No More Sesquipedality Trivia Quiz

Answer: Iris

Context for this quiz:
A long, long time ago, this author, a spectacularly unsuccessful songwriter, took a formal course in songwriting. "No more sesquipedality," roared our tutor. "Simple lyrics are required - they make the song more relatable and easier to fit into the structure of the song". Copy that.

The Goo Goo Dolls were a Buffalo, NY band featuring lead vocalist and guitarist John Rzeznik, bass guitarist Robby Takac and a series of drummers. They formed in 1985 as a cover band, which morphed into a punk rock act before they achieved mainstream success in 1995 with "Name", a song that had a more mainstream sound. This song changed their musical direction into a more commercial alt-rock sound. Their name was hurriedly changed from Sex Maggots to Goo Goo Dolls as the promoter at a gig refused to let them perform unless they changed their name. They regretted their rushed choice, but it stuck.

Rzeznik was approached to write and contribute a song to the upcoming "City of Angels" movie in 1998. He was having a severe case of writer's block at the time, but the chance to have a song on the same album as U2, Peter Gabriel, and Alanis Morissette inspired him. The result was "Iris" a power ballad that told the story of an angel who was prepared to give up his immortality to feel human emotions. This was the actual premise of the movie. The title character is not mentioned in the lyrics, nor does a character called Iris appear in the movie.

According to Rzeznik in a Henry Yates interview in 2019 for "Classic Rock Magazine", he named the song after folk singer-songwriter Iris DeMent, "after he noticed her name in a concert listing in the 'LA Weekly' newspaper". It went to number one in Australia, Canada, and Italy, reached number three in the United Kingdom, and number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100. It stayed on the latter chart for 11 consecutive months. It also stayed on top of the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart for 18 weeks. The song had a renaissance in 2024 after it was played in the movie "Deadpool & Wolverine", which earned the song Diamond certification from the RIAA for 10 million units sold.

Answer: Californication

The Red Hot Chili Peppers were an American rock band that formed in Los Angeles in 1982. Their sound was not mainstream: Their alternative rock included more than a little funk, hip-hop, hard rock, and psychedelic rock elements.

They gained worldwide commercial success with their fourth album, "Blood Sugar Sex Magik" in 1991 when the second single, "Under the Bridge", reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart, the highest position one of their singles attained.

"Californication", one of three singles from their 1999 album of the same name, was a song about superficiality and the deterioration of society, particularly in their native Los Angeles and Hollywood. The album was only a minor hit, reaching 69 on the Billboard Hot 100 (16 on the UK Singles Chart), but it introduced a wider global audience to "Californication", the album, which sold more than 17 million copies and included the Grammy Award-winning song "Scar Tissue."

They have sold over 120 million records worldwide, won three Grammy Awards in total, were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012, and were recognised with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2022.

Answer: Torn

Natalie Imbruglio had a similar musical trajectory to Kylie Minogue. Both Australians starred in the mega-successful Aussie soap opera "Neighbours", which gave them an audience before each launched a pop music career.

"Torn" was written in 1991 by Scott Cutler and Anne Preven with producer Phil Thornalley for their band Ednaswap. They performed it live, but did not release the song as a recording at first. It was first recorded by Dane Lis Nielsen as "Braendt" (Burnt) with Danish lyrics. In 1996, the song was re-released in Denmark with English lyrics by the Norwegian singer Trine Rein. The song is about a girl who thinks she has met Mr Right but he turns out to be Mr Wrong.

Phil Thornalley was working with Natalie Imbruglia in the UK on her debut album when he introduced her to "Torn". This one song launched Ms Imbruglio's singing career to a worldwide audience. It was the first track and lead single of the debut album, "Left of the Middle". The single was a worldwide smash except for the US, where it was not released initially as a single (the record company hoped this ploy would sell more albums). However, it served as a catalyst for album sales, as it earned multi-platinum distinction in the US, the UK, and Australia. It sold seven million copies worldwide.

"Torn" was described as a "four-minute slice of pop perfection" by the "London Times". The single and album won six ARIA Music Awards, including Best Female Artist, and were nominated for three Grammy Awards. The single and album were the best-selling items on Ms Imbruglio's seven-studio-album discography, and they launched her successfully into the movie industry.

Answer: Unbelievable

"Unbelievable" was the debut single for English alternative rock band EMF in 1990. It went to number three on the UK Singles Chart, and six months later it went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The song tells the tale of a girl who is 'unbelievable' in the sense that she is very demanding yet offers little in return. It was wrapped in a catchy, very danceable tune. It was the first of four singles from their debut album "Schubert Dip" (1990), but "Unbelievable" was the biggest hit. The group released three albums in total by 1995, with nine songs charting in the UK Top 40. Their name is an initialism of Epsom Mad Funkers, a name of a Fan Club associated with the New Order band.

By contrast, their chart activity in the US was much different. Initially, the album and the single "Unbelievable" were released in the US without any promotion. However, the quirkiness of "Unbelievable" was embraced by pop stations and dance spots. There was some belated promotional work performed by some of the band (frontman Ian Dench was absent). After "Unbelievable" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, "Lies" was released as the next single. It reached number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100. That was the end of their Stateside activity.

The group broke up in 1995, reformed again between 2001 and 2006 before going on an indefinite hiatus. They reformed in 2022 and released two additional albums in 2022 and 2024.

Answer: Creep

"Creep" (1992) was the debut single for British alternative rock band Radiohead. Lead singer Thom Yorke wrote the song while at Exeter University in 1987. The rest of the band members developed it further. The song is full of self-loathing. It is the story of an unrequited relationship as the narrator believes the girl he is interested in is out of his league. The narrator called himself a "creep" and a " weirdo" using preemptive defensive shame to label himself before others do.

While the members of Radiohead met at an Oxfordshire school in 1985, calling themselves "On A Friday" after their rehearsal day (They changed their name to Radiohead after a Talking Heads song at the request of the record label, EMI). They did not play gigs or record songs until 1991, when they finished university.

"Creep" was released as their debut single in the same year, but it flopped. BBC1 banned it because it was too depressing. Their concurrent album, "Pablo Honey" climbed slowly to number 22 on the UK Albums Chart, but two more singles also flopped. However, "Creep" was getting airplay in Israel and then in New Zealand, Spain, and Denmark. Two California radio stations started playing the song. Their record label issued a censored promotional single to major radio stations in the US and began actively promoting the band.

As a result, "Creep" was reissued in 1993 in the UK, where it went to number seven on the UK Singles Chart and garnered critical acclaim from the mainstream press. "Rolling Stone" magazine named the song "one of the greatest debut singles". The song was included in the magazine's 2021 and 2024 "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". By 2024, the song had been viewed over one billion times on YouTube.

In 2019, Radiohead were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Answer: Babylon

David Gray is a British singer-songwriter. He achieved worldwide acclaim with his 1998 album "White Ladder" featuring two singles: "This Year's Love" and his signature song "Babylon". The whole "White Ladder" album had a theme of London. In this case, Babylon is London. The song is about the narrator losing a love and wanting it back. There is a verse for each of the three days within the song (Friday, Saturday, Sunday). Both singles and the album reached platinum status in the UK in 1998, but it took two years for both to become hits in the US. The reason for this was that he had achieved modest UK success with his debut album, "A Century Ends", but his next two albums flopped. Except in Ireland, where all three albums sold well.

As his record label dropped him, he recorded "White Ladder" at his own expense and pressed 6000 copies and distributed them in Ireland. (It became the best-selling album in Irish history). This earned him a deal with EastWest Records in England to distribute the album there. Dave Matthews heard the album whilst touring in the UK. He offered Mr Gray a contract with his own ATO label and to be the supporting act on his own US tour. "Babylon" was released as a single in 2000 and reached number 57 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album went platinum. Subsequent albums and singles all had simultaneous releases in the global markets.

Answer: Chemistry

Semisonic was a three-piece rock band from Minneapolis. They had enormous success with their second album "Feeling Strangely Fine" (1998), which featured their massive US hit "Closing Time" and their biggest UK hit "Secret Smile".

"Chemistry" (2001) was the lead single from the difficult follow-up album "All About Chemistry" (2001). The song, despite being well-written, catchy, and a melodious track, only reached number 39 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart. It fared better in the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. As a result, the album sales were modest, reaching number 103 on the Billboard Albums chart but again, it fared better in European markets. It was their last album for twenty years

Semisonic will be remembered with a reputation bigger than their chart history. "Loudwire" magazine included them in its 2025 list "10 '90s Post-Grunge Bands That Should Have Been Bigger". Cruel but accurate. Band members went on to have successful behind-the-scenes careers in music. Lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist Dan Wilson co-wrote "Someone Like You" with Adele and worked in production with Taylor Swift, (Dixie) Chicks, and John Legend.

Answer: Runaway

The Corrs were an Irish family band of four siblings (Jim [oldest], Sharon, Caroline, and Andrea [youngest]) who had significant commercial success in the nineties playing a blend of pop and rock with Celtic roots. Traditional instruments like bodran, tin whistle, fiddle, and mandolin were played by the band alongside more familiar pop instruments.

"Runaway" (1995) was the lead single off their debut album "Forgiven, Not Forgotten", which contained six Celtic instrumental tracks. The single was a straightforward love pop song with harmonies. Both the album and single sold well in their native Ireland and Australia, but commercial success in the UK (initially) and the US eluded them. Two years later, they recorded a cover of "Dreams" for a Fleetwood Mac tribute album and played it live with Mick Fleetwood in London. This raised their profile in the UK, and their modestly performing second album, "Talk on Corners," became a hit overnight. (Their initial album also enjoyed retrospective commercial success).

The Corrs went on to have seven successful studio albums (though success in the US was at best, modest), two Grammy Awards, and the four siblings were awarded MBEs by Queen Elizabeth in 2005 for their contributions to charity and music.

Answer: Thunderstruck

"Thunderstruck" (1990) was the lead track and single from AC/DC's twelfth studio album, The Razor's Edge. This was considered the band's best work since the seminal "Back In Black" (1980). There were similar circumstances about both albums. While "Back in Black" was underpinning the death of lead singer Bon Scott, this later album underpinned the death of the Young brothers' father, Williamn and Malcolm's struggle with alcoholism.

"Thunderstruck" was something different from AC/DC. While the song was unmistakably AC/DC it had two elements that were different: Angus' opening riff and the "gang shout" ("Thunder") of the chorus. The riff at the beginning of the song (making it instantly recognisable) was based on a finger strengthening exercise by Angus. He taped up all of the strings of his guitar except the B string. The riff rises as the finger-picked notes climb the one string. His brother Malcolm put a rhythm behind it and the bones of the song had been made.

The 20+ seconds of the riff before the drums arrived defined the song. The shouted backing vocals of the chorus were by the band's harmony section of Malcolm and bass player Cliff Williams. There wasn't much high-tech about this component: It was just two singers around a single mike with a large diaphragm condenser, recorded twice. In the accompanying video (which helped the song's popularity) featured the audience of a concert, all dressed in AC/DC T-shirts, shouting back the chorus as the band played the song.

It peaked at number four on the Australian ARIA chart, number five on the US Bilboard Mainstream Rock Charts and 13 on the UK Singles Chart.

Answer: Vogue

By 1990, Madonna was at the peak of her powers and influence as the "Queen of Pop". She had seven Billboard Hot 100 number ones and 16 consecutive top-five singles on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. No other act had achieved this.

However, "Oh Father" (1989) ended this streak, reaching 'only' number 20 on the same chart. Madonna had a unique ability to reinvent herself, so she decided to make a purely dance record. The result was the album "I'm Breathless" (1990) with lead single "Vogue". The song, based on the popular dance of the same name at the time, was a house song, but there was some disco in the mix. The lyrics were escapist, with the bridge consisting of past movie stars being name-dropped. Much care went into producing a video to reflect this change in musical style. It was retrospectively critically regarded as one of her best, receiving nine nominations at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards.

The song was a critical and commercial success, a worldwide number one; it earned triple platinum status by the Recording Industry Association of America. Selling six million copies, it was her biggest-selling song at the time. In 2022 and 2025, respectively, "Rolling Stone" and "Billboard" magazines ranked "Vogue" among the best dance songs of all time.

Other one word 90s hits of note: Honourable Mentions / Deliberate outtakes (Plenty of info about them on other FT quizzes):
The Cranberries: "Dreams" (1992); "Linger" (1993); "Zombies" (1994)
Oasis: "Wonderwall" (1995); "Supersonic" (1995)