Rolling Stone's 500 "Greatest Albums" Part 39 Quiz

Answer: Van Morrison

In 1970, "Moondance" was the third solo alum from George Ivan Morrison. It reached number 29 in the USA and number 32 in the UK.

In June 2021, Morrison upset a lot of people in his native Northern Ireland, some of them formerly fans, when he engaged in an onstage rant against the local health minister after a planned concert was banned under Covid-19 restrictions. Morrison had in earlier months composed and sung songs protesting against the restrictions in general. "Variety" magazine listed them among "the worst songs of 2020".

Answer: Sly and the Family Stone

"Stand!" was the fourth album from San Francisco's Sly and the Family Stone. Unlike many 'family bands' there were some relationships, Sly was joined by his brother Freddie and sister Rose in the original seven-member lineup. It was, in the view of legacy.com, "the first major American rock band to have an 'integrated, multi-gender' lineup."

The band was hailed as having a pioneering role in the development of funk music and "Stand!" sold well, hitting number three on the U.S. Top R&B Albums chart.

In a 2016 retrospective, Noah Barlatsky wrote in the "Guardian" that Sly Stone had a career derailed by addiction and added that "his music still sounds startlingly current". Apart from his personal demons: "Stone would be a little more discussed or acknowledged if his message wasn't so insistently political and uncomfortable," Barlatsky wrote.

Answer: Eagles

With sales of 32 million copies, it stands to reason that quite a few funtrivia people have "Hotel California" in their music collections (although this quiz writer does not.) "Rolling Stone" magazine wrote that the album "affirmed the band's shift from laid-back country-tinged pop act to major players in the rock & roll fast lane". The "Financial Times' added: the title track "marked a watershed for rock".

"Hotel California" was the fifth album from Eagles as they transcended from country to rock. It reached the top ten in many English-speaking countries and topped the Billboard 200. The title track won a Grammy.

"Classic Rock Review" wrote "members of the Eagles have described the album as a metaphor for the perceived decline of America". It was, though, an album of its times and some of the songs sounded dated in years to follow.

CRR added: "'Hotel California' would be the absolute pinnacle of the The Eagles' career, selling more than any other of their multiple successes and being considered high up on several "all time" lists. The band went on to record one more studio album, 'The Long Run', which took even longer to create. Although that album was also a smash hit, it contributed greatly to the tensions that ultimately broke up the band in 1980."

Answer: Kanye West

In 2005, "Late Registration" was the second LP from Atlanta Georgia native Kanye West. It topped the Billboard 200 and the UK R&B charts and was also a number one in Canada.

"NME" wrote it was, "a record that not only lives up to his debut but possibly surpasses it." In the "Guardian", Alexis Petridis called West "Unique" and added "He is currently the only mainstream rapper willing to tackle politics..."

Answer: The Cure

The Cure go together in 1978 and went on to become one of the most important combos on the music scene over the next few years. "The Cure were always determinedly different, whether that meant embodying a genre while transcending it, or helping to bring alternative rock to the mainstream," ultimateclassicrock wrote in 2018. The band were to become one of the most prominent groups in the Goth Genre, ucr said - even if the band never liked what was classified as goth music.

"Disintegration" was their eighth LP. In 1989 it reached number three in the UK and number 12 on the Billboard 200.

Answer: Kendrick Lamar

I almost felt like typing SIC after that tile, since the is the way Lamar capitalised/non-capitalised it. Released in 2012, this was the second album from the Compton, California, rapper. It reached number two the Billboard 200 and was nominated for four Grammys.

The album was "a conflicted tale about Lamar's Compton upbringing", Marcus J. Moore wrote for BBC Music. Calling the results "remarkable", he added: "Lamar layers it with diverse flows that provide insight into his textured childhood."

Answer: The Strokes

In 2001, "Is This It" was the debut album from the Manhattan-based indie rockers. Over a series of staged launches, it reached number 33 on the Billboard 200, but made number five in Australia and number two in the UK. All the songs were written by the band's Julian Casablancas.

The Strokes got together in 1998 but it was the addition of Albert Hammond Jr on guitar that was to give them an edgier sound. "This Is It" was to be their seminal debut. That, and confident performances at some of Europe's top festivals created a reputation of a solid touring band that attracted a devoted set of followers.

Answer: The Smiths

The Smiths became what music lovers in the UK called a 'Marmite' band. You either loved them or you did not. (Marmite was a brand of yeast spread loved by many but loathed by others). In truth, many were turned off by the fervent far-right politics of lead singer Morrissey.

The "Guardian" newspaper called Morrissey a "bigmouth". Left-leaning folkie Billy Bragg said The Smiths had been "the greatest band of my generation", however on Morrissey: "he's betraying those fans, betraying his legacy and empowering the very people Smiths fans were brought into being to oppose. He's become the Oswald Mosley of pop." [Oswald Mosley was a pre-WW2 British leader who endorsed Hitler and Nazi values.]

"The Queen Is Dead" was the second LP from The Smiths and reached number two in the UK in 1986.

Answer: Elton John

Released in 1973 as a double album, "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" was Elton John's seventh album. It topped the charts in Canada, Australia, the USA and the UK, and went on to sell 30 million copies.

The track listing contained some of the best songs ever from Elton and Bernie Taupin, including "Candle In The Wind", "Bennie and the Jets" and the title track. A "Rolling Stone" readers' poll of "The 10 Best Elton John Albums" put "Goodbye..." at number one. In 2015, "ultimateclassicrock" agreed.

Answer: Janet Jackson

In 1986, "Control" was the third LP from Janet Jackson. It topped the Billboard 200 and was a number eight in the UK. It included five singles that hit the top five in the USA.

"Billboard" described this as "a fantastic album that represents way more than what's spelled out in the lyrics." This was a chance for Jackson to "reinvent herself" and to record what she wanted, with the people she wanted, rather than being under any family direction.