Rolling Stone's 500 "Greatest Albums" Part 45 Quiz

Answer: Van Morrison

A second inclusion in this countdown for the later benighted Sir George Ivan Morrison, "Astral Weeks" was released in 1968 and was his second solo album.

At the time Morrison was in the middle of a contractual spat between two record companies; one condition meant that no singles were released from "Astral Weeks". The songs on the album had been honed while Morrison was playing in local coffee houses in Massachusetts and the album comprised jazz-influenced acoustic songs, with string overdubs.

Morrison's influence in the studio appears to have been minimal. He did not have his usual musicians, instead session men were brought in. Bassist Richard Davis was later quoted as saying that Morrison strummed the songs a few times and they made up their own parts. Morrison later said: "They ruined it. They added strings. I didn't want the strings. And they sent it to me, it was all changed. That's not 'Astral Weeks'".

Answer: Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder had 14 albums under his belt when he went into the studio in 1972 for the sessions that would produce "Talking Book". The album was well received critically and commercially, hitting the top of the Billboard R&B Albums chart. The single "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" topped the Billboard Hot 100.

The album marked something of a route change for Wonder, who wanted to show he could do more than churn out Motown formula hits. "He proved he could write grooves to keep you on the dance floor and, at the same time, make you think about social problems. And on the other side, he could melt your heart," Deborah Williams wrote for 'npr music' in 2000.

Answer: Led Zeppelin

Released in 1971 "Led Zeppelin IV" was, er, the fourth album from the London, England, heavy rockers. It was a commercial success, hitting the top ten the world over, including taking the top spot in the UK and the USA.

"Stairway To Heaven" remains probably the most significant track. It was written by Jimmy Page, even if it did attract claims of copyright infringements. It has featured n several lists of 'best rock song'.

When 'ulimateclassicrock ranked Led Zeppelin albums from worst to best, they put "IV" at the top. It was, the review said, the band's most recognisable work and had reshaped its sound and legacy forever.

Answer: The Band

In 1969 the American/Canadian combo released their self-titled LP, sometime known as "The Brown Album". It was their second long player, following on from "Music From Big Pink", which was listed earlier in this countdown. It reached number nine on the Billboard 200.

"The Night They Drove" Old Dixie Down" was written by Robbie Robertson, and topped out at number three on the Billboard Hot 100. It reached number one in Canada and number six in the UK. John Denver, Richie Havens, Johnny Cash, and Joan Baez were among those to cover the song.

There are differing theories on why The Band never made it as big as the individual talents suggested it was capable of. Perhaps their sound was hard to pigeonhole, undoubtedly illicit substances also took their toll.

Answer: Liz Phair

"Exile in Guyville" was the 1993 debut album from New Haven, Connecticut,native Liz Phair.

In retrospect, 'The New Yorker' called this a coming of age album. "At the time, it was a landmark of foul-mouthed, compromised intimacy, a tortured confessional, a workout in female braggadocio, and a wellspring of penetrating self-analysis and audacity. Phair was as lyrical as Joni Mitchell but played as tough as Chrissie Hynde; she was as smart as Courtney Love and as comfortable toying with sexual imagery as Madonna."

Phair did not always enjoy an easy time with the media. One writer had to offer a public apology years after giving one album a rating of "0.0".

In a June 2021 interview with 'The Line of Best Fit', Phair said it was unlikely she would have made "Exile..." in the current musical climate. "'Exile' was made through a decade of repressed anger and frustration, building up over a decade of young womanhood. It was a reaction to the way I saw the patriarchy scaling up and down, across all levels. Even in indie rock, which was supposed to be alternative, it was still a boy's club...", she told Katherine Rogers.

Answer: Pink Floyd

"The Dark Side of the Moon" was one of those albums that just could not be ignored. A huge seller it ended up in record collections the world over and yet there were those who called it pretentious and overrated. In 1973, the album topped the charts in the USA and Canada and was a number two in the UK and Australia. It went on to sell 45 million copies.

In 2017, readers of 'Classic Rock' voted this "the greatest album of all time". Meanwhile, 'ultimateclassicrock' named it the best of all Pink Floyd LPs, saying it held "a talismanic importance to this band, their era and all of rock."

Answer: James Brown

In 1991 "Star Time" was released as a four-CD set tracing the recording career of James Brown from 1956. The 70-odd tracks included some of Brown's best known songs.

James Brown was known as "the Hardest-Working Man in Show Business", and proved it over his 50-year career. He came from an impoverished background in South Carolina and got involved in music when he was part of a gospel group which incarcerated in a reform school. That band was be the nucleus of the Famous Flames and got their impetus going when spotted by Little Richard.

In the years that followed, Brown had more than 100 singles and 50 LPs on the charts. As well as his singing, Brown was known to flaunt the luxuries fame and fortune brought him. Brown died in 2006 and left an estate valued at up to $100m. Years of legal squabbling over that estate followed.

Answer: Jimi Hendrix

Released in 1968, "Electric Ladyland" was the third album from the Jimi Hendrix Experience. It was to be their last. It reached the top of the Billboard 200 in the USA and was also a number one in Canada. It reached number six in the UK.

On the track listing was "All Along The Watchtower", widely acknowledged as one of the best covers of a Bob Dylan song. It reached number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number five on the Official UK charts. Another track, "Voodoo Chile", topped the UK singles charts in 1970.

While this album was believed by some critics to be Hendrix's crowning glory, that did not come about easily. The endless takes in the London studios and the copious amounts of illicit substances consumed by the band caused producer Chas Chandler to walk out. As Chris Jones wrote for 'BBC Music': "Luckily Hendrix, on a creative peak, was still focused enough to turn '...Ladyland' into as close as a perfect album as was possible."

Answer: David Bowie

In the ever-changing world in which David Bowie lived, "Station To Station" was his tenth album. Released 1976, it reached number three on the Billboard 200 and number five on the Official UK albums chart. It also sat well with critics and fans alike, and was in several polls listed as one of Bowie's best.

In the album, Bowie made the shift away from his earlier glam rock and the alter ego "The Thin White Duke" he had created. Initially it had only six tracks - later re-releases were expanded - but those tracks were regarded by some as dramatic and stylish.

Answer: Chuck Berry

In 1982, "The Great Twenty-Eight" was a compilation album of some of the best of Chuck Berry's songs.

Chuck Berry's place in rock and roll history is assured. He was one of the most importent early influences and in 2004, 'Rolling Stone' placed him at number five on a list of the "100 Greatest Artists".

Should compilation albums have a place on a countdown such as this?, that is a moot question. This is not the only one on this list. The tracks on "The Great Twenty-Eight" can be found on a later album, the two-disc "Anthology" release in 2000, and a super deluxe version of "The Great Twenty-Eight" with other tracks was also released. Frankly, a fairy story involving geese and golden eggs springs to mind.