"Midnight Train to Georgia" was Gladys Knight's first song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100. It was also a gold record, selling one million copies by October 1973. The song was released on the group's "Imagination" album in August 1973, their first record on the Buddah label. The song was on "Rolling Stone" magazine's "500 greatest songs" list.
2. Midnight Train Going Anywhere
Answer: Journey
The line "midnight train going anywhere" is from "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey. It was released in October 1981 as part of their album "Escape." It is the band's signature song, and was the most downloaded song recorded in the 20th century.
"Don't Stop Believing" has become an iconic part of popular culture - it was the first big hit for the cast of "Glee" and it featured in the final episode of "The Sopranos" (2007). It is also a big part of sports culture, played at both Detroit Red Wings and San Francisco Giants games. It is also on Rolling Stone magazine's list of "500 Greatest Songs."
3. Highway to Hell
Answer: AC/DC
"Highway to Hell" comes from the AC/DC album of the same name released in July 1979. It was only a modest hit for the band when it first came out, hitting number 47 on the US Billboard charts. Its highest rank was in the Netherlands, hitting number 17.
The song celebrates the wild, risky lifestyle of rock musicians. It was written by Angus and Malcolm Young and lead singer Bon Scott. Tragically, Scott would drink himself to death only six months later.
4. Stairway to Heaven
Answer: Led Zeppelin
"Stairway to Heaven" was written by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin in 1970, and released on Led Zeppelin IV in November 1971. The song was never released a single, but it was one of the most requested radio songs of the 1970s and remains one of the most popularly requested songs on radio decades later.
"Stairway to Heaven" is on Rolling Stone magazine's list of "500 Greatest Songs." It is widely regarded as one of the greatest rock and roll songs ever recorded.
5. Road to Nowhere
Answer: Talking Heads
"Road to Nowhere" was written by David Byrne for the Talking Heads in 1985. It appears on the album "Little Creatures" and several other Taking Heads albums. It was a modest hit for the band, reaching number 25 in the United States and #6 in both the UK and Germany.
Ozzy Osbourne also released a song called "Road to Nowhere" on his 1991 album "No More Tears."
6. Road to Perdition
Answer: Jay Electronica
"Road to Perdition" was recorded by rap star Jay Electronica in March 2015. Electronica, also known as Elpadaro Allah, is a rapper from New Orleans who first gained fame in 2007. The song itself is somewhat hyperbolic, with the wild exaggeration that is common in rap lyrics.
7. Last Train to London
Answer: Electric Light Orchestra
"Last Train to London" was released by Electric Light Orchestra in November 1979. It was the B-side to the song "Confusion." It was a modest hit in the US, reaching #38, and did slightly better in the UK, getting as high as number8.
Jeff Lynne said the song was inspired by the many late-night train trips he took between Birmingham and London.
8. Last Train to Clarksville
Answer: The Monkees
"Last Train to Clarksville" was a number one hit for the Monkees in August 1966. The Monkees were created as a boy band for a television series, but they recorded several hit records along the way. "Last Train to Clarksville" was their debut song. It was written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart and was supposed to emulate Beatles hits such as "Paperback Writer."
The song has a young man urging his significant other to travel to Clarksville so they can have one last night together. Given the era, it is implied that he was a soldier who was being shipped to Vietnam. There actually is a military base not too far from Clarksville, Tennessee.
9. Train to Nowhere
Answer: Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton recorded the work of songwriter J.J. Cale to produce "Train to Nowhere" in 2014. Cale died in July 2013, and Clapton released the song as a tribute to his songwriting partner. Cale is probably best known for the Clapton hit "Cocaine" (1976).
If you look at the lyrics, riding on the "Train to Nowhere" doesn't actually seem like a very desirable experience. It seems like the mobile version of the "Hotel California."
10. Road to Shambala
Answer: Three Dog Night
"Road to Shambala" was written by Daniel Moore and made famous by Three Dog Night in May of 1973. The song reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. The song is about a mythical kingdom in the Himalayas, and has mystical overtones. "Shambala" did top the charts in New Zealand. It was also certified as a gold record by the RIAA.
The song was also recorded by country western singer B.W. Stevenson that same summer, but it peaked at number 6 on the charts.
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor 1nn1 before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.