Classic Rock : Which Band Released Which Album? Quiz

Answer: Dark Side Of The Moon

"The Dark Side Of The Moon" was released in 1973. It was two years later when I first caught Pink Floyd live at the Knebworth Festival that I became hooked on the band and the album. Another UK band, Medicine Head, beat Pink Floyd to the "Dark Side Of The Moon" album title by a year. When the Medicine Head album flopped Pink Floyd considered it safe to go ahead with the album title.

Answer: II

"Van Halen II" was released in 1979. It reached number six in the "Billboard" charts. The first Van Halen LP I heard I was immediately grabbed by it. Van Halen is the family name of the founding members, drummer Alex and guitarist Eddie.

Answer: It's Only Rock And Roll

Released in 1974, it is said to bridge the Mick Taylor and the Ronnie Wood eras of The Rolling Stones. It was a tremendous follow up to the 1973 "Goats Head Soup" offering. One of the standout tracks was the title track which was accompanied by a video of the band in a plastic tunnel filling with soap bubbles, crazy!

Answer: A Kind Of Magic

The 1986 release from Queen contains tracks written for the "Highlander" film which just happens to be a favourite movie of mine. The opening track "One Vision", whilst not in "Highlander" was included in the soundtrack of the 1984 movie "Iron Eagle". This was the last Queen album promoted by a concert tour, complete with huge flying inflatables of the band members.

Answer: Welcome To My Nightmare

Alice Cooper released "Welcome To My Nightmare" in 1975. The album introduced us to "Steven", a character Alice reprises on other albums, "Alice Cooper Goes To Hell" 1976, "Hey Stoopid" 1991, "The Last Temptation" 1994, "Along Came A Spider" 2008 and "Welcome 2 My Nightmare" 2011.

The video of the "Welcome To My Nightmare" concert was filmed at Wembley Empire Pool in London; I was there!

Answer: Nantucket Sleighride

Mountain released "Nantucket Sleighride" in 1971. The title track refers to a whaling boat being towed along by a harpooned whale. The song is dedicated to Owen Coffin, a young whaler on the whaling ship "Essex". The fate of the "Essex" was the inspiration for the Herman Melville classic "Moby Dick" and latterly the 2015 movie "In The Heart Of The Sea".

Answer: Stranger In Town

The 1978 album "Stranger In Town" was my first proper introduction to Bob Seger. The opening track "Hollywood Nights" reached number 12 in the USA and 42 in the UK. Bob Seger songs have been covered extensively. Especially notable are "Old Time Rock And Roll from the "Stranger In Town" album by Status Quo, "Turn The Page" by Metallica and "Rosalie" by Thin Lizzy.

Answer: Wheels Of Steel

"Wheels Of Steel" was the 1980 release from "NWOBHM", pronounced "Ner-wob-em" (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) band Saxon. It went platinum on UK sales where it reached number five in the album chart. Originally from Barnsley, Yorkshire, Saxon are proudly English, often performing St. George's Day concerts.

The cover art of their 1983 release "Power And The Glory" was produced by Ridley Scott the Hollywood director.

Answer: High On The Hog

"High On The Hog" was released in 1973 when it reached number 25 in the "Billboard" charts. The stand out track is "Jim Dandy" after whom the singer Jim (Dandy) Mangrum is nicknamed. His stage persona is said to have been a big influence on the style of Van Halen's David Lee Roth. Black Oak Arkansas were originally known as The Knowbody Else before adopting the name of their home town.

Answer: Black Rose

The full title of Thin Lizzy's 1979 album is "Black Rose: A Rock Legend". The album provided the band with four singles as well as the epic "Roisin Dubh (Black Rose) A Rock Legend". The final track, "Roisin Dubh" was written by Irishmen Philip Lynott and Gary Moore, both unfortunately now deceased, who used traditional Irish tunes and rock guitars to show their Celtic roots.