Rolling Stone's 500 "Greatest Albums" Part 17 Quiz

Answer: Doggystyle

In 1993, "Doggystyle" was the debut album from by Snoop Doggy Dog. With Dr. Dre in the producer's chair, it went straight in at the top of the Billboard 200, the first debut album to do so, and was a number ten in Canada. That relationship with Dr. Dre was also a game changer for Snoop, whose career seemed to be going nowhere up until then. Before "Doggystyle" he sang on Dre's album "The Chronic" and the theme song to the movie "Deep Cover".

Snoop - Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr - was credited with expanding the language and imagery of rap music and bringing more musicians into the genre.

Answer: Rhythm

In 1989 Janet Jackson released her fourth album, "Rhythm Nation 1814", a disc that some said altered the sound and scope of pop music forever. The tracks mixed up personal and political messages. Jackson has said that when she was in the studio recording, she was aware of live television feeds of a mass shooting at a school in Stockton, California.

Whatever the influences, seven singles from the album were to reach the top five of the Hot 100 - a feat that was unprecedented. The album topped the Billboard 200 and as also a number one in Australia. It reached five and four in Canada and the UK respectively.

Answer: World

Released in 1975, "Another Green World" was the third album from England's Brian Eno. While the former Roxy Music member was respected for his music, it did not catch much popular attention among record buyers. "Another Green World" was hailed as his best to that time.

Eno was, some said "a fantastic songwriter" and his ideas were prescient of musical genres to come.

Answer: Harding

Released in 1967, in some ways "John Wesley Harding" was Bob Dylan getting back to his acoustic roots. It was, "Rolling Stone" noted, "a radical turn toward cryptic, austere country-folk". It reached number two on the Billboard Top LPs charts, and number one on the UK album charts.

Ranking 39 Dylan albums from worst to best, 'ultimateclassicrock' put "John Wesley Harding" at number ten. Their number one was "Blonde on Blonde" (1966).

Answer: Avalon

"Stylish" and "smooth" were just two words to describe the English band Roxy Music. The image was just as important as the sound. Released in 1982 "Avalon" was their last studio album. It topped the UK charts and was well received in many countries, although once again Americans did not 'get' the Roxy sound and it topped out at 53 on the Billboard 200.

Answer: Basement

Released in 1975, "The Basement Tapes" album had actually been recorded in 1967 and 1968. Yes, some of recording did literally take place in the basement of a house in New York State. The first tracks were laid down when Rick Danko, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel and Robbie Robertson joined Dylan who was recuperating at home, after his infamous motorcycle smash. What they come up with in the succeeding weeks was to become Dylan's 16th album. (Even if bootleggers got in first).

Assessing the official album, 'ultimateclassicrock' described it as "...a revelation, chronicling a previously lost period in the history of one of rock's biggest and most influential artists". The record ran to 24 tracks. In 2014 a new compilation comprising all 168 tracks was released as "The Basement Tapes Complete: The Bootleg Series Vol. 11".

Answer: Abraxas

Released in 1970, "Abraxas" was the second album from Santana and the one that secured their place in rock's hierarchy. It went to number one for six weeks on the Billboard 200 and a five-times platinum certification (five million sales). (It also had one of the most talked about cover illustrations ever.)

The album combined original tracks by Carlos Santana with covers, among them a sublime rendering of Peter Green's "Black Magic Woman". The album was, according to 'ultimateclassicrock' "a Latin rock masterpiece".

Answer: Still

In 1972 Bill Withers recorded and produced his own self-titled album. It went on to top the Billboard Soul Albums chart. Withers did not become a successful musician until the age of 32 and had held down a range of jobs before that. "...his songs came with an inbuilt, honeyed experience. Here was a man who had lived life and, as a result, brought a tremendous gravitas to his material. When he sang of hurt, the need for love and solidarity, you knew he was talking from first-hand experience," commented Daryl Else at 'BBC Music'.

Withers took the single "Lean On Me" to the top of the Billboard Hot 100. In 1987, the song was again a number one, this time courtesy of Sacramento, California, R&B combo Club Nouveau.

Answer: Elvis

In 1956, this self-titled album was the debut from Elvis Presley. It reached the top of the album charts in both the USA and the UK. At that time RCA had paid $35,000 - a fortune in those days - to buy out Presley's Sun Records contract. The new LP was a mix of Sun recordings and new RCA sessions.

For someone who made such an impact on modern music and was a popular singer and actor, at the time of his death in 1977,Presley was worth just $5m, according to 'Celebrity Net Worth'. Presley had been noted for a lavish lifestyle and spending. Within 40 years his estate was worth an estimated $300 million by 'Forbes' magazine.

Answer: Prayer

Released in 1989, "Like A Prayer" was the fourth album from Madonna. It was to top the charts worldwide and went on to sell more than 15 million copies. In 2015, 'Billboard' magazine listed "Like A Prayer" as the best of Madonna's albums to that time.

'Guinness World Records' was to list Madonna as the best selling female singer ever, with sales of over 330 million albums and singles. In 2020, 'Forbes' magazine noted Madonna had chalked up 50 number ones across the world on all charts - the first artists to have done so.