Pedal to the Metal Trivia Quiz

Answer: Platinum

"Platinum Blonde" is one of the five tracks originally included in a demo recorded in 1975 by American band Blondie, a year before the release of their self-titled debut album. It was first issued in 1994 as part of Blondie's double compilation album "The Platinum Collection", which also contains all the singles (both A- and B-sides) released by the band between 1976 and 1982, the year in which they split up.

A lively, humorous pop-punk song (and a mission statement of sorts), "Platinum Blonde" was the first song written by charismatic vocalist Debbie Harry, the band's founder along with guitarist Chris Stein. In the lyrics, Harry - a natural brunette who at the time had just started bleaching her hair in her signature two-toned shade - mentions a number of famous blonde stars (such as Marilyn Monroe, Mae West and Jean Harlow, the original "platinum blonde"). In an interview, she stated that these "blonde goddesses" had been a major influence on her stage persona and the band as a whole. In fact, the name Blondie comes from the catcall that men shouted at Harry when she walked by with her newly-bleached hair.

Answer: Tin

Released as a single in December 1967, "Tin Soldier" was one of the biggest hits for English band Small Faces - reaching number nine in the UK Singles chart, though failing to reach higher than number 73 in the US charts. Though this power-pop classic was originally written by guitarist/vocalist Steve Marriott for American soul singer P.P. Arnold (who contributed backing vocals to the recording), Marriott eventually decided to keep it for his band.

Marriott wrote the song for Jenny Rylance, who would become his first wife in 1968; its main inspiration was the well-known fairy tale "The Steadfast Tin Soldier" by Hans Christian Andersen. With its bluesy feel and catchy chorus, making the most of Marriott's distinctive, high-pitched vocals, "Tin Soldier" is a rather unconventional love song meant to convince the woman of the singer's true feelings for her.

Answer: Silver

The epic "Man on the Silver Mountain" is one of the most famous songs by hard rock band Rainbow, founded by former Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore with four members of American outfit Elf. The song, written by Blackmore with vocalist Ronnie James Dio, opens the band's debut album, "Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow" (1975). Also released as a single, it quickly became a staple of the band's live performances.

A mid-tempo based on a recurring guitar riff, "Man on the Silver Mountain" showcases Dio's powerful yet melodic vocals, as well as Rainbow's trademark fantasy themes. Its lyrics were described by both Dio and Blackmore as "quasi-religious", identifying the man as a God-like figure - However, in an interview Blackmore expressed the view that the man was somebody who had reached the top of the silver mountain, but was then unable to come down again.

Answer: Gold

Written and sung by vocalist Stevie Nicks, the eerily beautiful "Gold Dust Woman" closes Fleetwood Mac's record-busting album "Rumours" (1977). It was also released as the B-side of the singles "Don't Stop" (in the UK) and "You Make Loving Fun" (in the US). It took Nicks at least eight takes to get the vocal exactly the way she wanted it. Then, at the end of the final recording, drummer Mick Fleetwood took a hammer to some sheets of glass to enhance Nick's haunting vocals with the harsh sound of breaking glass. The song also features a number of unusual instruments, such as electric harpsichord and Dobro, a kind of resonator guitar.

Although the title of the song comes from a street in the town of Wickenburg, Arizona, where Nicks (a Phoenix native) spent some time as a child, "Gold Dust Woman" has often been interpreted as being about cocaine, of which the members of Fleetwood Mac made abundant use during the album's recording sessions. Like most of the songs on "Rumours", it also reflected the volatile personal relationships within the band - in particular the painful breakup between Nicks and guitarist Lindsey Buckingham. A high-energy cover of "Gold Dust Woman" was released in 1996 by American alt-rock band Hole.

Answer: Brass

Released in November 1979 as the third single from The Pretenders' self-titled debut album, "Brass in Pocket" was written by vocalist/guitarist Chrissie Hynde and guitarist James Honeyman-Scott. It became the band's breakthrough and one of their biggest hits, reaching number one in the UK Singles chart and number 14 in the US Billboard Hot 100. The song is based on a guitar line that Honeyman-Scott played for Hynde, who then recorded the part and wrote the lyrics. The title comes from a British slang phrase referring to money.

The lyrics to "Brass in Pocket" have been interpreted in various ways. Hynde explained in an interview that they were written from the point of view of an insecure young man who tries to impress a girl by displaying self-confidence. The jaunty pace of this sassy pop song is enhanced by Hynde's sultry contralto vocals. However, the music video is somewhat at odds with the song's upbeat musical and lyrical content, as it has Hynde playing a lonely waitress in a diner who fails to impress a trio of male customers (played by the other band members).

Answer: Iron

"Iron Man" first appeared on Black Sabbath's second studio album "Paranoid" (1970); it was released as a single in the US in October of the same year. Written by all four members of the band, it was based on a guitar riff by Tony Iommi that, according to vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, sounded like a "big iron bloke walking around": indeed, the song's original title was "Iron Bloke". Though it did not chart particularly high (reaching number 52 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart), "Iron Man" became one of Black Sabbath's most iconic songs, and a mainstay of their live shows. The rendition of the song featured on their 1998 "Reunion" live album was awarded a Grammy for Best Metal Performance in 2000.

Opening with Ozzy's eerily distorted vocals, "Iron Man" hinges on a massive, ominous guitar riff that has often been cited as one of the most significant in the history of rock. Its lyrics, written by bassist Geezer Butler, were influenced by science fiction and horror movies, as well as religious themes. As Butler has often stated, the song bears no relation to the Marvel Comics superhero of the same name. The lyrics tell of a man who travels into the future and witnesses the apocalypse: however, while he is traveling back to Earth to warn people, he is turned to steel by a magnetic storm. Ridiculed and disbelieved, he retaliates against his fellow humans by bringing about the apocalypse he had tried to warn them about.

Answer: Lead

An upbeat song in spite of its title, "Lead Balloon" appears on Joni Mitchell's 1998 album "Taming the Tiger", her sixteenth studio effort. It features lead guitar by noted session guitarist Michael Landau, which lends the song a strong rock vibe not usually associated with Mitchell's previous releases.

The song's roots lie in the feud between Mitchell and Jann Wenner, founder of magazine "Rolling Stone" and co-founder of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In the lyrics, Mitchell details an encounter with Wenner at some awards ceremony that ended with her throwing her drink at him. Things between the Canadian singer-songwriter and "Rolling Stone" had been tense since the early '70s because of the magazine's (and Wenner's) sexist attitude towards Mitchell and female musicians in general.

Answer: Steel

"Wheels of Steel" is the title-track from the second studio album by English heavy metal band Saxon, released in 1980; the song was also released as a single a few weeks before the album. The song, like the album, is widely regarded as a classic, embodying the essence of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal of the late '70s and early '80s, which also spawned juggernauts Iron Maiden and Def Leppard.

Written by all five members of Saxon, "Wheels of Steel" is a pounding mid-tempo with a catchy riff that celebrates the excitement of driving a sports car at high speed - an activity often referenced in hard rock and heavy metal songs. The song was covered in 2004 by American hard rock band L.A. Guns; it is also featured in a number of video games in the "Grand Theft Auto" series.

Answer: Copper

Composed in 1953 by Texas-born songwriter Albert Frank Beddoe, "Copper Kettle" (also known as "Get You a Copper Kettle") was originally written for a folk opera titled "Go Lightly, Stranger". Other sources report that the song dates from the 1940s and is of likely folk origin. In 1962, it was made popular by Joan Baez, who included a recording of it in her live album "Joan Baez in Concert". However, the best-known version of the song appears on Bob Dylan's tenth studio album, "Self-Portrait" (1970).

The song's title refers to the vessel used in the Appalachian region of the US to make moonshine, a kind of high-proof liquor usually produced and distributed illegally. Narrated by a farmer whose family have a tradition of making moonshine, "Copper Kettle" emphasizes the positive aspects of this activity, such as lying in the juniper bushes in the moonlight while the liquor is being distilled. The song also mentions the farmers' resistance to the unpopular whiskey tax imposed by the newly-formed US government in 1791, which led to the Whiskey Rebellion of 1791-1794.

Answer: Mercury

"Mercury Rising" was the first single from The Stranglers' 17th studio album, "Giants" (2012). The album was recorded by the band as a four-piece, with guitarist Baz Warne and bassist Jean-Jacques Burnel sharing vocal duties. Warne wrote the bulk of this song, whose sound is reminiscent of some of the band's hits of the 1980s.

Unlike other songs whose title includes the word "mercury", "Mercury Rising" actually refers to the metal in a barometer - which rises when the pressure goes up - rather than the planet. In the song's lyrics, it is implied that the "mercury rising" (a phrase that does not actually appear in the lyrics) refers to the heavy, brooding atmosphere during a live performance - as well as the excitement caused by the sight of a girl "with electric eyes". The song was inspired by the rather tense dynamics within the band when Warne first joined in 2000.