Music Albums of the 1960s and their Artists Quiz

Answer: The Beatles

'Rubber Soul' was released by The Beatles in December 1965 as a Christmas album for both The U.K. and U.S. markets. The tracking sequence was different for each market with only twelve tracks on the U.S. release whilst the U.K. release had fourteen tracks.

The album topped the U.S. chart for six weeks but it topped the U.K. chart for eight weeks. The U.S. album had as its first track 'I've Just Seen a Face' but this song had already appeared in the U.K. in August 1965 on the soundtrack of the Beatles film "Help!". The song 'Michelle', which appeared on both versions of 'Rubber Soul' won a Grammy award.

Answer: The Beach Boys

Released in May 1966,'Pet Sounds' was The Beach Boys' eleventh studio album. It was, however, unlike its pop-oriented predecessors, more musically complex, innovative and progressive. Written by Brian Wilson with lyrics collaborator Tony Asher, it leaned heavily on the 'Wall of Sound' techniques used by the producer Phil Spector.
The Beatles have intimated that The Beach Boys 'Pet Sounds' was an influence for them when recording their 'Sgt Pepper' album.

Answer: The Rolling Stones

'Out Of Our Heads' was the Rolling Stones album which saw Jagger and Richards beginning to contribute more as song writers. It also saw a change in the dynamics of the group. Whereas Brian Jones had previously been the acknowledged founder member and leader of the group, it now saw him retreating from prominence.

The U.K. release differs from U.S. release in songs and tracking sequence; however, both albums include the song 'Satisfaction' which was a Jagger and Richards composition and which became the group's first number one in the U.S. and their fourth number one in the U.K.

Answer: The Moody Blues

'Days Of Future Passed' was a collaboration between The Moody Blues and the conductor Peter Knight's London Festival Orchestra. Deram Records, who the group were signed to, suggested that they make a Rock and Roll version of Dvorak's 'New World Symphony' to promote the label's latest recording techniques called 'Deramic Stereo Sound'.

The Moody Blues, however, persuaded the record label to let them use their own songs in the experiment. The result was the album 'Days Of Future Passed'. The album was released in November 1967 both in the U.S. and U.K.

The single released from the album was 'Nights in White Satin' which did moderately well in both the U.K and U.S.

Answer: Simon and Garfunkel

The album 'Bookends' was released in April 1968 and covered topics ranging from youth to old age and also touches on The American Dream. Track five on the album is a recording of two elderly people talking together which is then followed by the track 'Old Friends' the lyrics of which give the album its title, ("sat on their park bench like bookends").

The track 'America' is about a young couple travelling together through America and suggests that they are looking with others who have come to America for "The Dream".

The album reached the number one position on both the Billboard 200 album chart and the U.K album chart.

Answer: Cream

The 'Wheels Of Fire' album by Cream was released in August 1968 just three months before the group played their farewell concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London. After this concert the three members, Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, and Jack Bruce went their separate musical ways.

The 'Wheels of Fire' album consisted of two discs: one side was a live concert performed by Cream at The Filmore West in San Francisco, while the second disc was a studio production. The album had the accolade to be the first certified double album to receive a platinum disc.

Answer: Glen Campbell

Although Glen Campbell had released five previous albums,'Gentle On My Mind', which was released in August 1967, was the first to make any real impression on the U.S Billboard 200 album charts, reaching fifth position. The album was not released in the U.K. but it paved the way for future releases there. 'Gentle On My Mind' received two Grammy awards: The first was for Best Country and Western recording and the second was for the single taken from the album, also titled 'Gentle On My Mind', which received the Best Country and Western Solo Male Vocal Performance award.

Answer: The Monkees

"Headquarters" was the the third album by The Monkees. It was released in May 1967 following the acrimonious departure of Don Kirshner who had been their music supervisor. It is the first album on which the personnel of the Monkees - Dolenz, Nesmith, Tork and Jones had contributed on all fronts: writing the songs, both lyrics and music, playing their own instruments and singing on all tracks.

The album reached the number number one position on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart but peaked at number two in the U.K.

This was mainly due to The Beatles releasing their "Sgt Pepper" album in June 1967. The track 'For Pete's Sake' was used as the closing theme for The Monkees' second television series.

Answer: Bob Dylan

March 2015 saw the 50th anniversary of the release of Bob Dylan's controversial album 'Bringing It All Back Home' in 1965. It was controversial in that prior to this Bob Dylan had taken a traditionalist folk music acoustic stance on his albums and live performances. On the 'Bringing It All Back Home' album he used a backing band with electric guitars which was a diversion.

The album does however have a folk influence on tracks such as 'Mr Tambourine Man' and 'It's All Over Now Baby Blue' both of which would later be covered by other artists.

Answer: Jimi Hendrix Experience

This double album was released by the Jimi Hendrix Experience in October 1966. The group consisted of American lead guitarist Jimi Hendrix with Noel Redding on bass and Mitch Mitchell on drums. Both Redding and Mitchell were from England. It would be the last record that the three recorded together as they split up the following year.

The album was notable for the Hendrix rendition of the Dylan song 'All Along The Watchtower'. The album was also notable for its UK sleeve cover of 19 naked women lounging around.

This had not been sanctioned by Hendrix who had suggested a photograph of the band sitting with children on the statue of Alice in Wonderland in Central Park.