Rock Albums From the 1970s and 1980s Quiz

Answer: Fleetwood Mac

Maybe one of the best-known albums worldwide. The album was released on 4 February 1977. "Rumours" topped the charts in both the UK and the USA, and also became a commercial success. To give you an idea of how successful the album was, it sold more than 20 million copies in the US alone. The most successful track on the album was a song called "Dreams", which topped the charts on the US Billboard Hot 100. It would also be the band's only number one hit in the US. Another track on the album, called "The Chain", was used as the theme tune for the BBC coverage of the F1 seasons between 1978 and 1996 and again from 2009 to 2015.

The F1 coverage moved from the BBC to Channel 4 (ITV); however, the track was still used as the theme music until 2019.

Answer: Pink Floyd

The band behind the album "The Dark Side of the Moon" was, of course, Pink Floyd; it was released in 1973. It was the band's eighth studio album. The album was recorded at the now famous studio, Abbey Road studio, made famous by The Beatles. The sales of the album are in excess of over 50 million copies. In the US, the album spent 736 nonconsecutive weeks on the Billboard 200.

Members at that time were David Gilmour, Nick Mason, Roger Waters and Richard Wright. In a career spanning over 50 years, the band recorded 15 studio albums, the last being "The Endless River" (2014), and have had total sales of over 250 million, making them one of the most successful bands ever.

One of the band's songs, "Money", which is on the album, has been performed live the most times by the band. Between 1972 and the Live 8 reunion in 2005, they have played the song over 500 times. This is the song that starts with the sound of coins going into a cash register.

Answer: Bruce Springsteen

It's surprising to think that Bruce Springsteen's album "Born to Run" likely rescued his career. His record company, Columbia Records, was close to dropping him. The turning point for Bruce came after this album, and Bruce became one of the most successful rock acts in music history.

"Born to Run" was his third album, released in the United States on August 25, 1975. It followed his first two albums, "Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J." (1973) and "The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle" (1973). As many probably know, Bruce's supporting band was known as the E Street Band.

Chart wise, the album topped the charts on the US Record World, and stalled at number three on the US Billboard Top LPs & Tape. In the UK, the album peaked at number 36 on the UK Albums Chart.

Answer: Talking Heads

Talking Heads was an American New Wave band formed in New York City in 1975. The band was fronted by their lead singer, David Byrne, accompanied by Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison. By fusing elements of punk, art rock, funk, and world music with a "nervous but polished appearance", Talking Heads played a role in shaping new wave music.

Talking Heads' "Remain in Light" is more than just an album - it represents a critical time in music history, blending rock, funk, Afrobeat, and electronic sounds into a rhythmic and experimental piece of art. Produced by the acclaimed Brian Eno, this fourth studio release came out on October 8, 1980, showcasing the band at their most creative in my opinion.

Two very well-known songs from the band are "Once in a Lifetime" (1980) and "Psycho Killer" (1977). They released eight studio albums between 1977 and 1988. The band disbanded in 1991, although they reunited for a one-off performance in 2002.

Answer: Deep Purple

What can you say about Deep Purple, an English rock band, that hasn't been said before? The band has played with different lineups for more than 55 years. The lineup of Ian Paice, Roger Glover, Ian Gillan, and Roger Glover is generally acknowledged as the best.

"Machine Head" was recorded between 6 and 21 December 1971 and released for sale on 30 March 1972. The studio used to record the album was the Grand Hotel (Montreux, Switzerland) and the Rolling Stone's Mobile Studio. The album contained the track "Smoke on the Water", which is probably their best-known song. It is based around the fire at the Montreux Casino in Montreux, Switzerland, caused by a fan letting off a flare gun.

Chart-wise, the album reached number seven on the US Billboard 200 and topped the charts on the UK Albums Chart. It also topped the charts in several other countries.

Answer: AC/DC

The title of this song is derived from the book "For Those about to Die..." written by Daniel Mannix. "For Those About to Rock We Salute You" is the eighth studio album and was released on 20 November 1981. They practised the album in an old factory just outside Paris, and attempted to record it at EMI studios in the city. After two weeks of unsuccessful efforts, the band decided to go another route. The producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange couldn't get the sound he wanted, so he hired a mobile recording unit from the UK and recorded the album at H.I.S. Studio in Paris.

This would also be the last time that Lange would produce any more albums for the band. Lange was the producer for two other albums, "Powerage" (1978) and "Highway to Hell" (1979).

The end result for the album was that it topped the charts on the US Billboard 200.

Answer: Whitesnake

This album by Whitesnake was released on 16 March 1987. The album's actual name is "Whitesnake". It was the band's seventh studio album, which became a commercial success, especially in the US, where it reached number one on the US Cash Box 200 and number two on the US Billboard 200. In the UK, the album reached a respectable number eight on the UK Albums Chart.

Two tracks for the album, "Is This Love" and "Here I Go Again", both reached the top ten in the US. Whitesnake was formed when David Coverdale left the English rock band Deep Purple. Originally after leaving Deep Purple, Coverdale pursued a solo career and released two albums. His first album was called "White Snake", which was released in 1977, and the follow-up was called "Northwinds", released in 1978. It was at this time that Coverdale formed the band Whitesnake with Bernie Marsden and Micky Moody. Very early in the band's career, Jon Lord and Ian Paice, the ex-members of Deep Purple, joined.

The final album before they disbanded was titled "Flesh & Blood", released in 2019. In the history of Whitesnake, only David Coverdale was part of the band from its beginning to the very end.

Answer: Mötley Crüe

"Dr. Feelgood" was released August 28, 1989, on the Elektra label. The album is widely accepted by the fans and the critics alike as the best album they have recorded. It is the only album from the band that reached the top spot on the US Billboard 200; it also reached a high of number four on the UK Albums Chart. The album also features guest appearances from Steven Tyler (Aerosmith) and Bryan Adams as backing singers for the track "Sticky Sweet".

Prior to 1997's "Generation Swine", this album was the final one with lead singer Vince Neil. The track "Kickstart My Heart" is an autobiographical work. Nikki Sixx overdosed and died in 1987. In order to save his life and restart his heart, paramedics injected him with adrenaline. The band's addictions to the misuse of drugs is another issue mentioned in the song.

Answer: R.E.M.

"Green" is the sixth studio album by American rock band R.E.M. The album was the first to be released under the Warner Bros label. In America, "Green" was released on November 8, 1988, while in the UK and Europe, it followed one day later.

The song "Orange Crush" was the lead single released from the album. It addresses the chemical agent known as "Agent Orange", which was used during the Vietnam War. Essentially, Agent Orange is a chemical herbicide and defoliant designed to eliminate crops, undergrowth, and foliage. It is also associated with various health issues in humans, such as cancers, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and other medical conditions.

Answer: The Who

The Who released the album "Face Dances" on 16 March 1981. The album was released on the Polydor label in the United Kingdom and on the Warner Bros. label in the United States; it was also the first time the album was released on the Warner Bros. label. Commercially, the album was successful, reaching number two on the UK Albums Chart and reaching number four on the US Billboard 200. Despite mixed reviews from music critics, the album was a hit with the fans.

This was the first album by The Who since the death of the band's drummer, Keith Moon. The new drummer in the band was Kenney Jones. Jones had previously been the drummer for the Small Faces and Faces. He joined The Who in November 1978 as a replacement for Moon.