single, in 1976. Bowie featured this song in his live set lists for many years.

Answer: Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder was born Stevland Hardaway Judkins in Saginaw in 1950. In 1973, he released the hit album "Innervisions" with "Living for the City" being a standout track on the album. An edited version of the song was released as a single, reaching number eight on the US Billboard chat.

The album version was much longer at 7 minutes and 21 seconds, and tells the story of a young man from Mississippi who travels to New York in the hope of finding a better life.

Answer: Starship

The band Starship evolved out of the 1960's psychedelic band Jefferson Airplane. "We Built This City" was a track on their 1985 debut album "Knee Deep in the Hoopla". Released as a single, the song topped the Billboard chart. Interestingly, the song was originally written as a tribute to the city of San Francisco, but was later changed to be more generic and appeal to a wider audience.

Answer: Nick Gilder

Nick Gilder was born in London in 1951 and raised in Canada. He had a US Billboard number one hit in 1978 with the song "Hot Child In The City". The song was taken from the album "City Nights". Gilder originally wrote the song about his witnessing child prostitution in Los Angeles.

Answer: Glenn Frey

Glenn Frey was born in Detroit in 1948 and was lead vocalist with Eagles between 1971 and 1980, and again from 1994 until his death in 2016. In 1985, he recorded the song "You Belong To The City" which was featured on the soundtrack for the TV show "Miami Vice".

The song reached number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Frey would perform the song during Eagles concerts up until 2005.

Answer: The Lovin' Spoonful

The Lovin' Spoonful were formed in 1964 in New York, with John Sebastian providing lead vocals. In 1966. they released their third album "Hums of the Lovin' Spoonful". "Summer in the City" was a track on this album and was released as a single, and topped the US Billboard chart. The song featured car horns and a pneumatic drill as sound effects.

Answer: Gerry Rafferty

Gerry Rafferty was born in Paisley in 1947 and was a member of the bands The Humblebums and Stealers Wheel before embarking on a solo career. In 1978, he released his second album, "City to City", which topped the Billboard album chart. The title track was released as a single but didn't fare well, but the follow up, "Baker Street", was a worldwide hit.

Answer: Billy Idol

Billy Idol was born William Broad in London in 1955. He was a member of the punk band Generation X before embarking on a solo career. "Hot in the City" was a track on his eponymous solo album, released in 1982. The song only reached UK number 58 on original release, but a 1987 remix saw it make number 13.

The original release had Idol shouting "New York!", but various re-recordings saw the names of different cities being featured.

Answer: Jan and Dean

Jan and Dean, full names William Jan Berry and Dean Ormsby Torrence, were born in Los Angeles in the early 1940s, and were an integral part of the surf music genre of the 1960s. "Surf City" was released in 1963 and topped the Billboard singles chart. Written by Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys, it opens with the iconic lyrics "Two girls for every boy". The city referred to is Huntington Beach, California, which has designated itself as "Surf City USA".

Answer: The Jam

The Jam were formed in Woking, Surrey, in 1972, and consisted of Paul Weller (vocals and guitar), Rick Buckler (drums) and Bruce Foxton (bass). The band's debut album, "In the City", was released in 1977, and reached number 20 on the UK chart. The title track was released as a single and made UK number 40. This would be the first of 18 consecutive top 40 singles released by the band.

Answer: ABBA

ABBA were formed in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1972, taking their name from the initials of the band members' first names. They found fame in 1974 when their song, "Waterloo", won the Eurovision Song Contest. "Summer Night City" was a non-album single released in 1978 which reached number five in the UK and topped the charts in a number of European countries.

The city referred to is the band's hometown of Stockholm.

Answer: Guns N' Roses

Guns N' Roses were formed in Los Angeles in 1985. Their debut album, "Appetite for Destruction", was released in 1987, topping the Billboard album chart, and making the top ten in numerous countries around the world. "Paradise City" was a track on this album and was released as a single in 1989, making the top ten on the singles charts of numerous countries. Traditionally, the band played this song live as the last number at each concert.

Answer: Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen was born in New Jersey in 1949, and is one of the biggest-selling music artists of all time. In 1982, he released his sixth studio album, "Nebraska", which reached number three on the album charts of both the USA and UK. "Atlantic City" was a track on this album and was released as a single.

The original song, as with the rest of the album, is an acoustic number, but it takes on a new life when performed live with the E-Street Band.

Answer: AC/DC

AC/DC were formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Angus and Malcolm Young. In 1978, the band released their fifth album, "Powerage" and among the tracks was "Sin City", which was released as a single on the B-side of "Rock 'n Roll Damnation". The song was a staple of their live shows into the 21st century. The lyrics allude to gambling in Las Vegas.

Answer: Ike and Tina Turner

Ike Turner and Ann Bullock married in 1962, and, after she changed her name to Tina, they recorded together as a duo for the next 15 years. In 1973, they released the album "Nutbush City Limits". The title track, which refers to Tina's hometown in Tennessee, was released as a single and reached number four in the UK and number 22 in the USA.