First Lines of Classic Rock Albums Online Trivia | Music

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Let's start with the most celebrated of our artists and, indeed, one of their most celebrated albums. Of course, with this band's stellar output, that could be almost any of their LP's! Name the album that begins with the line "It was twenty years ago today..."

Answer: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

"...Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play."

Some consider this the pinnacle of the Beatles' uncannily excellent in-studio career. For instance, the magazine Rolling Stone ranked Sgt. Pepper as the top album of all time in their list of the 500 greatest. The line in question comes from the title track, which sets up the premise to come: the song cycle is being performed by the fictional Lonely Hearts Club Band! McCartney came up with the idea for the Beatles to take on this new persona on record in order for them to be more free in their approach to song- and album-craft. I'd say it worked pretty well, wouldn't you?

2. This band was at the peak of its powers from '68 through '72. In that period they released a series of albums perhaps unparalleled by any artist. What is the title of the one which begins with the phrase, "Oooh, a storm is threatening my very life today..."?

Answer: Let It Bleed

"...If I don't get some shelter, oh yeah, I'm gonna fade away."

This was the '69 release by the Rolling Stones, who were on one of the most scorching hot streaks in rock history at this point. Their blues and country passions were becoming more lived-in, leading to music teeming with authenticity far ahead of the pop fare that they had been trading in. The lyric comes from "Gimme Shelter," the apocalyptic opener given added weight by the wailings of Merry Clayton.

3. Another iconic streak of albums is represented in this entry. Perhaps no other solo artist so powerfully influenced the landscape of rock, and this was his most pivotal moment. "Johnny's in the basement, mixing up the medicine..." was the opening lyric of which legendary album?

Answer: Bringing It All Back Home

"...I'm on the pavement, thinking about the government."

Here Bob Dylan shifted from acoustic folk into electric music, but being the Judas of folk takes more than that. Dylan began a shift into more surreal and complex lyrics while expanding his sonic palette. Nevertheless, the profundity of his work was arguably magnified by his explorations into new territory. "Subterranean Homesick Blues," which provided this lyric, was maybe the most exemplary track from this period, tackling Vietnam, civil rights, counterculture and the like through the lens of Pete Seeger, Jack Kerouac, and Chuck Berry--but only the mercurial genius of Dylan could piece it all together like this.

4. One of the longest-running hit-makers in rock history, this entry has seen his share of highs and lows. History will see him, ultimately, as one of music's most enduring pioneers--of both music and eyewear. His fifth LP starts with the line "When I look back, boy I must have been green..." What was the name of the album?

Answer: Honky Chateau

"...boppin' in the country, fishin' in a stream."

Elton John's early career was the story of one of the most prolific artists around. With Bernie Taupin as his collaborator, he released 7 albums in 3 years (that's including a live album and a soundtrack, but still...). Honky Chateau was his first album to hit #1 on the charts. While nowadays "Rocket Man" has become the more well-known song from the album, our lyric comes from "Honky Cat," which was also a hit single. In fact, this was John's first album to have more than one top ten single!

5. As far as albums go, this is one of the biggest. And the group, which had morphed dramatically in both style and personnel since its inception, was inspired here by turmoil of a different kind. The album's first line is "I know there's nothing to say, someone has taken my place..." What is the name of this landmark release?

Answer: Rumours

"...When times go bad, when times go rough, won't you lay me down in the tall grass and let me do my stuff."

Fleetwood Mac started as a blues band, born of connections originating from John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. By '75 they had become a pop band, paving the way for massive success as new members Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks strongly influenced the direction they would take. Their eponymous effort was a revelation, but the intraband romantic turmoil which came with success led to--what else?--even more massive success. The lyric comes from "Second Hand News."

6. An artist of legendary proportions who produced an album of legendary intention: he wanted this album to sound like "Roy Orbison singing Bob Dylan, produced by [Phil] Spector." "The screen door slams, Mary's dress waves..." is the line that begins this masterpiece. Name the album.

Answer: Born to Run

"...like a vision she dances across the porch as the radio plays."

Bruce Springsteen arguably became The Boss here, an album which is part of a sequence of events that landed him on the covers of both Time and Newsweek in the same week. The songs explore down-to-earth themes, and both the title track and the lyric-providing "Thunder Road" see that old rock 'n' roll chestnut the car as the engine of salvation. The grandiosity of the production underscores the big hearts found in small lives--vintage Springsteen.

7. His heart full of soul, just like his voice, this man is only as unruly as his hair. This workman became a showman on his breakthrough solo album from '71, for better or worse. The first lyric from the record is, "Spent some time feelin' inferior, standin' in front of my mirror..." What is the album's name?

Answer: Every Picture Tells A Story

"...combed my hair in a thousand ways, but I came out lookin' just the same."

By the time this album hit, Rod Stewart had released two solo albums and been a part of multiple critically-acclaimed groups (the Faces and the Jeff Beck Group). None of that would prepare him or us for his masterpiece, "Every Picture Tells A Story", and its accompanying single "Maggie May". The song made the gravelly-voiced singer a true star, and the innovative style of his early days (a unique fusion of laddish gin-soaked rock, folky country and blues, and a heartfelt sensibility the most lauded singer-songwriters would envy) began to lose its grip on his lapel, only to be supplanted entirely only two albums later. The lyric comes from the title track.

8. The elfin duo in question here plugged in an album ago, but was only gathering steam for this genre-bridging album which blended the Chuck Berry era with the Summer of Love in the most forward-thinking way possible. "Beneath the bebop moon, I wanna croon, with you..." is the announcement that begins this breakthrough release. What is the album titled?

Answer: Electric Warrior

"...Beneath the mambo sun, I've got to be the one, with you."

T. Rex was mostly the brainchild of Marc Bolan, one of the more widely-discredited geniuses of his era. The simplicity which some critics assign him is mostly misplaced. He is not merely the definer of glam, but indeed is the bridge between the most disparate corners of mainstream rock. Early Elvis and Chuck Berry-style rock meets hippie era folk and psychedelia, seventies guitar rock gives way to punk... and it all goes through Bolan. He is the nexus, and Electric Warrior is the album that made him a star and a scapegoat, as imitators only copped the most superficial of his attributes. The lyric is from "Mambo Sun".

9. This is where experimentalism intersected with commercial success in a big way for a band that arguably drifted through very foggy waters since the departure of its original leader. This album begins with the reminder, "Breathe, breathe in the air..." What is the title of the this masterwork?

Answer: Dark Side of the Moon

"...don't be afraid to care."

Whether it syncs up with "Wizard of Oz" or not, this Pink Floyd album is one of the most popular of all time. For such an abstract release, that's quite a feat. Luckily, the musique concrete aspects, instrumental/vocal interludes, and spacy psychedelia are balanced out by direct contemplations on universal subject matter. "Dark Side of the Moon" spent 741 consecutive weeks (14 years) on the USA-based Billboard 200 album chart, the longest duration of any album in history. "Speak to Me" is the opener, but the first line doesn't come until "Breathe," track #2.

10. And finally, a bonus question regarding our opening act. Which pair of albums listed below contains the same opening line?

Answer: "Please Please Me" and "Revolver"

I suppose this is a bit of a trick question on some level. However, a quick listen to the openings of "Please Please Me" and "Revolver" reveals that each starts off with a count-up, "1, 2, 3, 4". Notably, considering the varied eras they represent, the former album opens enthusiastically and ends in a shout which leads to the bounding Merseybeat of the early Beatles. The latter presents a druggier, slower, and lower-pitched count more in line with the hazy psychedelia to come. In some ways "Revolver" is a bit of a rebirth for the Beatles, so perhaps the similar opening lyrics of these two albums is intentional.

Thanks for taking the quiz! And remember... in the end, the quiz you take is equal to the quiz you make. :)

Source: Author SolidSnape

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor CellarDoor before going online.
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First Lines of Classic Rock Albums Quiz

As the title suggests, this quiz will test your knowledge of the first words uttered in classic albums by artists in the vein of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and other peerless rock artists. I'll name the lyric, you name the album. Good luck!

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