Six Strings & A Hit: 1977 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Lindsey Buckingham

Fleetwood Mac's members Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham, and John and Christine McVie, were going through rough breakups during the recording of the "Rumours" album--a situation reflected in the songwriting throughout the record such as "Go Your Own Way". I can't imagine how hard it was for Stevie Nicks to sing backup vocals on this song every night for years, knowing full well it was directed at her.

Buckingham created the song's driving rhythm guitar by attacking the strings unusually hard, giving the track its urgent feel. Reportedly, he played the part repeatedly until his fingers bled.

Answer: Mick Jones

Before Foreigner became arena-rock superstars, Mick Jones was already developing the songwriting formula that would make the band famous. "Cold as Ice" paired a powerful riff with a polished production style that appealed to rock and pop audiences alike.

Fun fact: The song features one of rock's earliest uses of dramatic orchestral stabs mixed into a hard-rock arrangement.

Answer: Buck Dharma

Blue Oyster Cult's Buck Dharma wrote "Godzilla" as a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the Japanese monster movies he loved growing up. The riff deliberately mimics the sound of a giant creature stomping through a city. Although the song was originally intended as a humorous novelty, the riff became one of hard rock's most enduring guitar hooks.

A new generation discovered Godzilla through "Guitar Hero" as a "Face Melter" track -- nearly three decades after its release.

Answer: Rick Nielsen

Cheap Trick's blend of Beatles-like melodies and hard-rock guitars made them stand out from their peers. Rick Nielsen combined crunchy guitar riffs and irresistible melodies to create Cheap Trick's signature song. His ability to balance humor, energy, and musicianship made him one of rock's most distinctive guitarists.

Fun fact: Nielsen owns hundreds of guitars and became famous for performing with custom instruments featuring multiple necks.

Answer: Todd Rundgren

Meat Loaf was the perfect singer for legendary songwriter Jim Steinman. With "Bat Out of Hell", Steinman set out to write the greatest motorcycle crash song ever. Jim Steinman envisioned the song as a cinematic rock opera, complete with a motorcycle crash, a doomed romance, and larger-than-life drama.

Steinman kept nudging song/album producer, Todd Rundgren, to add a motorcycle sound to the track. To bring that vision to life, Todd Rundgren used his guitar to mimic the sound and movement of a revving motorcycle, then launched into a fiery solo that feels like the rider accelerating toward disaster. The result was a guitar performance that helped transform an already ambitious song into one of rock's most epic recordings.

Rundgren recorded the epic guitar work in a remarkably short session.

Answer: Mick Jones

"Feels Like the First Time" introduced Foreigner to millions of listeners and immediately established Mick Jones as one of the most effective guitarist-songwriters of the era. Its combination of muscular guitar work and radio-friendly hooks became the band's trademark.

Foreigner's original lineup included three British musicians and three Americans, inspiring the band's name.

Answer: Kerry Livgren

Kansas guitarist Kerry Livgren was known for combining progressive-rock complexity with memorable melodies. The song's intricate acoustic opening has challenged guitarists for generations.

Livgren wrote the song in only a few days while the band was under pressure to finish the album.

Answer: Angus Young

Many guitarists consider this Angus Young's signature solo performance. The song became a centerpiece of AC/DC concerts because it allowed him to stretch out and improvise. Future guitar heroes including Slash and Zakk Wylde have cited Angus's energy and attack as major influences on their own playing.

Answer: Roger Fisher

Heart wrote "Barracuda" after a record company publicity stunt falsely implied that sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson were romantically involved. Fueled by anger, the band transformed that frustration into one of the most aggressive riffs of the decade. Roger Fisher's opening riff became an FM-radio staple and remains one of the most recognizable guitar introductions in rock history. Guitarists still study the song for its combination of power, melody, and relentless energy.

Answer: Ricky Gardiner

Powered by relentless energy, "Lust for Life" became one of Iggy Pop's most recognizable recordings. Guitarist Ricky Gardiner provided the driving guitar work that helped propel the song forward from its opening moments.

The combination of Gardiner's guitar and the song's infectious rhythm gave it a timeless quality that continues to resonate with new audiences. The song experienced a major resurgence in popularity after being featured prominently in the 1996 film "Trainspotting".

Answer: Brian May

For most of this Queen classic, Brian May doesn't play at all. But when the guitar finally arrives, May unleashes an unforgettable solo that provides the song's dramatic payoff. It's a reminder that sometimes the notes you don't play are as important as the ones you do.

Answer: Robert Fripp

David Bowie recruited Robert Fripp to bring a unique guitar voice to "Heroes." Rather than relying on traditional rock techniques, Fripp created soaring textures that seem to float above the song's emotional landscape.

Fripp recorded his guitar parts in a single day after receiving a last-minute invitation to join the sessions. His contributions helped transform the track from a strong recording into one of Bowie's most iconic works.

Answer: Paul Stanley

While Ace Frehley often handled lead guitar duties in Kiss, Paul Stanley wrote and played much of the rhythm foundation that powered the band's biggest songs. "Calling Dr. Love" became one of Stanley's signature compositions.

The song's combination of swagger, humor, and catchy guitar riffs helped make it a staple of Kiss concerts. Stanley has frequently cited this as one of his favorite songs from the Kiss catalog.

Answer: Ted Nugent

Ted Nugent built an entire career on massive riffs, and none was bigger than "Cat Scratch Fever." The riff's simplicity is its genius. Nugent often played a hollow-body Gibson Byrdland, an unusual choice for hard rock. His aggressive use of feedback and volume helped create a sound that stood apart from most guitarists of the era.

Answer: Bill Bartlett

Ram Jam's explosive riff that opens "Black Betty" transformed a centuries-old folk song into a hard-rock classic. Guitarist Bill Bartlett helped arrange the song into its familiar form, creating one of the most instantly recognizable openings in rock history. The riff remains a favorite among beginner and advanced guitarists alike because of its power and simplicity.

Answer: Jimmy Lyon

Jimmy Lyon was an underrated guitarist whose melodic style perfectly complemented Eddie Money's vocals. Though rarely mentioned among guitar heroes, Lyon played a major role in shaping Eddie Money's sound.

The guitar solo on Eddie Money's "Two Tickets to Paradise" is a perfect example of 1970s arena-rock lead guitar: melodic, emotional, and memorable. Lyon focused on crafting singable phrases rather than technical fireworks. The song remains one of the most recognizable examples of classic American rock.

On "Baby Hold On," Lyon delivered concise, memorable lead work that fit Eddie Money's radio-friendly structure.

Answer: Steve Miller

The driving guitar work on Steve Miller Band's "Jet Airliner" helped make it one of the defining road songs of the decade. While Steve Miller is often remembered as a songwriter and singer, he was also an accomplished blues guitarist mentored by legends including Les Paul -- a family friend who taught guitar techniques to a teenage Miller.

Answer: Peter Beckett

As co-founder, lead vocalist, and guitarist for Player, Peter Beckett played a central role in creating one of the biggest soft-rock hits of the 1970s. While his smooth vocal performance often gets the attention, Beckett's tasteful guitar work is equally important to the song's appeal.

The song features surprisingly good solos, combined with Beckett's melodic guitar lines that perfectly complemented the song's heartfelt lyrics and polished production. His understated playing helped create the laid-back California sound that defined much of late-1970s radio.

"Baby Come Back" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1978, making Player a one-hit wonder in the United States despite several follow-up chart singles.

Answer: Jay Graydon

Steely Dan spent an astonishing amount of time and money finding the perfect solo for "Peg". Seven different guitarists provided their best version with the instruction that the solo should be blues-inspired, technically competent, and memorable.

Like the other guitarists before him, Graydon didn't know if his contribution had made the cut. "When I walked out of the studio at the end of the night, I didn't know it was a keeper," he says. "But I turned the radio on one day, and there it was! I thought, 'Hey, I made it!'"

Source: Guitar Player magazine, "The Man Who Nailed the Impossible Solo for Steely Dan's 'Peg': How Jay Graydon Nailed It on Steely Dan's 'Peg'" (June 7, 2025).

Answer: Ace Frehley

Although Paul Stanley wrote this KISS classic, Ace Frehley's guitar solo became one of the recording's defining features. Frehley was known for his melodic style, influencing future players such as Dimebag Darrell and Mike McCready, who admired Ace's ability to make every note count.