Artis Leon Ivey Jr. is an American rapper who goes by the name Coolio. He was born in Compton, California in 1963. In 1995 he released the ground-breaking hit single "Gangsta's Paradise" which won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance in 1996.
The following year he won another Grammy for "1,2,3,4 (Sumpin' New)", a hip hop song which starts "Ain't no party like a West Coast party/'Cause a West Coast party don't stop". It went to number five on the Billboard Hot 100.
2. "Three Little Birds"
Answer: Bob Marley
Jamaican reggae artist Bob Marley (1945-1981) blended aspects of reggae, ska and rocksteady into his songs. In 1977, after his group The Wailers disbanded, he released the solo album "Exodus", which included the upbeat tune "Three Little Birds". The song begins with the famous lines "Don't worry about a thing/'Cause every little thing gonna be alright".
Other well known hits from the album include "Waiting in Vain", "Jamming" and "One Love".
3. "Four Horsemen (of the Apocalypse)"
Answer: The Clash
The English punk rock band The Clash was formed back in 1976. "Four Horsemen" is on the group's third album, "London Calling", which was released in December, 1979. "Four Horsemen (of the Apocalypse)", ironically, was written in an attempt to lighten the sound of the album.
The lyrics include "Well they were given the grapes that go ripe in the sun/That loosen the screws at the back of the tongue/But they told no one where they had begun". The song was written by Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon and Topper Headon.
4. "High 5"
Answer: Beck
Musician Beck Hansen, known as Beck, was born Bek David Campbell in Los Angeles, California, in 1970. The song "High 5 (Rock the Catskills)" is from the album "Odelay", which was released on June 18, 1996. Beck is known for his fusion of musical styles which include folk, funk, soul, hip hop, alternative rock, etc., creating a unique sound.
The song "High 5" begins "High 5! More dead than alive!/Rocking the plastic like a man from the Catskills!".
5. "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son"
Answer: Iron Maiden
"Seventh Son of a Seventh Son" is a song from the 1988 album of the same name. The song and the album were recorded by the British heavy metal band, Iron Maiden, founded in 1975, by songwriter and bassist Steve Harris. Iron Maiden is considered to be one of the most successful heavy metal bands, still producing albums well into the 21st century, e.g., "The Final Frontier" (2010) and "The Book of Souls" in 2015.
In folklore, the seventh son of a seventh son is said to have special powers, which are reflected in the lyrics of the song.
6. "Love Potion number 9"
Answer: The Searchers
The Liverpool based pop band, The Searchers, formed in 1957, and were part of the Merseybeat sound, along with The Beatles and Hollies. The group released the album "Meet the Searchers" in 1963. The album featured a song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller ("Hound Dog' and "Kansas City") called "Love Potion
number 9", which had previously been performed by The Clovers. The song was about a gypsy lady who sold a man (looking for love) a love potion, so he "didn't know if it was day or night/I started kissing everything in sight".
7. "Ten Years Gone"
Answer: Led Zeppelin
Written by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, "Ten Years Gone" is from the album "Physical Graffiti", by the London band Led Zeppelin, released in 1975. Record producer Rick Rubin said the song was "a deep, reflective piece with hypnotic, interweaving riffs." It was originally meant to be an instrumental, which explains the intricate, euphonious sound.
The song ends with the lyrics "I'm never gonna leave you/I never gonna leave/Holdin' on, ten years gone..." The band was formed in 1968 with Page, Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham.
8. "Edge of Seventeen"
Answer: Stevie Nicks
Former member of Fleetwood Mac, Stephanie "Stevie" Nicks, often dubbed "Queen of Rock n' Roll", released her first solo album "Bella Donna" in 1981. The album topped the Billboard Album charts, and contains the beautiful, enigmatic song "Edge of Seventeen".
The title of the song came from a discussion about when Nicks met Tom Petty; her reply was 'the age of seventeen', which was misheard. The meaning of the song is a matter of some speculation, including a reference to former band member Lindsey Buckingham, or a discourse on death. "Well then suddenly...There was no one...left standing."
9. "19th Nervous Breakdown"
Answer: The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones is a British Rock group formed in London in 1962, with band members Mick Jagger, Brian Jones, Keith Richards, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts and Ian Stuart. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. "Got LIVE If You Want It!" was their first live album, released in 1966.
The songs on the album include "Under My Thumb", "Get Off of My Cloud" and "19th Nervous Breakdown". The lyrics of the latter are a 'put down' of spoiled brats who are given everything and yet still complain.
10. "25 or 6 to 4"
Answer: Chicago
American rock band Chicago was formed in 1967 in...Chicago, Illinois. While they started out with the intention of dealing with political issues, they moved to a softer, ballad-like sound, with hits like "Make Me Smile" and "Colour My World". Chicago's first top five hit was "25 or 6 to 4", which is actually about a songwriter trying to write a song at 25 or 26 minutes before four in the morning, i.e., "Staring blindly into space/Getting up to splash my face/Wanting just to stay awake/Wondering how much I can take".
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