Classic Albums Trivia Quiz

Answer: Meat Loaf

"Bat Out of Hell" was released on October 21, 1977 (US). It was the debut album by American rock singer Meat Loaf. The album reached number 14 on the US Billboard 200 and made it to number nine on the UK Albums Chart. With over 43 million copies sold worldwide, it's been regarded as one of the best-selling albums of all time.

The cover for the album is credited to Jim Steinman, an American composer and record producer. Richard Corben was the illustrator.

Answer: Phil Collins

This was Phil Collins' debut solo studio album. "Face Value" was released on February 13, 1981. The album did well in the UK, reaching the top spot on the UK Albums Chart and reaching a respectable seventh position on the US Billboard 200. All the songs were written by Phil Collins except "Behind the Lines," which was a joint effort between Tony Banks, Phil Collins, and Mike Rutherford, and "Tomorrow Never Knows", written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. There is a 32-second-long track on cassette only, titled "Over the Rainbow" by E.Y. Harburg and Harold Arlen.

The front cover of the album was done by Trevor Key, a British photographer and designer. His best-known works were from the 1970s and 1980s. In my opinion, some of his best covers are Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells" (1973), Sex Pistols: "The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle" (1979), and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark's "Genetic Engineering" (1983).

Answer: Slipknot

Slipknot is an American heavy metal band that formed in 1995. The album "Iowa" was released on August 28, 2001 (US). The album did well, reaching the number one position on the UK Album Chart and the UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart. On the US Billboard 200, it peaked at number three on the chart.
"Iowa" was the band's second album, and it is also the name of the place where the band was formed. Slipknot is a band you either love or hate, and this album is one of those types of albums you have to play quite a few times to get the feel. It is a good album for your collection, in my opinion.

The goat on the cover is called Eeyore. On the album, there is a hidden track that has the same name as Eeyore. The hidden track can be found at the end of the track "Scissors." The idea for the cover was from Shawn Crahan, known as "Clown." The final product was the work of Stefan Seskis, who was also the photographer for their first album cover.

Answer: Muse

"Absolution" is the third album from the English rock band Muse. The album was released on September 15, 2003 (UK). In the UK, the album reached the number one position on the UK Albums Chart and charted in several European countries. The album only reached 107 on the US Billboard 200 but hit the top spot on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart.

Muse was formed in Teignmouth, Devon, in 1994. Members of the band that feature on the album are Matt Bellamy, Chris Wolstenholme, and Dominic Howard. At the present time, all the band members are from the original line-up. The band has had constant success, with the first seven albums all making the number one position on the UK Album Charts.

The artwork for the cover was created by Storm Thorgerson, an English graphic designer and director of music videos. Thorgerson also worked on the covers for several well-known bands, including Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and the Scorpions.

Answer: The Darkness

The Darkness are a British rock band fronted by lead vocalist and lead guitarist Justin Hawkins. The band got together in 2000 in Lowestoft, England. "Permission to Land" is the debut studio album from the band, released on July 7, 2003, in the UK and September 16, 2003, in the US. Their debut album reached the top position on the UK Album Chart, but only just made it into the top 40 on the US Billboard 200.

Personnel on the album were Justin Hawkins, his brother Dan Hawkins, Frankie Poullain, and Ed Graham. The album is a mixture of hard rock and glam metal. The Darkness has a distinctive sound egged on by the frontman, Justin Hawkins, as his voice spans five octaves.

The designer of the sleeve was Bruce Brand, and the photography was by Patrick Ford. The image is of an alien spaceship with a naked blonde directing the spaceship on the runway. The first meeting between Justin Hawkins and Bruce Brand was in a pub in Camden, North London. Hawkins already had a photo; however, it needed some attention. Once the pair had a rough idea of how the cover should look, work on the artwork began. With a few adjustments and wooden panelling added to the spaceship, the cover was finalised and signed off.

Answer: Limp Bizkit

Limp Bizkit is an American band from Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. The band was formed in 1994. "Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavoured Water" was the band's third studio album. The album reached the top spot on both the UK Album Chart and the US Billboard 200. The album also reached the top position in eleven other countries.

The cover design for the album was by Wesley Louden Borland, the guitarist and backing singer for the band.

Answer: Chris Rea

"The Road to Hell" is an album from the English rock and blues singer Chris Rea. Recorded at the Miraval Studios in France, it was released in October 1989. The album topped the charts on the UK Album Chart but failed to make much progress on the US Billboard 200. This album was the 10th from Chris, and it was my favourite from the artist. In his career spanning several decades, Chris has recorded 25 studio albums.

John Carver from Creative Directions took charge of the project and commissioned the illustrator Adrian Chesterman to design the cover.

Answer: Blur

The English band Blur recorded the album "Parklife." This was their third studio album, released on April 25, 1994. The album never charted on the US Billboard 200 but did reach the sixth position on the Billboard Top Heatseekers. In the UK, the album hit the top spot on the UK Album Chart.

Blur were part of the "Britpop" scene along with Oasis. In 1995, the friendly rivalry with Oasis became known as "The Battle of Britpop." Both bands seek to be number one on the singles or album charts.

The image for the album cover was a stock photo from a sports picture library. The booklet that came with the album depicts photos of Walthamstow Stadium in East London, which has now been pulled down and redeveloped as flats. Chris Thompson of Stylorouge, a graphic design studio based in Yalding, Kent, designed the sleeve.

Answer: Oasis

"Be Here Now" was recorded by the UK band Oasis. The album was released on August 21, 1997. Chart-wise, the album was a number-one hit on the UK Album Chart and reached the second position on the US Billboard 200.

The album cover was designed by Brian Cannon, and the photographer was Michael Spencer-Jones.
In the photo, it shows all the band members around the pool at Stocks House in Hertfordshire. The property was the former home of Victor Lownes. Lownes was the head of the Playboy Clubs in the UK and left the company in 1981. The cost of the cover is reported to have been £75,000.

Answer: Dire Straits

"Brothers in Arms" was recorded by the British band Dire Straits. Released on May 13, 1985, it was their fifth studio album. The album was a massive hit for the band, topping the number one position on both the UK Album Chart and the US Billboard 200. "Brothers in Arms" also made the top spot in 16 other countries. With over 30 million copies sold around the world, the album has the distinction of being one of the world's best-selling albums.

The front cover of the album was photographed by Deborah Feingold, well known for her rock and roll photography. The guitar on the cover is Mark Knopfler's 1937 14-fret National Style "O" Resonator.