What's Better Than Number One? Quiz

Answer: Sticky Fingers

"Sticky Fingers" was the Rolling Stones' first album of the '70s, released in April, 1971, the first to be released on their own label, Rolling Stones Records, after their contracts with Decca/London ran out. It was also the first album in which Mick Jagger was credited with playing a guitar and the first appearance of Mick Taylor, who replaced the late Brian Jones, as a Rolling Stone.

It hit number one in North America, Great Britain, Australia and more.The album cover showed a pair of blue jeans that had a working zipper. (I have the album: they're briefs, not boxers.)

Answer: Blue Hawaii

Elvis may be known as the King of Rock and Roll but he was never really king of the album charts. His albums were mostly just modest successes; his movie soundtrack albums seemed the most popular worldwide. "Blue Hawaii", from the 1961 movie of the same name was one of his bestsellers, although "Can't Help Falling in Love" was the only single released from the album.

It reached number one on the "Billboard 200" list and the "UK Album Chart". "Blue Hawaii" was the second highest selling soundtrack of the 1960s, second only to "West Side Story".

Answer: Rattle and Hum

Named from a lyric in "Bullet the Blue Sky" from the album "The Joshua Tree", "Rattle and Hum" was released in October, 1988. It mixed studio-recorded songs and live performances and included tinges of blues and gospel. It received mixed reviews from professional critics but the fans didn't care - they have bought over 15-million copies of it.

It topped the charts everywhere except Finland and Sweden (numbers 8 and 2, respectively).

Answer: Tapestry

The album "Tapestry" may not be quite as famous as the Bayeux Tapestry, shown in the photo accompanying this question but it was a landmark album of its time. King's second album, it only had two singles released from it but they were double-sided hits: "It's Too Late"/"I Feel the Earth Move" and "So Far Away"/"Smackwater Jack". James Taylor, who is a friend of hers, took the song "You've Got a Friend" from her album and got himself a number one single on the "Billboard Hot 100" chart.

The album itself topped the U.S. "Billboard 200"chart, hit number one on the "RPM" magazine list in Canada and number four in the UK.

Answer: Tunnel of Love

The album also included "Tunnel of Love" and "One Step Up". Nineteen songs were recorded for the album, which were then narrowed down to twelve. Springsteen recorded most of the parts of the songs himself, using some electronic instrumentation. It tunneled its way to number one on the "Billboard 200" album list in the U.S. and was certified "3x Platinum", meaning 3 million albums sold, by the Recording Industry Association of America. Considered a reflective, change-of-pace album, he performs the songs from it in concerts only infrequently.

Answer: Load

Though it upset some fans, "Load" was a number one album in every country that tracks record sales. It was released in June, 1996; the 680,000 albums sold in the first week were more than any previous Metallica album for a first week. Four singles, including "Until It Sleeps" and "Hero of the Day" came from the album.

Answer: Abbey Road

"Abbey Road" was the last album in which all four Beatles took part. Although "Let It Be" was the final album released, most of the work for it was completed before work began on "Abbey Road". "Something" and "Come Together", released as a single became a double-sided hit. The album received mixed but mostly favorable reviews, and is now named by some as among the Beatles' best albums.

Answer: Purple Rain

Prince wrote his first song at age seven. He began recording at age 19 and got his first number one album "Purple Rain" in 1984. It was also the soundtrack of Prince's movie of the same name. It reached number one In the U.S. and Canada and number seven on the "UK Albums Chart". The album produced two number one singles on the "Billboard Hot 100": "When Doves Cry" and "Let's Go Crazy".

Answer: Hard Candy

Madonna's first album ("Madonna") in 1983 was a top ten album. All 12 of her studio-recorded albums since then (through "Rebel Heart" in 2015) have been top-three albums - a very impressive record (sorry). Generally well-received by critics, "Hard Candy" had two hit singles: "4 Minutes", which became her 37th "Billboard Hot 100: top-ten single and "Give It 2 Me". "Hard Candy" was a number one album everywhere from the U.S. "Billboard 200" list to Australia's "Aria Charts".

Answer: Rumours

"Rumours" got the top spot in several markets besides the U.K. Their ninth album, it won a Grammy for "Album of the Year" in 1978. Four singles came from it including "Go Your Own Way" and "You Make Loving Fun". With over 40 million sales, it is their most successful album and one of the most successful albums ever.