Rolling Stone's 500 "Greatest Albums" Part 20 Quiz

Answer: Pink

In 1977 the London, England, punk band Wire released "Pink Flag" to a good critical reception, although it got nowhere on the charts. Despite achieving most, at best, modest chart recognition, Wire kept on performing and recording into the 21st Century, chilling up 19 studio and 17 live albums.

Answer: Closer

The story of Joy Division is one of what might have been if lead singer and lyricist Ian Curtis had not taken his own life shortly after the sessions for "Closer". It was released soon after his death and reached number six on the UK album charts.

Writing on "New Musical Express", Barry Nicolson found "Closer" to be "an album that seems to seethe with distress and foreboding. It certainly sounds like the work of a man who would take his own life a few weeks after its recording was complete. But Curtis was a master at telling people what he thought they wanted to hear. 'Closer' is the sound of him hiding his turmoil in a place he knew his bandmates would never look: plain sight."

"Closer" was the second and final original album from Joy Division.

Answer: Warm

Brian Eno recorded and produced "Here Come the Warm Jets" in 1974 after leaving Roxy Music. It was, according to 'allmusic', "a spirited, experimental collection of unabashed pop songs...". It reached number 26 on the UK charts and number 151 on the Billboard 200.

Answer: Legend

Released in 2003, Portrait of a Legend" was compilation of some of Sam Cooke's best work from the 1951 until his untimely death in 1964. It reached number 135 on the Billboard 200 but did better in the UK thing number 19.

Cooke was one of the first black artists to bridge the racial divide, providing music that was popular with black and white audience. In a BBC Music review, Alwyin Turner wrote that Cooke "could - along with Ray Charles - plausibly claim to have invented soul, bringing the soaring voice of gospel to cool, Latin-derived rhythms."

Answer: Love

In 1972, "I'm Still in Love With You" was the fifth album from Al Green. It topped the Billboard R&B Albums charts and got to number four on the Billboard 200. The title track went to number one on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart.

Answer: Alive

After three studio albums, Kiss released "Alive!" in 1975 as a live album. It was the album the ignited Kiss after three disappointing releases. But just how 'live' was "Alive!"? Some said that certain tracks were re-recorded the studio. Eddie Kramer, who produced it, later said: "We had to create that album from the live shows with overdubbed guitar, because of the fact that Kiss puts on a great show with much leaping about. Obviously, guitars will not stay in tune and accuracy goes right out the the window. So, you fix what's not right."

Answer: Just

Bill Withers was a singer who ploughed his own furrow - often resisting what he believed were the narrow-minded attitudes of record company executives. He was aged 33 when he released his first recording, but pretty much gave up recording in 1985. In between he became a major influence on R&B and hip-hop. "Ain't No Sunshine" and "Lean On Me" were two of his songs that became standards.

"Just As I Am" was his debut album and reached number 39 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart.

Answer: Definitive

ABBA were a phenomena that blazed across Europe and Australia but left North Americans cold. One reason for that, as their official website acknowledged, was that the band refused to tour in the USA. "There is no demand for us as headliners in this country but that's the only offer we would accept," Benny Andersson told 'The Los Angeles Times'.

They did have some success: "Waterloo" was a Hot 100 number six and "Dancing Queen" topped the charts. (Let's face it, if "Dancing Queen" does not get your toes tapping and fingers clicking then, as Leonard Cohen might have put it "You don't really care for music, do ya?".)

In 2001, "The Definitive Collection" contained all of the super Swedes' singles. It reached number 17 in the UK. In a BBC Radio two feature on "7 legendary song-writing duos that changed the face of pop music", ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson were placed at number four.

Answer: Night

In 1975, "Tonight's The Night" was the sixth album from Neil Young. As a member of various bands and as a solo artists, Neil Young's influence is hard to ignore: indeed the influential 'The Village Voice' magazine named him "'70s Artist Of The Decade".

Listed on several US charts, "Tonight's the Night" had its best appearance at number 19 on the Cash Box Top 100 Albums chart.

Answer: Dolls

A punk rock band that borrowed from the rock and roll greats? Who knew? Well, the New York Dolls did. Listen carefully and you can hear riffs taken from Chuck Berry and Fats Domino, among others.

This self-titled album was released in 1973 and was well received by the critics, even if sales only took it to number 116 on the Billboard 200. Writing on 'BBC Music' in 2007, Chris Jones posited: "Their influence can be felt just as much in their dress sense and openly dysfunctional behaviour as in their sometimes questionable musical output. But that doesn't stop their debut album being one of the most visceral, thrilling rides ever released. Thirty Five years later it still sounds as raw and snotty as ever."